Globe at Night - Dark Skies and Energy Education Dark Skies Rangers Dark Skies and Energy Education Activities Articles Dark Skies Rangers Resources Globe at Night Resources International Dark Sky Association Resources Globe at Night is a program of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the national center for ground-based nighttime astronomy in the United States, operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.
International Dark Sky Reserves International Dark Sky Reserves Three tiers designate the quality of night skies the reserve is recognized for. Gold represents the highest award representing the darkest skies, followed by the Silver and Bronze designations. Requirements for each of the designations are shown in the table below. The International Dark-Sky Association continues to accept applications from reserves wishing to join in the ranks of the highest prestige for nighttime visages. If you are interested in applying or learning more about the process please fill out this form. Download the Guidelines Download the IDA-RASC-Guidelines for Outdoor Lighting Release of Updates to IDSPlaces Guidelines Updated guidelines for communities, parks, and reserves have been released. If you are interested in developing or are currently developing an application for a location we encourage you to consider these new guidelines. As part of the new guidelines bi-monthly submission deadlines will be set. Submission Deadline Dates:
Starlight Tourist Destinations Starlight Destinations are visitable places characterised by excellent quality for the contemplation of starry skies and the practice of tourist activities based on this resource. The Starlight Tourism Certification System was created with the aim of encouraging, at world-wide level, the improvement of the quality of tourist experiences and the protection of the night skies in Starlight Destinations.The Starlight Certification seeks to guarantee the capacity to enjoy the view of the stars and to discover the associated scientific, cultural, natural and scenic values. The Starlight Certification makes it possible for the first time to bring science and tourism together, It aims to ensure the quality of tourism experiences involving the nightscapes, the view of stars and the cosmos and the related scientific, cultural and environmental knowledge. Recognition of science as a tourist product and, at the same time, as a working method in tourism, is the foundation of developing this standard.
Casa Saramago de Monsaraz - Reserva Dark Sky A região Monsaraz é um dos locais abrangidos pela reserva Dark Sky. Um desses lugares é o Grande Lago Alqueva, o primeiro sítio no mundo a receber a certificação "Starlight Tourism Destination", apoiada pela UNESCO, OMT e IAC. É um lugar maravilhoso, com céu escuro, noites claras e antigos megalitos astronómicos. A Casa Saramago é uma casa aderente a este projeto. Losing the Dark: A Video about Light Pollution If you were going to make a video about light pollution and its effects on people, and it could only be five or six minutes long, what would you tell people? There are so many aspects to the issue of light pollution that it's very tough to pick out just a few facts to impress on viewers. That was the challenge a group of us faced as we set out to create our newly released 6.5-minute video called "Losing the Dark." A frame from the title sequence of Losing the Dark. The project was inspired by a conversation between Dr. The committee wanted to show the effects of light pollution on the wilderness as well as in urban locales. A still frame from Losing the Dark showing the glow of traffic and city lights in Chicago. By late summer 2012 we had a "final" script, which gave us (the producers) a direction to go in finding visualizations. A still frame from Losing the Dark illustrating the effect that unshielded lights have on the sky.
Starlight Declaration - La Palma 2007 The participants of the International Conference in Defense of the Quality of Night Sky and the right to observe stars, jointly with the representatives of UNESCO, UNWTO, IAU, other international agencies named in the longer version, and members of the academic community, meeting in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, on 19 and 20 of April 2007, are aware that the Starlight vista has been and continue to be an inspiration of the mankind, and that its contemplation represents an essential element in the development of scientific thoughts in all civilizations. Therefore, it is declared that: a. b. d. c. e. f. Necessary measures should be implemented to involve all parties related to skyscape protection to raise public awareness—be it at local, regional, national, or international level—about the contents and objectives of the International Conference in Defense of the Quality of the Night Sky and the Right to Observe Stars, held in the Island of la Palma.
About IDA Once a source of wonder--and one half of the entire planet’s natural environment—the star-filled nights of just a few years ago are vanishing in a yellow haze. Human-produced light pollution not only mars our view of the stars; poor lighting threatens astronomy, disrupts ecosystems, affects human circadian rhythms, and wastes energy to the tune of $2.2 billion per year in the U.S. alone. IDA is the recognized authority on light pollution. We promote one simple idea: light what you need, when you need it. Our approach of public awareness and extensive partnerships is improving nighttime lighting on six continents. Protection of natural nights Energy reduction through quality outdoor lighting 22% of all energy generated in the U.S. is used for lighting, with 8% of that used for public outdoor lighting. IDA’s coordinated global effort is making a difference, one light, one star, one region at a time. Light pollution is growing at the rate of 4%- far faster than the population.
