Flagstaff’s dark sky

county has strived to put the same guidelines in place to protect the night scenery.

“The city is where we see the most light pollution, obviously, so the ordinance taking place here is very important,” Hakala said. “Without it, we have no pull.”

Flagstaff was the first city in the United States to be classified as a Dark Sky City. Since 2001, this has played a part in tourists and students choosing to visit the city.

The Flagstaff national monuments which — include Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki — had more than 300,000 visitors in 2021, doubling their last fiscal year.

All three parks are considered international dark sky parks under the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). According to a 2021 IDA report for the Flagstaff national monuments, there were no extra outreach programs due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The IDA named Flagstaff as the first Dark Sky City in the United States in October 2001. Since then, Janice Hakala, a dark sky specialist in Coconino County, said the

Kevin Schindler, public information officer and historian for Lowell Observatory, said living in a place that is artificially lit causes people to lose their connection to the universe.

Lowell Observatory is one of five observatories in Flagstaff that rely on the dark sky initiative for research and tourism. Schindler said there are currently 14 full-time astronomers looking into various areas of research in the solar system at Lowell.

Schindler said the dark sky program in place has helped the observatory in several areas including tourism.

The dark sky initiative has allowed the observatory to start building a planetarium outside rather than inside a dome where these structures normally are. The Astronomy Discovery Center is set to open in early winter of 2024.

Visitors will be able to sit outside and gain the same experience as an inside planetarium because of how clear Flagstaff’s night sky is. Seats will be heated so people can look at the sky year-round.