LONDON — Wales' sprawling Snowdonia National Park with its miles of peaks, lakes and waterfalls is known by photographers as one of the best places in the UK to capture the night sky. And now it's official.

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The national park was named Friday as an International Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark Sky Institute, joining only nine other locations in the world with the status.

To become a dark sky region the area must have "outstanding" night air and minimum light pollution. With Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales is becoming a leading destination for astronomers, astrophotographers and casual stargazers.