Light Pollution Statistics 2026: Key Facts and Dark Sky Places by State

More than 4 in 5 people on Earth lived under a sky brightened by artificial light in 2014 satellite data, and in the United States the share was above 99%. This page collects the key light pollution statistics in one place, each linked to the study or agency that produced it, with the period it covers and the date we checked it.

It also has our own data, a count of every certified Dark Sky Place in DarkSky International's place finder, by type, by country and by U.S. state, as of November 5, 2026. You can download the full list as a CSV file and reuse it with credit. The citation box is at the end.

Key light pollution statistics

1. 277 International Dark Sky Places were listed in DarkSky International's place finder on November 5, 2026, plus 18 DarkSky Approved Lodging sites (DarkSky place finder; TelescopeGuides count).
2. 165 of those 277 places (60%) are in the United States, counting 2 that cross a border (TelescopeGuides count, November 5, 2026).
3. Utah has the most of any state, with 27 International Dark Sky Places (32 with lodging), ahead of Colorado and Texas with 22 each and Arizona with 21 (TelescopeGuides count, November 5, 2026).
4. More than 80% of the world's population and more than 99% of the U.S. and European populations live under light-polluted skies, based on 2014 satellite data (Falchi et al., Science Advances, 2016).
5. The Milky Way is hidden from more than one-third of humanity, including 60% of Europeans and nearly 80% of North Americans (Falchi et al., 2016).
6. Almost half of the United States by land area, 88% of Europe and 23% of the world's land between 75°N and 60°S have light-polluted nights (Falchi et al., 2016).
7. Singapore is the most light-polluted country, where the entire population lives under skies so bright the eye cannot fully adapt to night vision (Falchi et al., 2016).
8. Night skies brightened by about 9.6% per year from 2011 to 2022, based on more than 50,000 naked-eye reports to the Globe at Night program, analyzed for Europe and North America (Kyba et al., Science, 2023, via NSF NOIRLab).
9. Satellites measured a slower rise, about 2% per year, in the brightness of Earth's surface at night (NSF NOIRLab, 2023).
10. Earth's artificially lit outdoor area grew 2.2% per year from 2012 to 2016, and total light output (radiance) grew 1.8% per year (Kyba et al., Science Advances, 2017).
11. Sky glow from up to 200 miles away has been documented inside some national parks by the National Park Service's Night Skies Team (NPS Night Skies Resource Brief).
12. Between 85% and 89% of nighttime visitors supported all but one dark-sky lighting measure in a 2021 survey of 776 people in 9 Utah national and state parks (National Park Service, Park Science, 2023).
13. 17,099 active satellites were in orbit on October 26, 2026, and 11,148 of them were Starlink satellites (Jonathan McDowell, Jonathan’s Space Report).
14. 2,330,657 planned constellation satellites and 36 satellite constellations in planning were shown on the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky homepage counters on November 5, 2026 (IAU CPS).
15. The American Medical Association encourages 3000K or lower lighting for outdoor installations such as roadways, with LED lighting shielded, in a 2016 policy reaffirmed in 2026 (AMA policy H-135.927).
16. Under the darkest skies (Bortle Class 1) the naked eye reaches stars of magnitude 7.6 to 8.0; in an inner-city sky (Class 9) the limit is magnitude 4.0 or less (John E. Bortle, Sky & Telescope, 2001).
17. Beachfront lighting can disorient loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings, which then often crawl inland instead of toward the ocean (NOAA Fisheries).

Dark Sky Places by the numbers (November 5, 2026)

DarkSky International certifies places that protect their night sky with lighting rules and public education. Its place finder listed 298 entries on November 5, 2026. 295 of them carry a designation type. They are 277 International Dark Sky Places in 5 categories, plus 18 DarkSky Approved Lodging sites, a separate DarkSky certification for places to stay.

Source: TelescopeGuides count of the DarkSky International place finder, November 5, 2026. The U.S. column counts Greater Big Bend (a reserve shared with Mexico) and Waterton-Glacier (a park shared with Canada). Parks are the largest group, at 51% of all International Dark Sky Places. The United States holds 66% of the world's Dark Sky Communities but only 2 of its 27 Dark Sky Reserves.

