"Love Beneath the Stars" photo by Shelby Cox

Dark Sky

Friendly Awards, Recognition and Promotional Opportunities

Alpine now has a dark sky compliant outdoor lighting ordinance. Within the next few years, all outdoor lighting in the City will have to be night sky friendly.

Think of this as a marketing opportunity! The Alpine Visitor Center and Visit Alpine welcome all to participate in award and recognition programs offered by McDonald Observatory, DarkSky Texas and DarkSky International.

When Alpine’s lodging businesses achieve night sky friendly awards or recognition, Visit Alpine and the Alpine Visitor Center will enthusiastically spread the word in our social media and on the visitalpinetx.com website!

Alpine has a dark sky compliant outdoor lighting ordinance to protect our most valuable resource – the naturally dark night sky we have! With three incentive programs and assistance available to meet our outdoor lighting standards our lodging business can be leaders in offering night-time and Astrotourism activities to the area.

Why protect the night? See DarkSky Texas-our night sky for an overview.

First, become familiar with the awards and recognition programs for night-sky compliant lighting at commercial, residential, or government properties.  McDonald Observatory, DarkSky Texas, and DarkSky International each offer programs to help you achieve recognition for your commitment to preserving a healthy dark night sky.

If you are doing the work to modify and maintain lighting that is night-sky friendly you should apply for all three awards! Travelers look for these symbols of integrity and commitment; they know that good lighting and seeing the night sky are compatible when lighting is done right.

Alpine will experience a partial solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 and we are making plans for safe viewing of the partial eclipse we will see in Alpine with fun activities at the Visitor Center on April 8th (more information on this soon). This year, International Dark Sky Week Discover the Night is April 2 through April 8, 2024. We do not need a celestial event to draw visitors to Alpine and the surrounding area, people come because of the area’s reputation for the natural beauty, stunning scenery, and nice people. The national attention the eclipse will draw is a good time to bring your night sky friendly lighting efforts to public attention! Let’s brag about you when you complete the certification!

Depending on the complexity of your lighting, it can take anywhere from two weeks to six months to get through the application and award review processes. Ready to get started? Would you be willing to participate in an optional mini-documentary showcasing your application process? This will provide publicity for your business and encourage participation!

Learn about awards and recognition programs for night-sky compliant lighting offered by McDonald Observatory,  DarkSky Texas and DarkSky.org

McDonald Observatory – West Texas Night Sky Friendly Lighting Award

  • Self-nominate or be nominated by a someone else.
  • For commercial, residential, school district, and government/public lighting  
  • Answer questions, be open and available for discussion, review, possible additional work to remedy lights, and some publicity
  • View other recognized locations
  • Visit Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve for lighting information and to find night sky friendly lights

DarkSky Texas (formerly IDA-Texas)– Be a Star Award Program

  • Self-nominate or be nominated by a someone else
  • For commercial, residential, school district, and government/public lighting  
  • Answer questions, be open and available for discussion, review, possible additional work to remedy lights, and some publicity
  • Review solutions and principles of good outdoor lighting

DarkSky International’s DarkSky Approved Lodging Program.

  • For lodging and outdoor environment educational services wanting official certification by DarkSky International, a trusted organization within the astronomy and conservation communities, with a well-known brand identity and a robust public following. Becoming DarkSky Approved is guaranteed to elevate the reputation of any hospitality company that attains this prestigious status.
  • Astrotourism – tourism centered on traveling to destinations with ideal conditions for stargazing and observing celestial events – is at an all-time high, currently estimated at half a billion dollars annually worldwide
  • DarkSky Approved Lodging is overnight visitor accommodation with exceptional or distinguished quality starry nights and a nighttime environment preserved through on-site DarkSky Approved lighting. They can be camps, seasonal campgrounds, hotels, resorts, retreat centers, properties promoting ecotourism, and Astrotourism lodges located in dark sky locations.
  • For a particular facility or accommodation to be DarkSky certified, it must demonstrate that it meets criteria based on the objectives of the Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting. Those Principles are:
  • All light should have a clear purpose.
  • Light should be directed only to where it is needed.
  • Light should be no brighter than necessary.
  • Light should be used only when it is useful.
  • Warmer color lights should be used where possible.
  • Learn about DarkSky Approved Lodging

Wonder what you’ll be fixing? Light pollution. Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally. It is light where it is not needed or wanted. It is excessive, wasted light that can cause discomfort, harm or injury and decreases safety. It has harmful effects on, wildlife and ecosystems, human health, energy and climate change, crime and safety, night sky heritage.

