Where East Asia's night skies still shine

A sky dark enough to clearly view the Milky Way has become so rare in East Asia that communities now treat darkness as a natural resource worth protecting. DarkSky International recognizes places that reduce light pollution and preserve views of starry skies. The organization evaluates the faintest stars visible to the naked eye, the brightness of the night sky and the impact of artificial lighting. In practice, the sky must usually be dark enough for visitors to clearly view the Milky Way. Its certified sites include "sanctuaries," "reserves," "parks," "communities" and "urban places." Those places must meet sky-quality standards and provide regular public access, while communities and urban sites focus more on local efforts to reduce light pollution than on pristine viewing conditions alone. Across East Asia, DarkSky International has designated only five sites as International Dark Sky Parks. They include one in Korea, two in Japan, one in Taiwan and one in mainland China. The list shows that darkness now depends not only on geography, but also on dark sky-friendly fixtures, lightingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times