Arizona has some of the strongest dark-sky protections in the country, and there’s a reason our night skies can look like this 🌌🌵 The state has laws regulating certain outdoor lighting, while several Arizona cities and communities have gone even further with local rules designed to limit unnecessary light pollution and protect views of the night sky. Flagstaff is probably the best-known example. In 1958, Flagstaff adopted what is recognized as the world’s first outdoor lighting ordinance aimed at protecting dark skies. More than 40 years later, in 2001, it became the world’s first International Dark Sky City. Its lighting standards regulate things like how much outdoor light can be used, where it can be directed and the types of fixtures allowed. Those protections help reduce the glow that can wash out stars while also supporting major astronomy facilities in northern Arizona. And the effort is still being recognized today. Flagstaff was named Dark Sky Place of the Year in 202...