Category Archives: dark skies

dark skies, environment

Earth Hour 2008: Do Your Part!

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Darkness Falls Softly

On March 31, 2008, Global Earth Hour is going to happen. It’s a time when people in major cities around the world can turn off the lights to demonstrate their concern for the environment.

 

So far, Chicago, Copenhagen, Sydney, Tel Aviv, and Toronto are among the cities that have adopted resolutions to switch off the lights for Earth Hour. Thousands of individuals are signing up, as are businesses. The whole thing is to promote awareness of how our behavior can affect the environment.

 

As a stargazer, I also like to think that Earth Hour will have the great consequence of bringing people out to see the night sky (weather permitting, of course) free of light pollution. That’s a great reason to participate, no matter what your position is on global warming. So, go check out the EarthHour website for the history of this great idea and ways you can get involved.

amateur astronomy, astronomy, astronomy education, dark skies

What Are You Doing In 2009? Try Astronomy

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A Year of Astronomy

 

 

 



A hundred countries (and counting) have signed on to participate in the International Year of Astronomy, which runs throughout calendar year 2009. The IYA planners envision the year as a time when people take renewed interest in astronomy and science, from school children to members of the general public and the astronomy community (both professional and amateur).

On their web page the International Astronomical Union, which is spearheading the organization of IYA 2009, states:

The vision of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) is to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night time sky, and thereby engage a personal sense of wonder and discovery. All humans should realize the impact of astronomy and basic sciences on our daily lives, and understand better how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society.

Now, we’re a planet full of people, all with different languages, philosophies, levels of income, education, science interest, and political backgrounds. How can astronomy be something we can all appreciate? It’s pretty simple really: we all have access to the sky. There isn’t anywhere on Earth where you can’t look up and see the sky, day or night. Granted some places have hazy, light-polluted skies. But, even in the worst places, you can see a few stars at night or the Sun, or the Moon. Astronomy is universal.

And that’s the beauty of International Year of Astronomy. Anybody can do something with it, as long as it’s related to the “Cornerstone Projects” that the IAU and IYA planners have developed. What are those projects?

100 Hours of Astronomy
The Galileoscope
The Cosmic Diary
The Portal to the Universe
She is an Astronomer
Dark Skies Awareness
Astro&World Heritage
Galileo Teacher Training Program
Universe Awareness
From Earth to the Universe
Developing Astronomy Globally

You can read more about these projects the IYA home page linked above. I’m particularly interested in the Galileo scope, the Portal to the Universe, and the She is an Astronomer projects. Check out the pages and see if there isn’t a project that excites you to participate, in whatever way you can.