B

EYOND

IYA2009: C

OMMUNICATING

D

ARK

S

KIES

A

WARENESS WITH THE

P

UBLIC

Connie Walker (U.S. National Optical Astronomy Observatory) with the IYA Dark Skies Awareness Working Group

L

IGHT POLLUTION IS A GLOBAL ISSUE WITH LOCAL SOLUTIONS

…

A

RTIFICIAL

N

IGHT

S

KY

B

RIGHTNESS

I

NCREASING OVER

T

IME (Cinzano, Falchi, & Elvidge 2001)

QUESTIONS

Wally Pacholka, TWAN When communicating astronomy with the Public, how do you: • explain the importance of what they have lost to artificial sky glow? • make them aware that light pollution is a concern on many fronts: safety, energy conservation, cost, health and effects on wildlife, as well as our ability to view the stars?

• convince them that it’s worthwhile to take steps, even small ones, to help redress this issue?

T

O INFLUENCE CULTURAL CHANGE EFFECTIVELY

• • • • • To influence people literally to look up and see the light: make children a main focus use approaches that offer involvement on many levels, from cursory to committed offer involvement via many venues make programs and resources as turn-key as possible, especially for educators provide ways to visualize the problem with simple, easily grasped and enjoyable activities

IYA D

ARK

S

KIES

A

WARENESS

C

ORNERSTONE

P

ROJECT

( www.darkskiesawareness.org

)

Raise awareness of the value of dark skies and the importance of its preservation through  New Technology (website, podcasts, social networking, Second Life)  The Arts (photo contest)  Events (Earth Hour, International Dark Sky Week, World Night in Defense of the Starlight, Dark Skies Discovery Sites, Sidewalk Astronomy, Nights in the Parks)  Dark Skies Communities (Starlight Reserves, International Dark Sky Communities, Parks & Reserves)  Educational Materials (homeowners’ guide, a traveling exhibit, brochures, posters, CDs, DVDs, educational kits & activities)  Citizen Science Programs (6 star hunting programs & Quiet Skies)

“N

EW

T

ECHNOLOGY

” H

IGHLIGHTS



Podcasts:

Since January 2009, 10 minute audio podcast once a month on dark skies programs, events, & resources at 365daysofastronomy.org. 

Second Life

on the astronomy2009 island: In a holodome, an urban street allows visitors to switch between good and bad lighting to see the impact of their actions. Created by Chuck Bueter and associates. Was one of the finalists for the Linden Prize, a prestigious prize for innovations in Second Life.

“T

HE

A

RTS

” H

IGHLIGHTS

×

The Earth & Sky photography contest

(The World At Night and the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii).

I

NTERNATIONAL

& N

ATIONAL

E

VENTS

 Earth Hour - On March 27, 2009 Last year: 1 billion people in over 4100 cities in 87 countries (WWF) 

World Night in Defence of the Starlight (April 20)



International Dark Sky Week (April 20 – 26, 2009 and April 4-10, 2010)

 Dark Sky Discovery Sites in Scotland & the UK (Dark Skies Scotland)  Nights in the Parks - (US National Parks Service)

P

ROMOTING

D

ARK

S

KIES

P

LACES



International Dark-Sky Communities, Parks &

Reserves - the International Dark-Sky Association & collaborators established a certification program to protect areas for natural night skies. ➜

Scotland’s Galloway Forest Park and Hungary’s Zselic Landscape Protection Area, the first International Dark Sky Parks in Europe!

Zselic Landscape Protection Area Hortobágy National Park  Starlight Reserves – UNESCO, the International Astronomical Union and colleagues established a means to recognize sites which defend and preserve quality of the night sky.

“E

DUCATIONAL

M

ATERIALS

” H

IGHLIGHTS

 Downloadable at the IDA website: A Homeowner’s Guide to Quality Outdoor Lighting, downloadable posters, brochures & displays on the effects of light pollution on health, wildlife, energy, astronomy, safety and glare control.



Education kits, Dark Skies Rangers

activities and workshops available through NOAO and partners (e.g., GTTP). (300 kits distributed for IYA.)

D

ARK WWW

S

KIES

R

ANGER

A

CTIVITIES

.

DARKSKIESAWARENESS

.

ORG

/ D

ARK

S

KIES

R

ANGERS

/

• • • •

Explorer

Light Shielding Demo Taking Inventory Student Symposium

Protector

– – Turtle Hatching Activity Wildlife Activity (Insects)

Advocate

– Magnitude Reader – Finding Orion, Cygnus, etc.

– A Star Hunt program Ranger (Students present results.)

C

ITIZEN

S

CIENCE

S

TAR

P

ROGRAMS

: H

UNTS



GLOBE at Night

March 3-16, 2010 (so far ½ IYA numbers) 

How Many Stars?

 All year-round

Spain’s Observation Campaign

 March & November

The Big Aussie Star Hunt

× August

Brazil’s Milky Way Marathon

 August & September

Great World Wide Star Count

October

How Many Stars?

