Antelope, a small hamlet with 37 residents, is the first city in Oregon to be certified as a Dark Sky Community by DarkSky International.
The town’s unofficial motto, “Where you can see the Milky Way from Main Street,” refers to its location in rural Wasco County in the north central region of the state.
Antelope is the first city in Oregon to be certified by DarkSky International, however it is also the fifth site. The first was Sunriver, an unincorporated community that was designated a Development of Distinction in 2020.
The Oregon Caves National Monument was designated a Dark Sky Park last month, and Prineville Reservoir was designated a Dark Sky Park in 2021. The Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary, which covers 2.5 million rural acres in southern Oregon, was formally certified earlier this year.
DarkSky International, a group devoted to conserving dark skies and the evening environment through ecologically friendly outdoor lighting, bestows the certifications.
Although Antelope was incorporated in 1901, Oregonians may be most familiar with it from the short-lived era in 1984–85 when the Rajneesh Movement members moved to the area and formally changed the town’s name to Rajneesh.
The community was renamed Antelope, the religious movement disintegrated, and the Rajneesh followers withdrew by the end of 1985 amid a botched assassination attempt and poisoning attack in The Dalles. The episode was made even more widely available by the 2018 Netflix series Wild Wild Country.
Michael McKeag, a DarkSky Oregon co-founder who collaborated with the city on the designation, stated, “I truly wanted to see Antelope be known for something better than that long past incident.” In August 2023, he spoke at a meeting of the Antelope City Council regarding the city’s transition to a Dark Sky city.
Antelope, a small hamlet with 37 residents, is the first city in Oregon to be certified as a Dark Sky Community by DarkSky International.McKeag, Michael
“I was taken aback by how packed the room was, considering Antelope’s diminutive size,” he remarked. I assumed that the reaction would be, “Well, that’s interesting,” once I concluded my presentation. We will consider it. Rather, the answer was, “How quickly can we make it happen?”
The certification was obtained by the city of Antelope through the adoption of a new outdoor lighting law, the removal of unnecessary streetlights from the town in collaboration with Wasco Rural Electric, and the replacement of the remaining streetlights with DarkSky-approved fixtures that reduce light pollution. Artificial evening illumination exposure has been shown to have a detrimental effect on human health and to disturb wildlife.
The town conducted outreach events to provide homeowners with free DarkSky-compatible exterior light bulbs and collected data on evening light levels over a 16-month period. To encourage citizens to appreciate the grandeur of the night sky, the Rose City Astronomers Club gave three telescopes to the community for use at star parties.
According to McKeag, the city must submit yearly reports detailing its ongoing implementation of suitable lighting standards and public communication as part of its long-term commitment to become a Dark Sky Community.
He said that hanging the plaque on the wall isn’t enough. Every Dark Sky Place or community is assuming a continuous responsibility.
Antelope, a small hamlet with 37 residents, is the first city in Oregon to be certified as a Dark Sky Community by DarkSky International.McKeag, Michael
In an effort to attract astrotourism, Travel Oregon has urged rural communities like Antelope to pursue certification. Other cities, state parks, and others interested in the DarkSky program are collaborating with McKeag.
Sisters is expected to be the next city in Oregon to be certified, he added.
“We’ve blocked that window by using outdoor lighting, which is our window into the rest of the universe,” McKeag remarked. Most individuals on the earth are unable to see the Milky Way, and they may only be able to see the brightest stars from their local area. They must leave home and travel to an area where dark skies are still present, which will be rural settlements, if they want to experience a night sky with the Milky Way, stars, and planets clearly visible.
Here is Oregon and The Oregonian/OregonLive are covered by Samantha Swindler. You may reach her at oregonian.com/sswindler.
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