In DarkSky's own terms, a park is land with an exceptional quality of starry nights, with permanent public access to the designated areas; a community is a town, city or other legal community that enforces a quality outdoor lighting ordinance; a reserve is a core area that meets sky quality criteria plus a peripheral area that supports it, run by several land managers together; a sanctuary is typically a very remote site with few threats to its dark sky; and an Urban Night Sky Place is a park or open space near or inside a city that promotes an authentic night experience despite heavy artificial light (DarkSky, Dark Sky Place types). For more on how reserves work, see our guide to dark sky reserves.

DarkSky's own descriptions note a few records. Flagstaff, Arizona, is "the world's first International Dark Sky Place," designated in 2001. Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah was the first International Dark Sky Park, and Mont-Mégantic in Canada the first International Dark Sky Reserve. At more than 9 million acres, the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve in Texas and Mexico is described as "currently the world's largest Reserve" (DarkSky place finder, read November 5, 2026).

Dark Sky Places by country

The finder's location filter lists 34 countries and territories, and each one has at least 1 International Dark Sky Place. The United States, the United Kingdom and Germany lead. Places that cross a border are counted in both countries, as DarkSky's own filter does, so the country column adds up to more than 277.

Source: TelescopeGuides count of the DarkSky International place finder, November 5, 2026. We did not count 3 finder entries that carry no designation type, all of them resorts (Desert Rock Resort (Saudi Arabia), Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve (Saudi Arabia), Sun Valley Resort (United States)). The finder's own intro line says Dark Sky Places are found "in 22 countries on 6 continents"; its location filter lists 34, some of them territories such as the Channel Islands, Niue and the Pitcairn Islands.

Dark Sky Places by U.S. state

31 of the 50 states had at least 1 certified place on November 5, 2026. Utah, Colorado, Texas and Arizona together hold 92 of the 165 U.S. International Dark Sky Places. As of our check, DarkSky's finder listed no place in 19 states (Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington). You can download this table as a CSV file.

Source: TelescopeGuides count of the DarkSky International place finder, November 5, 2026. "Dark Sky Places" is the sum of the 5 International Dark Sky Place categories; lodging is shown apart. Each place is assigned to the state where DarkSky's map pin sits (looked up with the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder), or to the state its DarkSky description names when the pin is missing or wrong. Sun Valley Resort in Idaho is in the finder without a designation type, so it is not counted.

Every Dark Sky Place, state by state

Each name links to the place's page on darksky.org. Lodging is marked so you can tell where you can sleep under a certified sky.

Arizona (21 + 2 lodging): Apache Junction Municipal Complex (urban night sky place); Big Park / Village of Oak Creek, Arizona (community); Bisbee, Arizona (community); Camp Verde, Arizona (community); Chiricahua National Monument (park); Cottonwood, Arizona (community); Diamond Mountain Retreat Center (lodging); Flagstaff Area National Monuments (park); Flagstaff, Arizona (community); Fountain Hills, Arizona (community); Grand Canyon National Park (park); Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (park); Kartchner Caverns State Park (park); Oracle State Park (park); Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (park); Petrified Forest National Park (park); Pipe Spring National Monument (park); Saguaro National Park (urban night sky place); Sedona, Arizona (community); Thunder Mountain Pootsee Nightsky (community); Tubac, Arizona (community); Tumacácori National Historical Park (park); Under Canvas Grand Canyon (lodging).

Arkansas (1): Buffalo National River (park).

California (5 + 1 lodging): Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (park); Borrego Springs, California (community); Death Valley National Park (park); Joshua Tree National Park (park); Julian, California (community); Under Canvas Yosemite (lodging). See also our guide to stargazing in California.

Colorado (22 + 2 lodging): Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (park); Browns Canyon National Monument (park); Chimney Rock National Monument (park); Crestone, Colorado (community); Curecanti National Recreation Area (park); Dinosaur National Monument (park); Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (park); Frisco, Colorado (community); Golden Gate Canyon State Park (urban night sky place); Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (park); Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (park); Jackson Lake State Park (park); Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa (lodging); Lake Fork Earth and Sky Center (park); Mesa Verde National Park (park); Norwood, Colorado (community); Nucla and Naturita, Colorado (community); Old Snowmass, Colorado (community); Ridgway, Colorado (community); Top of the Pines (park); Town of Breckenridge, Colorado (community); Town of Paonia, Colorado (community); Trinchera Ranch (lodging); Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, Colorado (community). See also our guide to stargazing in Colorado.

