Boise — derived from the French word for wooded, but a name that also reflects a confluence of frontier myth and speculation — sits below the Rocky Mountains on a verdant plain known as Treasure Valley. Boise (BOY-see, if you’re a local; BOY-zee if you’re...
For millennia, human beings have gazed into the firmament and been awed by the thousands of stars, galaxies, nebulae, and other cosmic wonders visible to the naked eye. But in recent generations, much of humanity has become divorced from these marvels. Today, at least 80...
Just over 14,000 square miles of central Idaho have been designated a "Dark Sky Reserve" for committing to preserving a pristine night sky by limiting light pollution. Transcript: RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: All right, Steve, so according to a study in the journal Science Advances, nearly 80 percent of...
While many head to Ketchum for the skiing, another kind of tourist could soon be headed to the home of Sun Valley. The city of Ketchum has been designated an International Dark Sky Community -- the 16th in the world. It is the mission of...
Many travelers in Idaho have their sights set on the slopes, but more and more visitors will have their eyes to the skies as the city of Ketchum has been officially named an International Dark Sky Community as the state pushes for a new dark sky reserve. The international organization gave...
The stars are aligning for Idaho — mainly because they’re visible. The International Dark-Sky Association this week named the central Idaho city of Ketchum an International Dark Sky Community, only the 16th in the world, after years of efforts to limit excess artificial light. It comes as...
Dark skies are disappearing across the United States. Today, more than 80 percent of Americans can't see the Milky Way from their home cities. But deep in rural Idaho, the skies are alive. The International Dark-Sky Association has named nearly a million acres in central Idaho a...
The United States is poised to get its first Dark Sky Reserve under the pristine nighttime skies of central Idaho. Pending approval from the International Dark-Sky Association, the designation would recognize the region's clear skies, virtually untouched by light pollution, as “possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality...
BACKSTORY Natural darkness — which is essential for plants, wildlife and humans — is disappearing. In 2001, an Italian astronomer estimated that two-thirds of U.S. residents can no longer see the Milky Way with the naked eye. In response, some Western cities and national parks have modified...
Idaho: Central Idaho Dark Sky Park Last November a huge wedge of central Idaho was designated as America’s first International Dark Sky Reserve. The 1,400-square-mile area around the Sawtooth Mountains that is the Central Idaho Dark Sky Park takes in towns such as Ketchum, Sun Valley and Stanley....