Editor's note: The above video shows dark-sky advocates discussing why we need to protect our night skies as a resource.
ROOSEVELT, Ariz. - If you live in the Phoenix area, a high-quality night sky is less than two hours away.
The National Park Service and the International Dark-Sky Association announced Tuesday that the Tonto National Monument has been designated as an International Dark Sky Park. This means that it has reduced the amount of artificial light to become one of the best places in the world to get an unhindered view of the night sky.
Without light pollution getting in the way, visitors to the monument can get a better look at meteor showers, constellations, the Milky Way, planets and other stellar objects on a clear night.
National park officials say Tonto National Monument cut down on light pollution by retrofitting lighting fixtures and bulbs over the past two years.
Tonto National Monument joins 115 other places around the world with IDA designations. Fifteen of those places are in Arizona.