Dark skies

The natural heritage of astronomy

It is important to recognise and, where possible, to strive to preserve, the visible link between the cultural heritage of astronomy and the natural heritage of the dark night sky. For this reason, the Astronomy and World Heritage Working Group is collaborating closely with organisations concerned with protecting and preserving the dark night sky, such as the The Starlight Initiative and the Dark Skies Advisory Group.

See also the web pages of the Dark Skies Awareness IYA cornerstone project.

An example

The extraordinary picture on the left shows the imposing shape of the “emu in the sky” known to Australian Aboriginals. Below it is a rock art depiction of the same celestial emu. It is necessary to experience a truly dark night sky in order to appreciate the astonishing visual impact of dark cloud ‘constellations’ such as this. Photo © Barnaby Norris.