LEDs: Light Pollution Solution or Night Sky Nemesis? Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter New LED lighting along Michigan Street in downtown Duluth, Minn. has brightened and whitened up the area considerably compared to the days of high-pressure sodium lighting. Credit: Bob King You may have noticed a change underway in your city lighting. Small individually colored LED lights. The changeover to LED street lighting is already underway in my own city of Duluth, Minn. Comparison of lighting colors and intensity of the new LED streetlights (left) and the older high-pressure sodium vapor lamps. Still, everything was not OK. You can’t complain about the color rendition – the whiter LED light is far better – but the increased intensity doesn’t bode well for stargazers. Direct comparison of two consecutive light standards – LED in the foreground, high pressure sodium behind it. Inexpensive LED wall pack lighting lights a sidewalk and produces large amounts of glare and wasted light. About Bob King
Save Our Sky and Win! | Galileo Teachers Training Program The second consecutive Dark Skies Rangers contest kicks off to inspire and make awareness of the importance of the dark skies. Our planet, seen from the International Space Station, looks like a Christmas tree. This light, visible from space, is called “light pollution” caused by street illumination that project the light to all directions, diminishing greatly the darkness of the night sky. Light Pollution is a global problem that we have to fight for. It contributes to a major waste of both energy and money, influence the climate change, affects living beings, prevents people from enjoying the beauty of the sky and disturb astronomical observations. Megoliths and star trails in the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve in Portugal. Winners of the each category will receive a week in the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve (Portugal), a tablet and a smartphone.
The Sodium Lamp - How it works and history Sodium Lamp High lumen output at high efficiency (1920 - Today) Sodium Lamps were first produced commercially by Philips in Holland in 1932. There are two kinds of sodium lights: Low Pressure (LPS) and High Pressure (HPS). These lamps are mostly used for street lighting as well as industrial uses. THE LOW-PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP The LPS lamp was the first sodium lamp to be developed. An LPS with it's yellow glow Argon has a lower glow voltage, argon helps the smaller lamps start at a lower voltage. Low pressure sodium lamps were invented first in 1920 by Arthur H. High Pressure Sodium Lamp (HPS Lamp) The HPS lamp is the most ubiquitous lamp for street lighting on the planet. 1. The HPS lamp consists of a narrow arc tube supported by a frame in a bulb. Maintaining a vacuum is difficult, oxygen and other gasses can seep in over time. Louden, Schmidt and Homonnay with a prototype light Below: video of probably the only remaining 1960s HPS prototypes in the world. Back to Top COMMENTS?
Céu mais escuro do país "aberto" para observações astronómicas Haverá duas noites de observação do céu, inseridas no programa «Ciência Viva no Verão», em Monsaraz e na Herdade do Esporão, na próxima semana, a 20 e 21 de Julho, respectivamente. A iniciativa disponibiliza telescópios ao público, para observar o universo num dos melhores céus do mundo. A zona do Alqueva, no Alentejo, foi classificada no final de 2011 como Reserva «Dark Sky», sendo mesmo a primeira do mundo a obter a classificação de «Destino Turístico Starlight». Este destaque foi-lhe atribuído pela Fundação Starlight, que certifica a qualidade do céu nocturno do Alqueva e também das actividades turísticas que lhe estão relacionadas, sendo por isso reconhecidas pela UNESCO e pela Organização Mundial de Turismo das Nações Unidas (UNWTO).
Dark Skies Rangers – Portugal | Vamos apagar as luzes para acender as estrelas! Dark Skies Awareness: Starlight Reserves A Starlight Reserve is a site where a commitment to defend the night sky quality and the access to starlight has been established. Its main function will be to preserve the quality of the night sky and its associated values, being them cultural, scientific, astronomical, natural, or landscape-related. A Starlight Reserve will have a core or dark zone. Each Starlight Reserve requirements would be specific to the characteristics, singularities and functions of the site, which should be related to the preservation of the quality of astronomical observations, wildlife conservation, together with the maintenance of the integrity of nighttime landscapes and cultural heritage scenarios. A Starlight Reserve declaration will be accompanied by a participative action plan and an ensemble of recommendations aimed to preserve and recover the night sky quality up to the feasible limits, paying attention to the related cultural, educational, scientific and environmental benefits. CATEGORIES SL Reserves
Recursos | Dark Skies Rangers – Portugal Poluição luminosa – Adota uma rua e salva uma estrelinha Auditoria à iluminação pública (ficheiro Excel para os cálculos da auditoria) Ver ou não ver, eis a questão… Como é que a poluição luminosa afeta as estrelas Stellarium – Relacionar a magnitude com a poluição luminosa Stellarium – Manual de instruções Stellarium