Florida (3): Big Cypress National Preserve (park); Groveland, Florida (community); Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park (park).

Georgia (1): Okefenokee State Park (park). See also our guide to stargazing in Georgia.

Idaho (5): Bruneau Dunes State Park (park); Central Idaho (reserve); City of Rocks National Reserve (park); Craters Of The Moon National Monument (park); Ketchum, Idaho (community).

Illinois (4): Hawthorn Woods, Illinois (community); Homer Glen, Illinois (community); Middle Fork River Forest Preserve (park); Palos Preserves (urban night sky place).

Indiana (1): Beverly Shores, Indiana (community).

Kentucky (1): Mammoth Cave National Park (park).

Maine (2): AMC Maine Woods (park); Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument (sanctuary).

Michigan (4): Beaver Island State Wildlife Research Area (sanctuary); Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park (park); Headlands (park); Keweenaw Dark Sky Park (park).

Minnesota (2): Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (sanctuary); Voyageurs National Park (park).

Missouri (2): Stacy Park (urban night sky place); Thousand Hills State Park (urban night sky place).

Montana (3): Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge (sanctuary); Medicine Rocks State Park (sanctuary); Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park (park).

Nebraska (1): Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area (park).

Nevada (2): Great Basin National Park (park); Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area (sanctuary).

New Mexico (9): Capulin Volcano National Monument (park); Chaco Culture National Historical Park (park); Clayton Lake State Park (park); Cosmic Campground (sanctuary); El Morro National Monument (park); Fort Union National Monument (park); Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument (park); Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (urban night sky place); Valles Caldera National Preserve (park).

North Carolina (3 + 2 lodging): Cape Lookout National Seashore (park); Cataloochee Ranch (lodging); Mayland Earth to Sky Park & Bare Dark Sky Observatory (park); Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (park); The Swag (lodging).

Ohio (2): Fry Family Park (urban night sky place); Geauga Observatory Park (park).

Oklahoma (1): Black Mesa State Park (park).

Oregon (6 + 1 lodging): Antelope Basecamp (lodging); Antelope, Oregon (community); Cottonwood Canyon State Park (park); Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve (park); Oregon Outback (sanctuary); Prineville Reservoir State Park (park); Sisters, Oregon (community).

Pennsylvania (1): Cherry Springs State Park (park).

South Dakota (1): Badlands National Park (park).

Tennessee (2): Obed Wild and Scenic River (park); Pickett CCC Memorial State Park & Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area (park).

Texas (22): Bee Cave (community); Big Bend National Park (park); Big Bend Ranch State Park (park); Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (sanctuary); Blanco, Texas (community); Caprock Canyons State Park, Texas (park); Copper Breaks State Park (park); Devils River State Natural Area, Del Norte Unit (sanctuary); Dripping Springs, Texas (community); Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (park); Fredericksburg, Texas (community); Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve (reserve); Horseshoe Bay, Texas (community); Jonestown, Texas (community); Lakewood Village, Texas (community); Liberty Hill, Texas (community); Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (park); Milton Reimers Ranch Park (park); Shield Ranch Barton Creek (urban night sky place); South Llano River State Park (park); UBarU Camp and Retreat Center (park); Wimberley Valley, Texas (community). See also our guide to stargazing in Texas.

Utah (27 + 5 lodging): Antelope Island State Park (park); Arches National Park (park); Bluff, Utah (community); Bryce Canyon National Park (park); Canyonlands National Park (park); Capitol Reef National Park (park); Cedar Breaks National Monument (park); Dead Horse Point State Park (park); East Canyon State Park (park); Fremont Indian State Park (park); Goblin Valley State Park (park); Goosenecks State Park (park); Helper, Utah (community); Hovenweep National Monument (park); Jordanelle State Park (park); Natural Bridges National Monument (park); North Fork Park (park); Rainbow Bridge National Monument (sanctuary); Rockport State Park (park); Snow Canyon State Park (urban night sky place); Springdale, Utah (community); Steinaker State Park (park); The City of Moab, Utah (community); Timpanogos Cave National Monument (urban night sky place); Torrey, Utah (community); Town of Castle Valley, Utah (community); Under Canvas Bryce Canyon (lodging); Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase (lodging); Under Canvas Moab (lodging); Under Canvas ULUM Moab (lodging); Under Canvas Zion (lodging); Zion National Park (park). See also our guide to stargazing in Utah.

