1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff production of iHeart Radio, Hey brain Stuff 2 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: Lauren Bogelbaum. Here, tucked far away from any cities, the 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: tiny island of Niue is blissfully free of the light 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: pollution that plagues metro areas around the world. Nieue skies 5 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: are so dark, in fact, that the entire country has 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: been named an International Dark Sky Place. That designation comes 7 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: courtesy of the International Dark Sky Association, a US based 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: nonprofit organization with the mission of preserving dark skies and 9 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: cutting down on light pollution. There are about a hundred 10 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: and thirty certified dark sky parks, preserves, and communities around 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: the world, from Death Valley National Park to the Nimidbrand 12 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: Nature Reserve in Namibia to the town of Flagstaff, Arizona. 13 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: But Niue is the first and so far only entire 14 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: nation to receive this prized seal of approval from the Association. 15 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: The recognition has made a celebrity of the one hundred 16 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,040 Speaker 1: square mile island that's about two hundred and six the 17 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 1: square kilometers with a population of one thousand, six hundred, 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: which is located roughly fifteen hundred miles or kilometers from 19 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: New Zealand in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean. 20 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: Niue is a self governing state, but it maintains a 21 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: free association with New Zealand, which represents its tiny neighbor 22 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: in many international affairs. Sheer remoteness alone contributes heavily to 23 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: the island's dark environment, but according to the International Dark 24 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: Sky Association's requirements, the villages commit to using artificial lighting 25 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: that leaves the night sky unspoiled, unveiling the Milky Way, 26 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,119 Speaker 1: the Andromeda constellation, and other brilliant starry objects in their 27 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: full glory. That meant retrofitting or replacing street lights and 28 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: lights in private residences and businesses. Culturally, the dark Sky 29 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: designation will help protect part of the island's heritage. For centuries, 30 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: it's people have used the stars and lunar cycles for 31 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: navigation on the seas. Niue is also home to a 32 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: marine reserve and a forest conservation area, and the designation 33 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: is more than symbolic. Although travel is limited at the 34 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: time of this recording, headlines about the tiny country's accomplishment 35 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,519 Speaker 1: will likely boost future astrotaurism, as astronomers and nature lovers 36 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: from around the world venture to the island to take 37 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: guided tours of the best views of the pin pricked 38 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: Tari black skies above. Thanks to its location, you can 39 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: usually see the main southern dark sky objects like the 40 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 1: Southern Cross, the large and small Magellanic clouds, and Omega centauri, 41 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: as well as mid latitude constellations like Orion, Taurists, Gemini, 42 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: and Cancer. And dark skies don't just make stars more 43 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: visible at night, they also cut down on disruptions to 44 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: wildlife and the ecosystem caused by light pollution. Some communities 45 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: worry that altering street lights makes cities more vulnerable to crime, 46 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,679 Speaker 1: but multiple studies have failed to prove conclusively that enhanced 47 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 1: street lighting deters crime, and in some cases, researchers found 48 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: that bright lights actually made crime worse. Today's episode was 49 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: written by Nathan Chandler and produced by Tyler Clang. For 50 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: more in this and lots of other bright topics, is 51 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: it how stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is production 52 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 53 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 54 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.