1 / 27

Dark Skies Awareness Programs for the International Year of Astronomy

Dark Skies Awareness Programs for the International Year of Astronomy. Connie Walker (National Optical Astronomy Observatory) and the IYA2009 Dark Skies Working Group. Some images courtesy of The World at Night. Light pollution is a global issue with local solutions….

tex
Download Presentation

Dark Skies Awareness Programs for the International Year of Astronomy

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma DarkSkies Awareness Programs for the International Year of Astronomy Connie Walker (National Optical Astronomy Observatory) and the IYA2009 Dark Skies Working Group Some images courtesy of The World at Night

  2. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma Light pollution is a global issue with local solutions…

  3. Artificial Night Sky Brightness Increasing over Time (Cinzano, Falchi, & Elvidge 2001)

  4. A Way for Everyone Everywhere to Discover Their Universe • In the year 2009, the world will celebrate the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) as it commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of a telescope to study the skies and the discoveries he made as a result. (All educational outreach!) • IYA2009 has acted as a the catalyst to mobilize the astronomy community (NOAO, ASP, NASA, etc) along with IDA to engage everyone everywhere to look up at the night sky. • As one of the global cornerstone projects, Dark Skies Awareness gets everyone everywhere looking up at a dark night sky.

  5. Dark Skies Awareness Global IYA Cornerstone www.darkskiesawareness.org

  6. US Dark Skies Working Group Bob Crelin, Glarebuster (light fixture) Inventor; Author Carter Smith, Light pollution research with Sky Quality Meters Chad Moore, National Park Service Chuck Bueter, Nightwise.org & www.LetThereBeNight.org Connie Walker (chair), NOAO / GLOBE at Night Dan Duriscoe, National Park Service Dennis Ward, Windows to the Universe / GWWSC Don Davis, Planetary Science Institute Fred Schaaf, Sky and Telescope Jennifer Barlow, National Dark Skies Week Kim Patten, International Dark-Sky Association Malcolm Smith (advisor), AURA, CTIO, IAU Commission 50 Richard Wainscoat (advisor), Institute for Astronomy, IAU Commission 50 Robert Dick (advisor), Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Ron Maddelena, NRAO Sue Ann Heatherly, NRAO Terry Mann, Astronomical League

  7. Partnering Institutions • Astronomical League • Astronomical Society of the Pacific (Night Sky Network and Astronomy from the Ground Up Programs) • Astronomers Without Borders • International Astronomical Union • International Dark-Sky Association • International Dark Sky Week • National Optical Astronomy Observatory • National Parks Service • National Radio Astronomy Observatory • IYA2009 New Media Working Group • Nightwise.org and LetThereBeNight.org • Sidewalk Astronomers • Starlight Initiative • The World at Night • UCAR/NCAR • Verein Kuffner-Sternwarte & IDA-Section Austria • World Wildlife Fund

  8. GLOBE at Night www.globe.gov/GaN/ • Citizen-scientists record the brightness of the night sky by matching its appearance toward the constellation Orion with star maps of progressively fainter stars. • Measurements are submitted on-line and resulting maps of all worldwide observations are created. • Over the last 3 annual two-week GLOBE at Night events, 20,000 measurements have been contributed from over 100 countries.

  9. GLOBE at NightHow Many Stars?Great World Wide Star Count • GLOBE at Night • Next GLOBE at Night campaign is March 16 - 28, 2009 • Orion and Sky Quality Meters • www.globe.gov/globeatnight/ • How Many Stars? • Jan, Feb, April-Sept, Nov, Dec 2009 • Little Dipper and 3 belt stars in Orion • www.sternhell.at/ • Great World Wide Star Count • Oct. 9 - 23, 2009 • Cygnus and Sagittarius • www.starcount.org

  10. Earth Hour 2009 • Is an energy conservation event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund to be held on Saturday March 28, 2009 from 8:30-9:30 pm. • Dozens of cities around the world will turn off non-essential lights, conserving energy while allowing the public to see the dark skies from cities. • 2008 was a successful wave of darkness around the world • www.earthhour.org

  11. Quiet Skies • Radio Frequency Interference, or RFI, is the radio equivalent of light pollution. • RFI effectively blinds radio telescopes at certain frequencies, making it impossible to study the Universe at those frequencies. • A kit loan program to schools and museums. (See www.gb.nrao.edu/php/quietskies/.) • Participants will measure the RFI levels in their communities, enter their measurements into a database, and later results are graphically displayed. • Led by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory

  12. Planetarium Program • A feature presentation that takes advantage of the interactive capabilities of small and portable domes to advocate dark skies and to introduce participants to outdoor lighting issues. • A Native American story on day & night • A demonstration of shielding lights and improper lighting • Bob Crelin’s book, “There Once was a Sky Full of Stars”. • A citizen-scientist star hunting program (GLOBE at Night). • Videos, activities, songs, powerpoints, images -- more ancillary materials on a 2 DVD set. See www.LetThereBeNight.org.

