Dark Skies Advisory Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The parks are put in place by the Dark Sky Places program with the intention to remind us that the night sky serves just as much importance to our culture and history as our day-time sky. International Dark-Sky Association The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) began in 1988. A non-profit, it manages the Fixture Seal of Approval program, which offers a third-party rating system judging the "sky-friendliness" of lighting fixtures. In 2009, the IDA opened an office for public policy and government affairs in Washington, D.C. to inform lawmakers and lobbyists about the energy efficiency of outdoor lighting and to promote the adoption of energy-saving measures. The IDA has implemented several simple guidelines to responsible outdoor lighting along with some practical considerations. In regard to safety, one needs only the right amount of light, in the right place, at the right time. More light often means wasted light and energy. Use the lowest wattage of lamp that is feasible. The maximum wattage for most commercial applications should be 250 watts of high intensity discharge lighting, but less is usually sufficient. Incorporate curfews (i.e., turn lights off automatically after a certain hour when businesses close or traffic is minimal). List of groups ANPCEN (France) Astronomitaly (Italy) Campaign for Dark Skies (UK) Canadian Geographic (Canada) Canadian Scotobiology Group (Canada) CieloBuio (Italy) International Dark-Sky Association National Dark-Sky Week (United States) Niue Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (Canada) See also Bortle dark-sky scale SKYGLOW Dark-sky preserve Noctcaelador References External links International Dark-Sky Association MyDarkSky – dark sky survey maps Outdoor Lighting Regulations and Ordinances on Google Earth Interactive map comparing U.S. dark sky laws The dark sky movement – yahoo Jasper National Park Dark-sky parks of the world Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition Globe at Night Cities at Night Dark Skies Awareness The Consortium for Dark Sky Studies Environmental movements Light pollution