Programs Dark Skies Awareness

GAM Dark Skies Awareness Programs

Babak
Image Credit: Babak Tafreshi (TWAN)

The growing loss of dark, starry night skies for much of the world's population is a serious issue, but one that can be easily addressed. And it's not just astronomical research that suffers. Light pollution affects human health, ecology, safety, security, economics, and energy conservation. According to the United Nations more than half of the world's population live in cities. More than three quarters in those cities have never seen the Milky Way, because of the light pollution where they live. The ability to view a starry night sky has inspired human kind for millennia. If we do not help solve the problem, our source of inspiration will subtly fade away. Is this the legacy we want to leave future generations? We can actually do something locally to help globally. We invite you to get involved in these Dark Skies Awareness Programs during Global Astronomy Month and beyond.

In short, the GAM Dark Skies Awareness programs are intended to raise awareness of the importance of preserving our dark, starry night skies and in the process, mitigating light pollution. To encourage people to participate, we have an array of enjoyable activities. For those interested in gorgeous starry night skies and the visual affects of light pollution, we have the International Earth and Sky Photo Contest. For those who would like to take easy night sky brightness measurements monitoring light pollution levels for scientists, you are invited to participate in the Globe at Night citizen-science campaign. For those who want to learn more about light pollution issues and how you can easily solve them, you are invited to take part in the International Dark Sky Week.

We also encouraged everyone to share their experiences with the world on Facebook  and Tweet using #GAM2020 (@gam_awb).

Globe at Night

APRIL 14-23 Audience: All Ages Program Type: Citizen Science Program Distribution: International What the program is about and how to participate What would it be like without stars at night? What would we lose? Starry night skies have given us poetry, art, music and the wonder to explore. A bright night sky affects energy consumption, health, and wildlife. Globe at Night (GaN) is a rewardingly inclusive way to bring awareness to the public on the disappearance of the starry night sky, its cause and solutions. GaN encourages citizen-scientists worldwide to record the brightness of the night sky. During ten-days per...

International Dark Sky Week

APRIL 19 - 26 Due to the current guidelines for physical distancing, International Dark Sky Association will host short and engaging videos each day. Click here for the program schedule. Some of the presentation will be live, so you can interact with the presenters. You can join live presentations and ask your dark sky questions on YouTube or Facebook at the presentation's scheduled time. Schedule subject to changes. Celebrate the stars! Created in 2003 by high-school student Jennifer Barlow, International Dark Sky Week (IDSW) has grown to become a worldwide event and a key component of Global Astronomy Month. The...
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