Grand Canyon Named International Dark-Sky Park

An international organization has honored the Grand Canyon with a designation meant to protect the national wonder's pristine night skies.

The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and Grand Canyon National Park announced last week, during the annual Grand Canyon Star Party, that the Canyon has provisionally been named the 12th International Dark-Sky Park in the country. Eight of those 12 national parks are located on the Colorado Plateau, the park said in a news release.

The "provisional" status means the park has three years to retrofit most of its light fixtures to comply with the IDA's strict lighting guidelines for the designation. The changes are intended to decrease light pollution and make stargazing at the Canyon even more spectacular.

The IDA's executive director, Scott Feierabend, said the designation "is an important step in ensuring the Colorado Plateau remains a protective harbor for some of the best night skies in the country."

Though the Canyon's Star Party occurs once a year, park rangers conduct night sky walks and talks year-round.