Southwest Austin - Dripping Springs Edition - October 2021

A look at Austin’s light pollution in 2020 can be assessed through the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, a satellite instrument capable of collecting images of the Earth at night. Radiance shows the power of a light source and how much of that light is propagated. Measuring dark skies

TOURISM State law protects dark skies

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The Milky Way—the galaxy that includes Earth’s solar system—can no longer be seen by nearly 80% of North Americans due to light pollution. “The Hill Country, we know, is becoming a hotspot for astro-tourism, and the reason that people move to the Hill Country is because they want that natural connection, and part of that is the night sky,” said Dawn Davies, the Night Sky program coordinator at Hill Country Alliance. Lighting regulations Under the International Dark-Sky Association’s designation, there are already several existing International Dark Sky Places dotted throughout the state. In all, 15 sites are designated as Dark Sky Places in Texas, and seven of those are located between Fredericksburg and Austin. Dripping Springs became the rst Dark Sky Community in 2014, meaning the city adopted outdoor lighting ordinances to preserve the quality of

the night sky, according to the IDA website. “Dripping Springs is well on its way to securing a place as one of the truly night-sky-friendly communities in the United States,” IDA Texas Coordinator Stephen Bosbach said at the time. Since then, Lost Creek and River Hills, two neighborhoods in South Austin, were given IDA designations as Dark Sky Friendly Developments of Distinction for enacting planning that “promotes a more natural night sky,” according to the IDA. The provisions outlined in Senate Bill 1090 allow other areas to apply for the designation. The bill establishes standards for materials used in development—such as light structures and sconces. “In 2019 there was action taken by the Legislature to ensure that cities and other governmental entities wouldn’t be in the business of picking winners and losers in the market for products used

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MCKINNEY FALLS STATE PARK PURSUING IDA CERTIFICATION

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DRIPPING SPRINGS IDA CERTIFIED 2014

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SOURCES: INTERNATIONAL DARKSKY ASSOCIATION, VISIBLE INFRARED IMAGING RADIOMETER SUITE COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

in constructing homes. It didn’t have legislation that permitted future Dark Sky communities to be established,” said state Rep. Andrew Murr, RJunction, who sponsored the 2021 bill. “[SB 1090] picks up where that left o as an unintended consequence.” In 2011, the IDA approved its model lighting ordinance,

or MLO, to serve as a template for municipalities to develop more responsible lighting standards. Under the MLO, outdoor lighting xtures such as street lamps must be designed with proper shielding to reduce glare and prevent light trespass, which occurs when articial light extends past a property line. Other

requirements include an 11 p.m. lights-out curfew for nonresidential properties as well as standards for lighting color and temperature. Dark sky tourism Dark sky proponents say designated sites can attract a niche visitor to the Hill Country—astro-tourists. These tourists come

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