Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, has become the country’s first Dark Sky Park (DSP). The dark sky highlights a deeper understanding of the universe and promotes astronomy. Pench is India’s India’s first International Dark Sky Park within a tiger reserve. Pench Tiger Reserve has grabbed IUCN’s prestigious Dark Sky certification. The International Dark-Sky Association is a global dark-sky movement to promote astronomy.

 

India’s first International Dark Sky Park, restricting light pollution for star-gazers, keeps the focus on night sky monitoring, lighting policy, retrofits and outreach.

Dark Sky Parks are protected natural areas owned bythe public or the private sector. They have good outdoor lighting and offer dark sky programmes to visitors.

To lessen light pollution, the Dark Sky Association promotes appropriate outdoor lighting. One argument against the sometimes unnecessary use of artificial illumination is light pollution. This immediately affects nocturnal plants and animals and our ability to view the night sky in all its splendour. We can see planets beaming beneath the twilight and meteors in full flight when no LEDs are in the way.

Types of Dark Sky Destinations

For lighting products, designs, and installed lighting projects that limit glare, reduce light trespass, and reduce light pollution, the DarkSky Approved programme offers objective, third-party certification. To be certified, they must:

Restrict the amount of upward-directed light

Avoid glare
Avoid over-lighting
Utilise dimming and other appropriate lighting controls

Minimise short-wavelength (bluish) light in the night-time environment

The Pench Tiger Reserve derives its name from its lifeline, the Pench River, spread over 741.41 sq km in the Nagpur and Ramtek districts in Maharashtra.