The Battle against Light Pollution

The issue of light pollution is a major concern of the International Astronomical Union; during the IAU General Assembly in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 2009, a resolution was unanimously adopted (Resolution B5) to support the need to preserve the night sky and the right to see stars. With the increasing use of artificial light at night posing a growing threat to the visibility of the night sky, a Special Session (SpS17, http://iau.iteda.org) at the 2012 General Assembly will highlight technical aspects of astronomical site protection and the educational aspects of increasing global awareness on issues concerning light pollution. To do this, experts have been brought together from many walks of life: people involved in media, planetaria, schools, amateur astronomy organizations, dark skies campaigns, dark sky organizations, dark sky reserves, astro-tourism, dark skies measurements, observatory site monitoring, related legislation and industry. Hot topics in artificial blue-rich sources, astronomical input to lighting industry development and the action plan for implementing IAU Resolution B5 will be highlighted.

On Wednesday, August 29, there will be a social event starting at 7:30pm at the Beijing Planetarium. The world debut of “Losing the Dark” (a 6-minute Public Service Announcement on light pollution) will be shown, and possibly the award-winning film documentary, “The City Dark”. Telescope viewing and refreshments will be provided. Those attending SpS17 will be provided with tickets to the social event.