Oregon Expands Its Dark Sky Communities With Certification Of Sisters

Oregon is renowned for hosting the largest dark sky sanctuary in the world and boasts the top national park in the United States for stargazing. Now, several towns in the state are gaining recognition as official dark sky communities. Sisters, a town located in central Oregon near Bend, has recently been certified as an international dark sky community, marking it as the latest addition to the state’s growing list of designated dark sky locations. 

This certification, awarded by DarkSky International—a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing light pollution and restoring the nighttime environment—makes Sisters the second international dark sky community and the seventh overall dark sky location in Oregon. This designation follows closely on the heels of Antelope, which became Oregon’s first international dark sky community just two months prior.

The commitment to dark sky preservation in Sisters began in 2000 when Sisters High School initiated an astronomy program. Since then, the community has actively engaged in educating residents about the importance of maintaining dark skies through various outreach efforts, including newsletters, social media campaigns, newspaper articles, and community events, as noted by DarkSky International.

Sisters’ certification results from several factors, including an updated outdoor lighting ordinance aimed at minimizing light pollution, the involvement of local astronomy clubs, and commitments from city officials to retrofit non-compliant lighting fixtures. DarkSky International recognizes five distinct categories of dark sky places eligible for certification worldwide: dark sky sanctuaries, dark sky reserves, dark sky parks, dark sky communities, and urban night sky places. 

Dark sky sanctuaries are typically situated in remote areas with limited light pollution, promoting awareness and conservation of these delicate environments. In contrast, dark sky parks are defined as publicly or privately owned land that possesses exceptional visual quality for stargazing and is protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural, and recreational value.

With Sisters’ recent certification, Oregon now boasts a total of seven dark sky locations, further enhancing its reputation as a premier destination for stargazing and dark sky preservation.