The LlÅ·n Peninsula's Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) has become the first location in Europe to get certification as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
It joins 16 other locations acknowledged as being among the most remote and dark places on Earth.
According to the trust that controls the island, it was a “great accomplishment”
Wales already has a number of Dark Sky locations and reserves, but sanctuaries are much less common and have more stringent requirements for the quality of the night sky.
The trustees for the island are hoping that Wales will also become known as a “dark sky nation” as a result of the island's new status.
What is an International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification?
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is the recognised authority on light pollution and is the leading organsation combating light pollution worldwide. It awards areas with the lowest light pollution with certification.
The application includes a four-year initiative employing cutting-edge equipment to monitor the island's night sky's condition, to demonstrate that it is sufficiently black to qualify.
A lighting management plan and visual proof are also required by the IDA for certification. Guidance for applicants can be found on the IDA website.
After a location is certified, it is then protected for its scientific, natural, or educational value, its cultural heritage, and public enjoyment.
About Ynys Enlli
Due to its position and physical characteristics, Ynys Enlli, which is two miles off the LlÅ·n Peninsula's tip, is one of the darkest spots in the UK.
Effectively blocking light from the mainland is the mountain on the island. Dublin, located about 70 miles [112.6 km] away across the Irish Sea, is where the majority of the nearby light pollution originates.
Evidence suggests it was inhabited as early as the Bronze era, and the island is known as the Island of 20,000 Saints, due to the Celtic and Christian monasteries founded there from the sixth century.
Today, a tiny group of people live there and work the land. There are 10 vacation cottages as well, and visitors are welcome on the island from March to October.
What other locations are certified?
- !Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park (South Africa)
- Aotea / Great Barrier Island (New Zealand)
- Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (US)
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (US)
- Cosmic Campground (US)
- Devil’s River State Natural Area - Del Norte Unit (US)
- Gabriela Mistral (Chile)
- Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument (US)
- Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge (US)
- Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area (US)
- Medicine Rocks State Park (US)
- Niue (NU)
- Pitcairn Islands (B.O.T.)
- Rainbow Bridge National Monument (US)
- Stewart Island / Rakiura (New Zealand)
- The Jump-Up (Australia)
