Bardsey Island is awarded Dark Sky Sanctuary certification

Bardsey Island, or Ynys Enlli, in Wales, has recently received an International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification by the International Dark Skies Association (IDA). As the first place in Europe to be awarded this certification, it's sure to raise the profile of the small island which is only 2 miles off the tip of the Llyn Peninsula in North Wales.  

The island is very small, at only 1.5 miles long and just over half a mile across, but is protected from light pollution by a mountain that reaches 167 metres up. The closest major light pollution is found in Dublin, over 70 miles away across the Irish Sea. The island itself is often known as the Island of 20,000 Saints, and has only 12 residences.

This certification was not easy to acquire, with a four-year programme using new technology utilised to monitor the quality of the night sky on the island and to show that it is dark enough to warrant the award.

An IDA Dark Sky Sanctuary is only one of the titles that the IDA awards, with Dark Sky Parks and Reserves also playing a large part in preserving the darkness of our night skies, but the Sanctuary is specific in that it is often located remotely from civilisation, with few threats to the quality of its night skies. Sanctuaries are specifically designed to increase awareness of the area and help to encourage long-term conservation. They're working against the impact outdoor lighting has on wildlife, human health, money and energy, climate change, and perhaps most importantly of all, our view of the universe. They encourage everyone to celebrate the night and understand how light pollution is an urgent environmental threat that we have power to work against.