Virginia (6): James River State Park (park); Natural Bridge State Park (park); Observatory Park at Turner Farm (urban night sky place); Rappahannock County Park (park); Sky Meadows State Park (park); Staunton River State Park (park).

West Virginia (1): Watoga State Park (park).

Wisconsin (1): Newport State Park (park).

Wyoming (3): Jackson Hole Airport (urban night sky place); Sinks Canyon State Park (park); Teton County (community).

Planning a trip to one of these? Our best stargazing locations in the US guide covers 35 of them with viewing spots and best months, and the Big Bend night sky guide covers the largest U.S. reserve.

How fast night skies are getting brighter

The best long-run measure of what people actually see comes from Globe at Night, a citizen science program run by NSF NOIRLab. Volunteers pick the star map that best matches what they see with the naked eye, which estimates the faintest visible stars. A 2023 study in Science by Christopher Kyba and colleagues analyzed more than 50,000 of those reports from 2011 to 2022, leaving out nights with clouds or moonlight. The loss of visible stars matched sky brightening of about 9.6% per year (NSF NOIRLab release, January 19, 2023; the paper is Kyba et al., Science, 2023).

Kyba put the rate in human terms. At that pace, a child born where 250 stars are visible would see only about 100 by age 18. The study focused on Europe and North America, where reports were spread widely enough over land and time, so the 9.6% figure is an average for those regions, not for every site.

Satellites tell a slower story. Using the first calibrated satellite radiometer designed for night lights, Kyba's team found that from 2012 to 2016 the world's artificially lit outdoor area grew 2.2% per year, continuously lit areas brightened 2.2% per year, and total radiance grew 1.8% per year. Lighting was stable in only a few countries, including some of the brightest, such as Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States (Kyba et al., Science Advances, 2017). The 2023 release notes that the satellite rise of roughly 2% a year is much smaller than what observers on the ground report, which is one reason ground counts like Globe at Night still matter.

Who can still see the Milky Way

The standard reference is "The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness" by Fabio Falchi and 8 coauthors, published in Science Advances on June 10, 2016. It models sky glow from 6 months of 2014 satellite data and is calibrated with more than 35,000 observations (Falchi et al., 2016, full text). The paper calls a sky light-polluted when artificial brightness at the zenith is above 14 μcd/m², about 8% above the natural night sky.

Source: Falchi et al., Science Advances, 2016, checked November 5, 2026.

The same paper ranks countries. Singapore is the most light-polluted, and its whole population lives under skies too bright for full night vision. Chad, the Central African Republic and Madagascar are the least affected, with more than three-quarters of their people under pristine skies. For tips on seeing the Milky Way from where you are, read our Milky Way viewing guide.

What each class of the Bortle scale shows

Amateur astronomer John E. Bortle published his 9-class dark-sky scale in the February 2001 issue of Sky & Telescope, based on nearly 50 years of observing. It rates a site by what you can see, from Class 1 (excellent dark-sky site) to Class 9 (inner-city sky). The naked-eye limiting magnitude is the faintest star you can see; higher numbers mean fainter stars and a darker sky.

Source: John E. Bortle, "Gauging Light Pollution: The Bortle Dark-Sky Scale," Sky & Telescope, checked November 5, 2026. For Classes 8 and 9 Bortle's text describes no Milky Way at all. Meters give a second, instrument-based reading. The National Park Service describes Sky Quality Meter readings in magnitudes per square arcsecond on a scale from 7 to 23, with 23 the darkest, and 2016 readings at 12 spots in Waterton-Glacier were 21 to 22 (NPS).

Satellites and the night sky

Light pollution now also comes from orbit. Jonathan McDowell's satellite catalog counted 17,099 active satellites on October 26, 2026. Of these, 11,148 were Starlink satellites, about 65% of the active total. Counting dead satellites, rocket stages and tracked debris, it listed 34,946 cataloged objects in orbit (Jonathan’s Space Report, satellite statistics, checked November 5, 2026).

