Certification awarded for 2.5m acres offering pristine views of night sky, with hopes for expansion to 11m acres

With clear skies and sparse trees, the Oregon outback has long been regarded as a stargazers’ paradise. Now the region is home to the world’s largest dark sky sanctuary, offering pristine views of the night sky across 2.5m acres.

The Oregon outback international dark sky sanctuary received the certification this week, becoming the largest of 19 sites around the world with the same designation. The sanctuary covers Lake county in south-eastern Oregon, a remote area roughly half the size of New Jersey, and could eventually expand to include more than 11m acres.

The region’s skies are already among the darkest in the world, according to a statement from DarkSky International, and the certification will ensure the area remains protected.