GAM 2019 Blog

by Connie Walker, co-chair of the IAU100 Dark Skies for All Global Project & director of Globe at Night

Published: Wednesday, April 10 2019 06:57

In celebration of the 100th birthday of the International Astronomical Union, the IAU100 Global Project Dark Skies for All aims to raise awareness for the preservation of dark skies for current and future generations. A key part of the project is to provide access to a useful, self-contained, and well-tested teaching kit on dark skies, namely the “Turn on the Night” educational kit. Developed at NOAO, the kits are now being built and distributed by an educational kit company called Laser Classroom under a recent agreement with AURA/NOAO. To acquire your kit, please see https://mailchi.mp/laserclassroom.com/turnonthenight. 

A second main objective of Dark Skies for All is to build a portal of dark skies resources. Educators and dark skies advocates are invited to contribute their dark skies resources and download others at https://darkskies4all.org/resources/. Resources may include, but are not limited to, general information, educational materials, campaigns, projects, resource guides, datasets, products, articles, books, websites, software, apps, policies statements, ordinances, videos, music, art, presentations, and research studies. The program focuses on resources for children of all ages, researchers, the media, policy makers, families and the general public, among others.

A third component of Dark Skies for Allis the IAU100 Dark Skies Ambassadors program (https://darkskies4all.org/ambassador/). This program invites keen enthusiasts worldwide to be dark skies advocates and to spread awareness of the concern about light pollution. Dark Skies Ambassadors help organize and disseminate events through their networks, while encouraging others to participate. This program also stimulates a peer-supporting environment and provides visibility of events. Depending on prior experience promoting dark skies awareness, there are three levels of participation for individuals and organizations.

Whatever efforts are developed here will continue beyond 2019, hopefully with your involvement! Look for more resources on policy and media toolkits in the future! (https://darkskies4all.org)

Connie Walker is a Scientist at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) in Tucson, Arizona, USA. For the past 18 years at NOAO, she has enjoyed managing several education outreach programs for the public, students and teachers on hands-on general astronomy, dark skies preservation, optics and solar research. Three highlights of her job are directing the popular international light pollution citizen-science campaign Globe at Night, the high school science café project, the Teen Astronomy Café and the problem-based learning Quality Lighting Teaching Kit. To help make a difference, she is past-president and member of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Board of Directors, president of the International Astronomical Union (IAU)’s commission on light pollution, co-chair of the IAU100 Dark Skies for All Global Project and recently on the board of directors of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). For her efforts in bringing dark skies awareness to the public, the IDA awarded her their Hoag-Robinson award in 2011. Her amazing astronomer-husband, daughter (23), son (20) and cat (12) thankfully tolerate her interest in the dark side of astronomy.