CORTEZ, Colo. (AP) — Park officials in Colorado say the Mesa Verde National Park has been designated the 100th International Dark Sky Park.
The Cortez Journal reported the park said the certification would help foster astronomy-based recreation and tourism while improving energy efficiency and reducing operational costs in the park related to outdoor lighting.
The designation also serves to highlight the spiritual and practical connections the Ancestral Puebloans had with night skies and stars. Mesa Verde National Park joins 169 International Dark Sky Places in 21 countries around the world.