  13. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma “Earth and Sky” Photo Contest • The photography contest is open to any amateur photographer of any age, anywhere in the world. • The special theme of this contest is "Dark Skies Importance”. • The image should express how important and amazing the starry sky is, how it affects our life, and how bad the problem of light pollution has become. • Led by The World At Night (www.TWANight.org) and the DSWG.

  14. Displays, Posters, Brochures • Wonderful ways to provide outreach and education to communities on light pollution during events such as star parties, (e.g. sidewalk astronomy), museums, science centers, libraries, zoos, etc. • 5 themes on: outdoor lighting, effects on safety and glare, effects on wildlife, effects on astronomy & effects on energy conservation. • The effort is being led by the International Dark-Sky Association. See www.darksky.org.

  15. “streetlight” “candle mode” shielded light Planetarium with light inside Light Pollution Education Toolkit Shielding Demo (in a dark room with a white tabletop) What difference do you note with and without the shield?

  16. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma Podcasts • People advocating dark skies preservation are invited to promote their dark skies programs, events, and resources by creating a 5-10 minute audio podcast to submit to the IYA “365 Days of Astronomy” podcasts. • Sign up at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org/. • Project is in collaboration with the IYA New Media Task Group.

  17. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma Nights in the (National) Parks • During weekends or periods of time throughout 2009, dark sky observing will be highlighted from within National Parks with near-pristine skies. • Events on: • learning the night sky & nighttime viewing • tools of astronomy & observing techniques • star counting programs • lectures on light pollution and astronomy • Supported by the National Parks Service. See www.nps.gov.

  18. Dark Skies Discovery Sites • Dark Skies Discovery Sites (DSDS) are in rural locations (e.g. a backyard obser-vatory or a community park or school) • A place where the public can gather to learn about the importance of dark skies. • Star parties, speakers, constellation walks where attendees learn their way around the sky, telescope workshops for people wanting to buy a telescope. • Partnerships with museums in cities and amateur astronomers in rural areas. Efforts supported by the Astronomical League & DSWG.

  19. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma On-line Interactions • In this program MySpace and Facebook web pages will introduce new audiences to dark sky issues. • With a Second Life destination, visitors will interact with an outdoor lighting design and make changes to lessen glare, light trespass, and sky glow. • Effort led by IYA2009 New Media and Dark Skies working group members. See www.darkskiesawareness.org for more information.

  20. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma The Great Switch Out • The program centers on the educational aspect of quality outdoor residential lighting. • Encourages homeowners to remove and replace their residential light fixtures with ones that are energy efficient and dark sky friendly. • Supported by IDA. Visit www.darksky.org, select “Best Choice Lighting” and then select “Homeowners Guide”.

  21. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma International Dark Sky Communities, Parks & Reserves • To promote the establishment of special protection areas for natural night skies and to honor exceptional commitment to preservation of darkness, IDA with a number of international collaborators have established a certification program. • See www.darksky.org; select “Policy/Programs” and then “IDS Communities, Parks and Reserves”.

  22. StarlightDeclaration • The participants of the International Conference in Defense of the Quality of Night Sky and the Right to Observe Stars, jointly with the representatives of UNESCO, IAU, and other international agencies and members of the academic community, met on the Canary Islands in April 2007. • Created a formal declaration to recognize that the ability to view a dark sky has been an inspiration to all civilizations throughout time. • Necessary measures should be implemented to involve all parties related to skyscape protection to raise public awareness. • For more information, please visit the website at http://www.starlight2007.net.

  23. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma Starlight: A Common Heritage • A book  a compendium of articles from the conference • Issues of dark sky awareness: • The importance of starlight in human culture • Nightscapes, biodiversity, and sustainable development • The right to starlight • Intelligent lighting and light pollution • Preservation of astronomical sites • Published by IAC (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias) and jointly prepared with UNESCO, European Parliament, IAU (International Astronomical Union), etc. • http://www.starlight2007.net/pdf/proceedings/StarlightCommonHeritage.pdf

  24. Starlight Reserve Concept • A site where a commitment has been made to defend and preserve the night sky quality. • For different situations: cultural, scientific, astronomical, natural, or landscape-related. • A core or dark zone  where natural night sky light conditions are kept intact. • A buffer or protection zone  where the adverse effects of air and light pollution reaching the core zone are avoided. • An external zone  where criteria of intelligent and responsible lighting will be enforced, protecting night sky quality from other harmful factors such as air pollution. • http://www.starlight2007.net/StarlightReserves.html

  25. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma World Night and IDSW • World Night in Defence of Starlight  First night of the International Dark Sky Week: April 20 – 26, 2009 • Websites: www.starlight2007.net/20April2009.html www.ndsw.org/

  26. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma Thank-you for your kind attention!

  27. Dept. Physics & Astronomy, U.Oklahoma For more information • Website of interest: • www.darkskiesawareness.org • Contact: Connie Walker • (IYA Dark Skies Awareness Chair) • 1-520-318-8535 or • cwalker@astronomy2009.us

More Related