Welcome to Brainstuff production of iHeart Radio, Hey brain Stuff Lauren Bogelbaum. Here, tucked far away from any cities, the tiny island of Niue is blissfully free of the light pollution that plagues metro areas around the world. Nieue skies are so dark, in fact, that the entire country has been named an International Dark Sky Place. That designation comes courtesy of the International Dark Sky Association, a US based nonprofit organization with the mission of preserving dark skies and
cutting down on light pollution. There are about a hundred and thirty certified dark sky parks, preserves, and communities around the world, from Death Valley National Park to the Nimidbrand Nature Reserve in Namibia to the town of Flagstaff, Arizona. But Niue is the first and so far only entire nation to receive this prized seal of approval from the Association.
The recognition has made a celebrity of the one hundred square mile island that's about two hundred and six the square kilometers with a population of one thousand, six hundred, which is located roughly fifteen hundred miles or kilometers from New Zealand in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean. Niue is a self governing state, but it maintains a free association with New Zealand, which represents its tiny neighbor
in many international affairs. Sheer remoteness alone contributes heavily to the island's dark environment, but according to the International Dark Sky Association's requirements, the villages commit to using artificial lighting that leaves the night sky unspoiled, unveiling the Milky Way, the Andromeda constellation, and other brilliant starry objects in their full glory. That meant retrofitting or replacing street lights and lights in private residences and businesses. Culturally, the dark Sky
designation will help protect part of the island's heritage. For centuries, it's people have used the stars and lunar cycles for navigation on the seas. Niue is also home to a marine reserve and a forest conservation area, and the designation
is more than symbolic. Although travel is limited at the time of this recording, headlines about the tiny country's accomplishment will likely boost future astrotaurism, as astronomers and nature lovers from around the world venture to the island to take guided tours of the best views of the pin pricked
Tari black skies above. Thanks to its location, you can usually see the main southern dark sky objects like the Southern Cross, the large and small Magellanic clouds, and Omega centauri, as well as mid latitude constellations like Orion, Taurists, Gemini, and Cancer. And dark skies don't just make stars more visible at night, they also cut down on disruptions to
wildlife and the ecosystem caused by light pollution. Some communities worry that altering street lights makes cities more vulnerable to crime, but multiple studies have failed to prove conclusively that enhanced street lighting deters crime, and in some cases, researchers found that bright lights actually made crime worse. Today's episode was written by Nathan Chandler and produced by Tyler Clang. For more in this and lots of other bright topics, is
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