Image credit Babak A. Tafreshi
Dark Skies Awareness: seeing in the dark
“Dark Skies Awareness” is one of 11 Global Cornerstone Projects during the 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). Its goal is to raise the level of public knowledge about adverse impacts of excess artificial lighting on local environments and help more people appreciate the ongoing loss of a dark night sky for much of the world’s population. Toward this end, a range of programs and resource materials has been developed. Everyone is invited to use any of these as local solutions to a global problem.
Dark Sky News Around the World
March 2010
Get Ready for “Globe at Night”
Sky and Telescope invites everyone everywhere to participate in the worldwide Globe at Night campaign! Here’s your chance to make a world of difference. From March 3rd to 16th, you can record the brightness of your night sky and submit it on-line. It’s easy and fun. Check out: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/85035702.html
March 2, 2010
February 2010
Manmade Light at Night: Perils and Promises Symposium on March 11
The Illinois Coalition for Responsible Outdoor Lighting (ICROL) will host with Lewis University a symposium on March 11, 2010 entitled “Manmade Light at Night: Perils and Promises”. The program addresses the effects of light pollution on health, environment, energy consumption, and astronomical observation along with solutions for responsible lighting offered by 2 municipalities: Santa Rosa, CA and Homer Glen, IL. Distinguished speakers include: Steven Lockley, PhD—Harvard Medical; Pete Strasser—International Dark-Sky Association; Mark Hammergren, PhD—Adler Planetarium; Rick Moshier—Public Works Director, Santa Rosa, CA; Margaret Sabo and Edmond Cage, Trustee and Community Development (respectively), Homer Glen, IL; Kate Tomford, Director of Sustainability Office; Illinois Governor Pat Quinn; and ICROL’s Drew Carhart discussing sustainable lighting practices.
The goal will be not only deliver information to a given audience but, with diverse stake-holders in attendence, to foster dialogue, and perhaps action, that bridges the gap between the sayers and the doers.
More information can be found at http://www.illinoislighting.org/. Other webpages on the website worth noting include, terminology, ICROL’s Chicago study, and the symposium page.
February 22, 2010
Gear-up for GLOBE at Night 2010!
Two out of every three people in the United States cannot see the Milky Way galaxy arch across a pristinely dark night sky. Light pollution is obscuring people’s long-standing natural heritage to view stars. GLOBE at Night is an international citizen-science campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution by encouraging everyone everywhere to measure local levels of night sky brightness and contribute observations online to a world map. All it takes is a few minutes to participate between 8-10pm, March 3-16. Your measurements will make a world of difference. For more information, visit the website at www.globeatnight.org.
As part of gearing up for the GLOBE at Night Campaign (March 3-16), check out this 10-minute audio podcast from 365 Days of Astronomy.
February 16, 2010
Dark Sky Awareness Kit visits the Missouri State House
On February 9, 2010 Robert Wagner, International Dark-Sky Association Board Member, visited the Missouri State House to argue for public education of light pollution. In tow was the Dark Sky Awareness Kit. (See http://www.darkskiesawareness.org/DarkSkiesRangers/.) As part of his testimony he demonstrated how this simple kit is used to show skyglow, glare and light trespass. Customized with an inexpensive light meter and various figures such as plastic spiders, little green army men and toy cars, the experiment is fun and entertaining for all ages. “When people are able to maximize the amount of light on the road and minimize the stray light, they understand how easy light pollution can be remedied.”
More here - including audio highlights of the hearing.
February 16, 2010
December 2009
Dark Skies Rangers Program is now on-line!
Through the Dark Skies Rangers Program, students learn about the importance of dark skies and experience activities that illustrate proper lighting, light pollution’s effects on wildlife and how to measure the darkness of your skies. A highlight of the program is the citizen science project, GLOBE at Night, which enlists the help of students to collect data on the night sky conditions in their community and contribute to a worldwide database on light pollution. To learn more about the program and its activities, see http://www.darkskiesawareness.org/DarkSkiesRangers/.
December 31, 2009