Importance Of The Night: Dark Sky Education With Telescopes

Light pollution was a term coined by astronomers, but today it’s used by ecologists, physiologists and neurologists who study the effects of the disappearing night. Loss of the night is no longer just about losing our view of the heavens, it’s about all living things, including humans. We will explore the impact that darkness and the night have on all living creatures. Although the term “light pollution” is still not known to many, it’s an exploding field of research. One aspect is studying how quickly light pollution is increasing around the world. Citizen Scientists are vital in collecting data in support of this research. You too can be a Citizen Scientist in support of this effort. After learning how easy it is to collect and submit data we will go outside and take some actual measurements.

Following the presentation, observe the wonders of our dark skies through our telescopes in the TWC observatory. Be inspired by all the night sky has to offer – constellations, craters on the Moon, the rings of Saturn, stellar nurseries, galaxies, and more. If cloudy, we will explore the same night sky in the TWC planetarium instead of using the telescopes.