The South American country, which hosts some of the world’s major astronomical observatories, promises to protect its night skies, from the Atacama Desert to Tierra del Fuego.

Incredible splashes of colour — greens, reds, blues, and every colour in between — paint the night sky above ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile.

ESO/P. Horálek

Chile’s nationwide light-pollution regulation takes full effect throughout the country on October 19th. The regulation, formally known as the Nueva Norma Lumínica (D.S. No. 1/2022 MMA), was published on October 18, 2023, allowing time for compliance. The standard’s aim is to limit the negative effects of artificial outdoor lighting and to protect the astronomical quality of the night sky, human health, and biodiversity, especially in “Special Protection Areas” that include professional astronomical facilities.

The new standard, which replaced an earlier decree that covered a more limited area around major astronomical observatories, now applies to the whole country.…