The International Astronomical Union runs the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky (IAU CPS). Its homepage says the IAU "is deeply concerned about the increasing number of launched and planned satellite constellations in mainly low Earth orbits" and works to limit their effect on optical and radio astronomy and on people's enjoyment of the night sky. On November 5, 2026 its counters showed 13 launched constellations, 11,672 operational constellation satellites, 2,330,657 planned constellation satellites and 36 satellite constellations in planning (IAU CPS). Planned satellites are announced plans, not launches.

Not sure if the line of lights you saw was a satellite? Our Starlink train vs ISS guide and our list of satellite tracker apps help you tell them apart.

Effects of light pollution on health and wildlife

People. In June 2016 the American Medical Association adopted guidance on LED street lighting. Its policy H-135.927 encourages "the use of 3000K or lower lighting for outdoor installations such as roadways," asks that all LED lighting be shielded to cut glare, and suggests dimming during off-peak hours. It also encourages using the lowest blue light emission possible. The AMA reaffirmed the policy in 2026 (AMA policy H-135.927). When it was adopted, the AMA said about 10% of U.S. street lighting had been converted to LEDs (AMA press release, June 14, 2016).

Sea turtles. NOAA Fisheries says loggerhead hatchlings "are particularly threatened by artificial beachfront lighting," which can disorient them so they crawl inland instead of toward the sea. Lights on and near nesting beaches can also deter females from coming ashore to nest (NOAA Fisheries, loggerhead turtle, checked November 5, 2026).

Parks. Light does not stop at a park boundary. The National Park Service's Night Skies Team has documented sky glow inside some parks that came from up to 200 miles away (NPS Night Skies Resource Brief). Visitors back the fixes. In a 2021 survey of 776 nighttime visitors in 9 Utah parks, more than half took part in activities that need a dark sky, and 85% to 89% supported all but one lighting measure. Even the least popular one, limiting the lights visitors bring, had 74% support (NPS, Park Science, December 29, 2023).

How to find a dark sky near you

Start from the certified list. Every place in the tables above is certified by DarkSky International. Find the nearest one in the DarkSky place finder or in our state lists, and check its page for night access rules before you drive out.

Aim for Bortle 4 or darker. In Bortle's own description, Class 4 is where the Milky Way well above the horizon is still impressive. From a Class 7 sky or brighter it is invisible or nearly so. Our guide to the darkest places on Earth lists remote sites worth a trip.

Plan around the Moon and weather. A bright Moon washes out the Milky Way even at a certified site. Pick nights near new Moon, and check clouds and transparency first. Our guide to reading a stargazing forecast explains what to look at.

Give your eyes time. Turn off white lights, use a red light, and wait before you judge the sky. A star chart app set to night mode helps; see our stargazing apps list.

Bring simple optics. Binoculars show far more under a dark sky than in town; start with our guide to binoculars for stargazing. If you observe from a suburb, our light pollution filters guide covers what a filter can and cannot do.

How we counted Dark Sky Places

• Source: the DarkSky International place finder, read in a web browser on November 5, 2026. We read all 298 entries across its 9 result pages. The total matches the finder's own count, and our counts by type and by country match the finder's own filter counts.
• What counts: each finder entry with a designation type. A place with two designations, such as Møn and Nyord in Denmark (a park and a community), appears twice in the finder and is counted twice. Weißbach in Austria carries both a park tag and a community tag on one entry and is counted once, as a park, as its listing shows.
• Not counted: 3 resort entries with no designation type (Desert Rock Resort, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Sun Valley Resort). DarkSky Approved Lodging is shown in its own column because it is a separate program, not an International Dark Sky Place category.
• Countries: as tagged in the finder. Greater Big Bend (U.S. and Mexico) and Waterton-Glacier (U.S. and Canada) count in both countries, and once in the worldwide total.
• U.S. states: the finder has no state field. We used the map pin the finder loads for each place and looked up its state with the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder, then checked it against each place's description. 5 entries were set by hand from DarkSky's own text, 3 of them without a pin (Badlands, Bruneau Dunes, Shield Ranch Barton Creek), Waterton-Glacier (pin on the Canadian side; Glacier is in Montana) and Kosmos Stargazing Resort (pin outside Colorado; DarkSky places it in Colorado's San Luis Valley). Places that cross a state line are listed once, in the state of the pin.
• Dates: the dates on finder cards are page publication dates, not designation dates, so we do not report designation years except where DarkSky's text states one.
• Limits: the count is only as current as DarkSky's finder. Places in the application process, and any recent designations not yet added, are not included.

