A short video seeks to stem the rising tide of light pollution, which is robbing Earth of its dark night skies.

Light pollution doesn’t just make it more difficult for professional and backyard astronomers to observe the heavens, according to the 6.5-minute film, which is called “Losing the Dark.” The loss of darkness also disrupts wildlife, wastes resources and adversely impacts human health.

“Exposure to light at night disrupts the circadian rhythms that regulate our sleep cycles,” narrator Carolyn Collins Petersen says in the video, which was created by the International Dark Sky Association in collaboration with Loch Ness Productions as a public service announcement. “People working at night under bright lights or living in light-polluted cities face a higher risk of developing diseases such as breast and prostrate cancer.”

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The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has announced that the tiny island nation of Niue will become the world’s first Dark Sky Nation. At just 101 square miles, Niue has received certification as both a dark sky sanctuary and a dark sky community, ensuring the entire island will maintain standards of light development and keep light pollution limited even as the world’s astronomy community turns eyes toward the area.

“Following a rigorous application and approval process I would like to formally congratulate Niue on becoming the newest addition to IDA’s International Dark Sky Places Program,” said Adam Dalton, International Dark Sky Places Program Manager, in the official announcement on the IDA website.

Read more at

https://www.forbes.com/sites/valeriestimac/2020/03/10/pacific-island-niue-to-become-worlds-first-dark-sky-nation/#5f7afa644067

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