Learn more about what light pollution is and does

DarkSky International

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

The first Alpine City Outdoor Lighting Ordinance (OLO) was adopted on September 7, 2010. It preceded Texas HB 2857 which entered into force on 1, January 2012. HB 2857 ordered that a municipality located in a county part of which is within 57 miles of the McDonald Observatory will, by ordinance, regulate the installation and use of outdoor lighting. While HB 2857 is primarily intended to protect the quality of the skies for scientific study at the Observatory, all communities in the 28,000 square miles surrounding the Observatory benefit. The City of Alpine’s updated OLO was adopted in June of 2021. Brewster County soon followed with updated rules. City’s and towns in the tri-county area have adopted similarly updated outdoor lighting ordinances.

The transition from incandescent and mercury vapor lights to Light-Emitting-Diodes or LED’s, allowed new design and lighting options. Adaptive controls, sensors, timers, allow users to determine when lights are turned on and off and how bright they. The color of LEDs can be made to order and the preferred color of amber is readily available. The science documenting the impact of light pollution on all living things is well established and solutions exist to create good lighting design. It is important to ensure that Alpine’s lighting regulations are regularly updated to reaffirm community values and adapt to changing technology and best practices.

SUMMARY OF UPDATES MADE TO THE 2021 OUTDOOR LIGHTING ORDINANCE

• Updated and clarified definitions

• Set the maximum color temperature of the lights to 2700 Kelvin

• Set maximum lumens per acre cap for commercial and residential properties

• Prohibition instituted against light intrusion

• Built-in provisions for the treatment of interior lighting affecting outdoor lighting

• Cleared non-compliant lights and processes to bring into conformity

• Inconsistencies in the existing ordinance were eliminated

• Counted on new technologies in lighting design such as the use of adaptive controls

• Process determined the application for installation of new lighting and spelled out application mechanisms

• Updated and clarified categories of exempt and temporary lighting

LOCAL ORDINANCE AND RULES

City of Alpine Dark Skies Outdoor Lighting Ordinance

Brewster County Order Regulating Outdoor Lighting as of May 6, 2021

EXAMPLES OF GOOD AND BAD LIGHTING

Examples of good and bad lighting, light trespass, lumens caps, color, lighting and signage information are included in both the City of Alpine and Brewster County ordinance and rules. If you have specific questions about a particular lighting situation please refer to the ordinance and rules for either the city or county, whichever jurisdiction applies.

HERE IS BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT LIGHT POLLUTION, INFO ABOUT APPS YOU CAN PUT ON YOUR PHONE FOR VIEWING THE NIGHT SKY, HOW TO SEE INTO OUR LOCAL NIGHT SKY, INFO ABOUT THE GREATER BIG BEND INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY RESERVE, INFO ABOUT STARGAZING – HOW TO AND WHERE AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE, BASIC GUIDELINES FOR GOOD OUTDOOR LIGHTING, LIGHTING FOR INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS, AND VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES.

  1. What is light pollution?
  2. Why the Stars are Disappearing  by McDonald Observatory, 10:47 minutes
  3. Globe at Night is an international citizen-science initiative for amateur and professional star gazers, explorers, scientists, and leaders who gather information and share observations of night skies seen around the world.
  4. Apps for planet and star-finding recommendations for Android and iOS, free or inexpensive. 
  5. What can I see in the sky from Alpine Texas? See TimeandDate.com – 79830
  6. When is the best time to watch the night sky for stars and planets? What time does the moon rise and sun set on any given date and location? TimeandDate.com has excellent search tools to find the location and rising and setting times of the sun, moon and planets, Astronomy Central – TimeandDate.com. Alpine’s page:  https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@z-us-79830
  7. Stargazing Tips page: Weekly Stargazing Tips | McDonald Observatory
  8. Dark Sky Initiative Dark Skies Initiative | McDonald Observatory
  9. Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve (DRS) A Dark Sky Reserve is an area of land and/or water with exceptional starry nights specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, or cultural value. DarkSky International certifies areas as dark sky places. The DSR covers over 15,000 square miles and is a partnership between local communities, parks, businesses, and conservation groups in Texas and Mexico to protect the night through better outdoor lighting. The goal of the DSR is to protect the night sky from the spread of light pollution. DarkSky Reserve Facebook, Dark Sky Reserve | McDonald Observatory  
  10. What is a “friendly” light and more help:  Lighting Questions & Contact | McDonald Observatory and DarkSky.org and DarkSky Texas Common Sense Solutions
  12. DarkSky Texas (Texas chapter of DarkSky (formerly IDA) excellent resources.
  13. DarkSky International has a trove of information DarkSky.org  
  14. Dark sky friendly outdoor lighting:  Responsible outdoor lighting | DarkSky International 
  15. What makes lighting dark sky friendly? Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting | DarkSky International 

WHAT CAN I SEE IN THE SKY FROM ALPINE ?

See TimeandDate.com – 79830

By Laura Gold/Dark Sky Texas, Emeritus Board Member