Park Authority

CONTACT INFORMATION: Open during regular business hours 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
703-324-8700 TTY 711
12055 Government Center Pkwy.
Fairfax, Virginia 22035
Jai Cole
Executive Director

Department Resources

Dark Skies

Dark Skies Light to Protect the Night

Experience the Magic of Natural Darkness Lights Out Fairfax - March 23, 2024, 8:30-9:30 p.m.

As our region has grown, excessive light pollution has dimmed the beauty of our starry skies, impacting our environment. 

  • Help out by turning off outdoor lights for one hour
  • Enlist your family, friends, and neighbors for this powerful connection with the natural world
  • Embrace the darkness and the beauty of the stars
  • Have patience, as it takes up to 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust and reveal the stellar spectacle

International Dark Sky Week - April 2-8

  • Protect our dark skies and learn how light pollution affects us 
  • Explore the economic benefits of dark sky conservation 
  • Learn about its impact on human health, safety and the environment

Learn about the county’s outdoor lighting requirements and how you can make a difference in your community.
 


Reserve Your Dark Skies Kit at a Fairfax County Public Library Near You!

dark skies kit

The Light Pollution Monitoring Kit, also known as the Dark Skies Kit, empowers citizens to take action against light pollution by providing them with the tools needed to measure and monitor light levels in their communities. Starting April 2, 25 Light Pollution Monitoring Kits will be available as part of FCPL's Library of Things. Kits can be placed on hold for pickup at any branch through the Fairfax County Public Library online catalog and can be borrowed for up to three weeks.


Dark skies are the historic and natural state of nature. Over time humans have increased the amount of light shining into the sky all night long. This disruption of excessive light has robbed us of our stars and endangered the nature around us. We can have dark skies again if we can learn to control light pollution with responsible outdoor lighting practices.

Light Pollution Components

Skyglow is the brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas.

skyglow

Glare is excessive brightening that causes visual discomfort.

glare

Light trespass is light falling where it is not intended or needed.

light trespass

Why is Dark Sky Conservation Important?

light pollution across the world; bright light shining on a wolf, a turtle, a frog, and some birds

Economic Benefits

Proper night sky friendly lighting lowers CO2 emission and lowers energy costs. Dark sky practices prevent the wasted energy of light shining where it is not needed or wanted.

Human Health and Sleep Benefits

Artificial light at night has multiple negative human health impacts: blue light at night disrupts a human’s circadian rhythm and suppresses melatonin secretion.

Safety Benefits

Bright light does not increase safety! Rather, the placement, color and shielding of light needs to be done wisely to ensure safe perception of space.

Environmental Benefits

Dark skies are vital for keeping plants and animals safe in their natural environment. Nocturnal animals are adapted to the darkness and lose their way in artificial light. Nocturnal pollinators avoid lights and those that don’t get eaten. Plants use light as a calendar so artificial light at night causes plants to leaf when they should flower and reduces crop production. Some varieties of strawberry need the dark to produce fruit.

 

Dark Sky Friendly Outdoor Lighting Principles

a list of dark sky friendly outdoor lighting principles

Click image to download accessible PDF.

 

a depiction of dark sky friendly outdoor lighting with emphasis on shielding, color temperature, intensity, and timing

Fairfax Virtual Assistant