Dark Wars Tourism Part2

Canvas of the Cosmos – By ark Rangers Randy Dunning & Kevin Poe D P Core of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) Crab Supernova (M1) NPS photo by Dan Duriscoe Darkness is Beautiful

Comet NEAT Darkness is Beautiful Crab Supernova (M1)

Hercules Globular Cluster (M13) Darkness is Beautiful Comet NEAT

Swan Nebula (M17) Darkness is Beautiful Hercules Globular Cluster (M13)

Andromeda Galaxy (M31) Darkness is Beautiful Swan Nebula (M17)

Orion Nebula (M42) Darkness is Beautiful Andromeda Galaxy (M31)

Ring Nebula (M57) Darkness is Beautiful Orion Nebula (M42)

Cigar Galaxy (M82) Darkness is Beautiful Ring Nebula (M57)

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) Darkness is Beautiful Cigar Galaxy (M82)

Sombrero Galaxy (M104) Darkness is Beautiful Dumbbell Nebula (M27)

Whirlpool Galaxy & companion (M51) Darkness is Beautiful Sombrero Galaxy (M104)

Darkness is Beautiful Whirlpool Galaxy & companion (M51)

Saturn Darkness is Beautiful Hubble Ultra Deep Field

Jupiter Darkness is Beautiful Saturn

Mars Darkness is Beautiful Jupiter

Venus Darkness is Beautiful Mars

Mercury Darkness is Beautiful Venus

Sol Darkness is Beautiful Mercury

Moon Darkness is Beautiful Sol

Earth Darkness is Beautiful Moon

Darkness is Beautiful

If it’s rare... Capture it ! And Charge Admission!

P.T. “Greatest Show ON Earth” Barnum

So darkness is… $ AND beautiful... Darkness is Beautiful

Defending Darkness Protecting darkness is hard… Lake Mead (ugly) Bryce (good) Yosemite (bad)

Light Trespass

Laws end at boundaries (light transcends)

Can’t fence light (urban domes exceed 5,000m!)

Education doesn’t work on empty seats

ONLY Tourism gets the butts in the seats!

Photo by Jim Richardson Defending Darkness

Astronomy Tourism Sky City, AZ Observatory B&B, BC Astronomers Inn, AZ Night Adventures, Red River, NM

Profitable Tourism isn’t more people per day, but Increased Length of Stay! “ Dark lovers stay overnight and eat bigger breakfasts!” - Kevin “Greatest Show FOR Earth” Poe Astronomy Tourism

National Parks (the big guns of tourism) Yellowstone Death Valley Bryce Canyon Chaco Culture Curecanti Yosemite Grand Canyon Great Basin Virgin Islands Astronomy Tourism

In 2008 Bryce Astronomy:

91 formal presentations

31,000 contacts (15,450 people)

~$850k to local economy!

Astronomy Tourism 50 Telescopes! Constellation Tours! Real Rocket Science! Ranger Assisted… Astronaut Story Musgrave! Repairer of the Hubble Telescope! 3000 Visitors! Astronomy Festival June 17-20, 2009! Join us for 9 th Annual Bryce Canyon

Light means:

Safety

Money

Eat at Joes! Down pointing retrofit: -$1000 Monthly Rent +$15,000 Ammortized over 10yr lifespan -$8.33/month More light isn’t always safer & seldom necessary Protecting Astro-Tourism

50% won’t see the Milky Way

$2 billion lost in “up light”

Shrinking telescopes

Even parks are getting brighter

Report from the Front Lines: Milky Way 5000+ ly Page, AZ 61 miles (98 km) Cedar City & I-15 corridor 48 miles (72 km) St. George 78 miles (125 km)

218ft 2

116ft 2

101ft 2

Hooker 1917 (54ft 2 ) Hale 1948 (218ft 2 ) War Progress Report Cedar City, UT Beaver, UT 2007 1948 147” 200” Photo by Tyler Nordgren

It’s not!” - The Lorax by Dr. Seuss “ Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Unless… Could we lose the Stars? At the rate we are going… yes, it’s very likely! War Progress Report

How do you care a whole awful lot?

Celebrate darkness

Close blinds at night

Upgrade your lights

Request & support lighting ordinances

Get your money back!

Terrible $43/yr Bad $32/yr Great $0/yr Good $11/yr Join the Fight Against the Light! Protecting Astro-Tourism Photo by Jim Richardson Motion Sensor $10/yr