The night sky and its threats

As a start to the activities programmed to give content to the recently created Astronomical Park of the Serrania de Cuenca, Dr. Enric Marco, (Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Faculty of Physics, Universitat de València and President of Cel Fosc), will give the conference: "The night sky and its threats Are the preservation of the environment and the lighting of our streets compatible?"

The invention of the electric bulb has allowed us to expand human relations after sunset. We no longer live only in daylight hours, now we are more free to have more leisure time. However, this technological advance has its negative consequences. The excess of lighting in our streets and our homes has generated a new type of pollution caused by the culture of light. There is a belief that in more light, there is more security, more well-being, more wealth. Is it really like that? After an introduction on the physical causes of light pollution, I will focus on the effects that this pollution causes on astronomy and the loss of the night sky, on ecosystems and on human health. Finally I will talk about how responsible lighting can improve our vision of the starry sky.