Dinosaur National Monument Recognized As Dark Sky Park

JENSEN, Utah (AP) — A national monument known for dinosaur fossils has also been named one of the world's best places to view the stars. Officials at Dinosaur National Monument say the landmark has been designated an International Dark Sky Park for its "exceptional quality of natural darkness."

The monument straddling the Utah-Colorado border is the 13th Utah location and the fifth in Colorado to earn dark sky designation. There are more than 100 designated dark sky places worldwide.

The International Dark-Sky Association also recognized efforts by monument staff to reduce artificial evening light and preserve dark views.

Maintained by the National Park Service, the monument offers 35 nighttime viewing events.

The monument was also named by scientists as one of the quietest places in the nation in 2015 based on acoustic monitoring.

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