(

FOR

F

UTURE

D

ARK

& S S

TAR

P

LANS KIES

R

ANGERS

H

UNTS

)

• • • • • Build more of a sense of community on-line Build on-line tutorials Build a user-friendly analysis tool on the GLOBE at Night website Congregate external data sets for research comparisons.

Help the community to publish scientific results Tucson, Arizona, USA

C

ITIZEN

R

ADIO

S

CIENCE

F

REQUENCY

P

ROGRAMS

: I

NTERFERENCE

 Quiet Skies - learn how Radio Frequency Interference blinds radio telescopes at certain frequencies (National Radio Astronomy Observatory) A kit loan program to schools and museums (20 kits; would like more) AM radio with a fan

D

ARK

S

KIES

W

ORKING

G

ROUPS

I

NTERNATIONAL

Viviana Bianchi Beatriz Garcia Robert Hollow Helen Sim Thomas Posch Guenther Wuchterl Friedel Pas Tasso Napoleao Robert Dick Ken Tapping Carmen Jimenez Pedro Sanhueza Cristian Goez Roger Ferlet Argentina Argentina Australia Australia Austria Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Canada Chile Chile Colombia France Alain Legue Andreas Haneal Sze-Leung Cheung Margarita Metaxa Kollath Zoltan Robert Hill Albert White Fabio Falchi Stefania Varano Alessandra Zanazzi Shigemi Uchida Steve Butler Maria Luisa Aguilar Hurtado Julia Romanowska France Germany Hong Kong Greece Hungary Ireland Ireland Italy Italy Italy Japan New Zealand Peru Poland

D

ARK

S

KIES

W

ORKING

G

ROUPS

I

NTERNATIONAL

Tomasz Wierzchowski Rosa Doran Dan Hillier Nikola Bozic Pavol Duris Andrej Mohar Kevin Govender Sivuyile Manxoyl Cipriano Marin Zeki Aslan Darren Baskill Steven Owens Sue Ann Heatherly Terry Mann Kim Patten Poland Portugal Scotland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South Africa Spain Turkey United Kingdom United Kingdom United States United States United States Advisor: Malcolm Smith

U.S. N

ATIONAL

Jennifer Barlow Chuck Bueter Bob Crelin Don Davis Robert Dick (advisor) Dan Duriscoe Sue Ann Heatherly Ron Maddelena Terry Mann Chad Moore Kim Patten Fred Schaaf Carter Smith Malcolm Smith (advisor) Richard Wainscoat (advisor) Dennis Ward

W

ATCHING THE

Y

EAR OF

A I

NTERNATIONAL STRONOMY

U

NFOLD

• • What was astounding was not only the involvement in DSA from a large number of people worldwide but also the creativity they brought to the table.

Their efforts caused a revolution in their communities — sparked in cases by some aspect of DSA, but fueled by their ingenuity and sweat.

“T

HERE

S

PANISH

V

IDEO OF

C

RELIN

’

S

O

NCE WAS A

S B

KY OOK

F

ULL OF

S

TARS

”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXZkkrJ8wHc

GLOBE

AT À LA

N

IGHT

L

EGOS

M

AP

P

UBLIC

D

ISPLAYS

& P

RESENTATIONS

Students present to County Council A local library in Indiana, USA March 2010 Symposium: Manmade Light at Night -- Perils and Promises Lobby of a County-City Building in Indiana, USA

M

ANY OF THE

C

OUNTRIES

I

NVOLVED

Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Chile China Croatia Czech Republic Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary India Iran Italy Japan Luxemburg Macedonia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Northern Ireland Peru Poland Portugal Romania Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom United States Uruguay

COUNTRY

Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Chile Columbia Czech Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong Hungary Iran Italy

Educational Materials

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

The Arts (contests)

X X X

Events

X X X X X X X X X C X X X X C X X

Star Hunts

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Dark Skies Places Ordinances, Policies

X X X X

COUNTRY

Macedonia Mexico

Educational Materials

X X New Zealand Northern Ireland Poland Portugal X X X X Romania Russian Feder’n Saudi Arabia Scotland Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain Turkey United Kingdom United States Uruguay X X X X X X X X X X X

The Arts (contests)

X

Events

X X X C XC X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XC X

Star Hunts

X X X X X X X X

Dark Skies Places

W

Ordinances, Policies

X X D XD XD X X

M

OMENTOUS

E

VENTS DURING

IYA

•

IAU Resolution B5:

a resolution in defense of the night sky and the right to starlight • Feature Story and Cover of Physics Today: “Lighting & Astronomy” •

IDA’s Executive Director’s Award

to the IYA DSA Working Groups Physics Today

C

OMMUNICATING

D

ARK

S

KIES

I

MPORTANCE WITH THE PUBLIC

:

P RESERV ING OUR NATURAL HERITAGE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

C

ONTACT

I

NFORMATION

• Websites of interest: – www.darkskiesawareness.org

– www.globeatnight.org

• Contact: Connie Walker – 1-520-318-8535 or – [email protected]