Image credit Babak A. Tafreshi
Dark Skies Awareness: seeing in the dark
“Dark Skies Awareness” is one of 12 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
August 2010
Get Ready for The Great World Wide Star Count
The Great World Wide Star Count encourages everyone to go outside, look skyward after dark, note the stars in certain constellations, and report what they could see online. Star Count is designed to raise awareness about the night sky and encourage learning in astronomy. All the information needed to participate is available on the Star Count Web site. Be sure to download the 2010 Activity Guide (available in 8 languages) to prepare your class for this project.
Participation involves use of a simple protocol and an easy data entry form. During the first three years, over 31,000 individuals from 64 countries and all 7 continents participated in this campaign to measure light pollution globally.
At the conclusion of the event, maps and datasets will be generated highlighting the results of this exciting citizen science campaign. Mark your calendars and plan on joining thousands of other students, families, and citizen scientists counting stars this fall.
The Great World Wide Star Count will be held from October 29 — November 12, 2010. For more information visit http://windows2universe.org/starcount/ or email starcount_info@ucar.edu.
August 26, 2010
July 2010
The University of Coimbra offers a postdoc position in Light Pollution and Dark Sky Preservation
The Portuguese Foundation for Science and for Technology (FCT) has opened the 2010 call for applications for postdoctoral individual grants, one in particular on “Light Pollution and Dark Sky Preservation”. Deadline is September 6.
For more information, please visit: http://cfc.fis.uc.pt/postdoc_astro.php
July 15, 2010
May 2010
Austrian village seeks UNESCO protection for its starry skies
Nestled in a hollow and surrounded by low hills, the village of Grossmugl, Austria is shileded from light pollution. This small community of 1,600 people just a half hour’s drive from Vienna, is proud of the 5,000 stars the light up their night sky every evening, and they want to protect that view. Wanting to avoid the fate of Vienna, which only sees some 40 stars at night, Grossmugl is seeking to become a UNESCO world heritage site. As astronomer Guenther Wuchterl says, “It’s something for when you are 17, when you lie in the meadow with your girlfriend.”
Earth Times article | StarryNightLights blog post
May 24, 2010
April 2010
The 10th European Symposium for the Protection of the Night Sky: The Science of Light Pollution
2-4 September 2010, Kaposvár, Hungary
You are cordially invited to the 10th European Symposium for the Protection of the Night Sky. The symposium shall take place in Kaposvár, Hungary on September 2-4, 2010. The main goal of the symposium is to exchange views among experts and activists working on the field of light pollution. The scientific program will be divided in several sessions, dealing with all aspects of obtrusive light. A special attention will be given to scientific results on the biological and environmental impact of light pollution and the modeling of obtrusive light. A session is also dedicated to the interaction of architecture with light pollution. More information on the meeting logistics and the call for papers.
April 29, 2010
3rd International Symposium for Dark-Sky Parks and 3rd International Dark-Sky Camp: 6-10 September 2010, Lastovo Island Nature Park, Croatia
In this exciting gathering we are welcoming astronomers, park managers, representatives of international and national (non-governmental) organizations, experts in biology, (eco)tourism, natural and cultural heritage and interested people. Topics to be discussed are light pollution, values of natural night-sky, efforts to include astronomy and the nocturnal side into nature conservation activities and many more. The aim of the symposium is to establish an effective long-term framework for reducing light pollution internationally. The symposium is a five-day event, comprising of lectures, field-trips and night observations at possibly one of the darkest places in Europe. Click here for the announcement and here for the Call for Papers. Please refer to http://www.darkskyparks.org for further information.
April 22, 2010