Astonomy and Stargazing in Borrego Springs

night sky friendly business borrego springs

Borrego Springs is incredibly lucky to have a dark night sky. This is due to its isolated location, the surrounding mountains, and the open space in the
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The town was granted Dark Sky Community status in 2009 by the International Dark-Sky Association www.darksky.org , the only town in California to be so awarded. Residents, visitors, amateur astronomers, and photographers treasure the valley’s dark sky.

But will it always be so? To maintain the dark sky in our Borrego village good lighting practices are essential, by both businesses and homeowners.

What have we done to preserve and protect our dark skies?
Here are some steps many have taken.

Use the right amount of light for the task, not more than necessary. "More light" is not
necessarily good design. Simply use lower wattage or fewer bulbs to reduce the brightness.
Replace older porch lights. Compact fluorescents or LED fixtures are good alternatives and will
save on your electric bill.
Use the right amount of light for the task, not more than necessary. "More light" is not
necessarily good design. Simply use lower wattage or fewer bulbs to reduce the brightness.
Replace older porch lights. Compact fluorescents or LED fixtures are good alternatives and will
save on your electric bill.

Milky Way over Borrego Springs

Early on the morning of May 16, 2010, the Milky Way arched over the eastern horizon. This 180-degree panorama was shot in nine segments and carefully stitched together in the computer. East is in the center, north to the left and south to the right. © Photo by Dennis Mammana


Check out this fantastic new video of Borrego night skies.
	BORREGO SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY COMMUNITY On July 31, 2009, the International Dark-Sky Association designated Borrego Springs as the second International Dark Sky Community.
This recognizes the exceptional commitment of Borrego Springs to dark sky protection and restoration throughout the community. IDA, a Tucson-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the nighttime environment, established its recognition program in 2 ds that protect the natural night sky and ensure the continuation of this protection through community directives.

Use timer controls, motion sensors, or dimmer switches to insure that lights are ON when you need them and OFF when you don’t need them.
Shine the light down where it is needed. Stand off your property, even across the street, and look
at your porch light. If you can see the exposed bulb, then it is not properly shielded. Can the angle
or location of the fixture be adjusted? Can you fashion some shading? If not, consider upgrading the lamp.
Use small wattage lights for illuminating landscaping or building accents. The subtle accent of
carefully placed, modest lighting can be appropriate to our desert habitat.
Change out yard lights Mercury vapor globes are particularly bad because their blue light destroys our eyes’ dark adaptation. Use low pressure sodium lamps (yellow), which are also more economical. These bulbs are excellent for broad outdoor areas, such as street lighting, parking lots,
and security illumination.

Thoughtful nighttime lighting is the key to reducing light pollution. The options come at a variety of costs, but there is something to fit every budget. Proper lighting saves money! Residents and business owners may contact the Dark Sky Coalition for an evaluation of their lighting and information on suitable fixtures, orientation, retrofits, suppliers, and changes that will save money and energy.

Click to download our PDF Brochure.

Borrego Springs has long been a haven for star gazers, both professional and amateur. Rated by USA Today as one of the top ten stargazing locations in the nation, the community prides itself on its dedication to the whole desert experience.

Surrounded by the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs offers a remote desert landscape within easy reach of urban areas, 88 miles from San Diego.

Astronomy with Dr. Jim & Grace Rickard

For more than 25 years Jim and Grace, both longtime ABDNHA members, have been conducting popular star gazing activities in Borrego Springs. They enjoy sharing their telescopes to observe celestial objects, pointing out the constellations, and considering the possibility of “life out there” with Borrego Valley residents and visitors.

James Rickard has had a 40 year research career in both optical and radio astronomy and as a university professor.

After obtaining a PhD from University of Maryland, he and his wife Grace spent a number of years in Chile, where he was employed as a staff astronomer at the European Southern Observatory. He came to Borrego Springs as a staff member at the Clark Lake Radio Observatory in 1977. In 1994 he took a teaching position at San Diego State University, Imperial Valley campus and retired in 2004. Check our schedule for astronomy activities.

The committee responsible for the Dark Sky efforts in Borrego Springs is comprised of disparate vocations, including professional and amateur astronomy, natural history associations, and authors. “The application to the IDA [by Borrego Springs] really is a testament to their dedication for dark skies. By collaborating with all the key stakeholders, the committee was able to achieve broad community support, which is one of the key elements to this award,” said Kim Patten, Programs Director for the IDA.

“The efforts of the Borrego Springs Dark-Sky Coalition serve to involve the whole community in dark sky preservation through increased awareness, education, and availability of fixtures that better shield and direct light where it’s needed, while helping to save energy and keep the desert skies dark for stargazing, scientific study, and for all those who just enjoy the wonder of the night sky,” wrote Bill Horn, supervisor for the fifth district of the San Diego Board of Supervisors.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY ASSOCIATION
The IDA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies. Headquartered in Tucson, AZ with a branch office in Washington, DC and satellite offices in Hever, Belgium and Turramurra, Australia, IDA has membership in 70 countries.