The data files, the browser extract and the scripts that turn it into these tables are kept with the page so the numbers can be checked and rebuilt.

How to cite this page

Citation: Feraud, N. (2026, November 5). Light Pollution Statistics 2026: Key Facts and Dark Sky Places by State. TelescopeGuides. https://telescopeguides.com/light-pollution-statistics/

Link: Copy link

Our Dark Sky Places counts, tables and CSV files are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license. Credit TelescopeGuides and link to this page. For statistics from other organizations, please cite the original study or agency linked next to each number.

Downloads: every Dark Sky Place, with type, country and U.S. state (CSV) · U.S. counts by state and type (CSV)

Sources

1. DarkSky International, Dark Sky Place finder (all places), read November 5, 2026.
2. Falchi F. et al., "The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness," Science Advances 2(6), e1600377, June 10, 2016, full text read on PubMed Central November 5, 2026.
3. Kyba C.C.M. et al., Science, 2023, DOI 10.1126/science.abq7781, the journal page was not reachable from our browser; figures as reported by NSF NOIRLab.
4. NSF NOIRLab, "Stars Disappear Before Our Eyes, Citizen Scientists Report," January 19, 2023, read November 5, 2026.
5. Kyba C.C.M. et al., "Artificially lit surface of Earth at night increasing in radiance and extent," Science Advances 3(11), e1701528, November 22, 2017, full text read on PubMed Central November 5, 2026.
6. National Park Service, Night Skies Resource Brief (Glacier National Park), read November 5, 2026.
7. National Park Service, "Strong Visitor Support for Steps to Limit Light Pollution," Park Science 37(2), December 29, 2023, read November 5, 2026.
8. Jonathan McDowell, Jonathan's Space Report, satellite and debris population (data as of October 26, 2026), read November 5, 2026.
9. IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky (IAU CPS), homepage counters, read November 5, 2026.
10. John E. Bortle, "Gauging Light Pollution: The Bortle Dark-Sky Scale," Sky & Telescope (first printed February 2001), read November 5, 2026.
11. American Medical Association, policy H-135.927, Human and Environmental Effects of Light Emitting Diode (LED) Community Lighting (CSAPH Rep. 02, A-16; reaffirmed A-26), read November 5, 2026.
12. American Medical Association, "AMA adopts guidance to reduce harm from high intensity street lights," June 14, 2016, read November 5, 2026.
13. NOAA Fisheries, Loggerhead Turtle species page (last updated July 13, 2026), read November 5, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of the world lives under light pollution?

More than 80% of the world's population, and more than 99% of people in the United States and Europe, live under light-polluted skies, according to the 2016 world atlas of night sky brightness by Falchi and colleagues, which used 2014 satellite data.

What percentage of Americans cannot see the Milky Way?

The 2016 world atlas found that nearly 80% of North Americans cannot see the Milky Way from where they live. The National Park Service cites a figure of over 80% for people in the United States.

How many Dark Sky Places are there?

DarkSky International's place finder listed 277 International Dark Sky Places on November 5, 2026, by our count, made up of 142 parks, 65 communities, 27 reserves, 24 sanctuaries and 19 Urban Night Sky Places. It also listed 18 DarkSky Approved Lodging sites.

Which state has the most Dark Sky Places?

Utah, with 27 International Dark Sky Places in DarkSky's finder on November 5, 2026, or 32 including DarkSky Approved Lodging. Colorado and Texas follow with 22 each, then Arizona with 21.

How fast is light pollution increasing?

Globe at Night reports from 2011 to 2022 show the night sky getting brighter by about 9.6% per year, analyzed for Europe and North America (Kyba and colleagues, Science, 2023). Satellites measured about 2% per year for the brightness of Earth's surface at night.

What is the Bortle scale?

The Bortle scale is a 9-class rating of how dark a site's night sky is, published by John E. Bortle in Sky & Telescope in 2001. Class 1 is an excellent dark-sky site where stars of magnitude 7.6 to 8.0 are visible to the naked eye; Class 9 is an inner-city sky with a limit of magnitude 4.0 or less.

Can I use these numbers in my article?

Yes. Our Dark Sky Places counts and CSV files are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit to TelescopeGuides and a link to this page. For the other statistics, cite the original study or agency linked on the page.