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The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) has developed three programs to promote dark skies and astronomy.
Dark-sky Preserve Program (DSP)The DSP Program is designed to protect existing areas from the encroachment of light pollution. It identifies sites that have limited artificial lighting and restricts any additional lighting, and even requires that existing fixtures comply with a strict lighting protocol, which may require that some fixtures be replaced or removed.The DSP Lighting Protocol for Canadian Dark-sky Preserves is based on work for Parks Canada and adopted by the RASC for their Dark-sky Preserve Program. The RASC document contains background information for:
Urban Star Park Program (USP)The RASC has also created an Urban Star Park (USP) designation. The USP Lighting Protocol is essentually the same as for a DSP, however it is understood that the sky brightness over the USP will be greater than for a DSP. The attraction for a USP is the close proximity to people in large metropolitian areas.
Nocturnal Preserve Program (NP)In 2013, the RASC created a program tht focuses more on the ecology than astronomy. It is called the Nocturnal Preserve Program (NP Lighting Protocol). Readers will find that the lighting protocol is slightly more stringent than that for the DSP. This is because the wildlife is the priority, not people. |