NEWSLETTER OF THE BRITISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION’S CAMPAIGN FOR DARK SKIES
www.dark-skies.org www.britastro.org/dark-skies

Galloway Forest: Western Europe’s first Dark Sky Park
The unrivalled quality of its night skies has earned part of a forest in Scotland the prestigious International Dark Sky Association (IDA) Dark Sky Reserve status. The 300-square-mile Galloway Forest Park was named last November as probably the best stargazing venue in the UK. CfDS committee member and IDA board member Martin Morgan-Taylor, who worked very hard with the indefatigable Steve Owens and Dan Hillier (IYA2009) and Keith Muir, Head of Recreation for the Scottish Forestry Commission, and others to secure the award, called the park 'a fantastic asset in the now international network of Dark Sky Parks'. A report is on
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/space/article6887233.ece
There are currently only four other Dark Sky Parks in the world – Natural Bridges National Monument (Utah), Cherry Springs State Park (Pennsylvania), Geauga Park (Ohio) and Hortobagy Park (Hungary).
Two other UK areas of tranquillity and dark skies are also interested in following the example of Galloway: the Brecon Beacons and Exmoor.
Areas of sky are rated on a scale up to 24 (utter darkness). Galloway Park scored 23 (though the sky was cloudy at the time!).
CfDS is very glad to see the Park thus recognised, but continues to fight for the optimum night sky for ALL Britons, whether they live in rural fastnesses or urban centres. More information on the Park and observing opportunities is at www.gallowayastro.com.

Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report: Artificial Light in the Environment
(CfDS held a multi-agency meeting on this on Jan 22: see website)

This report appeared at the end of November 2009, and is mostly positive: readers can examine the whole document at
http://www.rcep.org.uk/reports/sr-2009-light/sr-light.htm

Campaign for Dark Skies committee member Martin Male has listed some of its findings: see page 2.

RCEP Report (see previous page): Martin Male writes:
The CfDS believes this report should be considered by the Government as a matter of some urgency. Its comments and recommendations have been pursued by the CFDS for many years now. Some of the significant points that the Commissioners raise:

• They recommend that matters concerning Light Pollution would be best served by DEFRA (the UK Department of the Environment) as there is no clarity regarding responsibility between various government departments at present;
• An urgent need for the Government to recognise that artificial light in the wrong place or at the wrong time is a pollutant which can harm the natural environment;
• The commission received evidence suggesting that artificial light can have adverse effects on the biology of many plants and animals – and maybe even humans;
• Road safety studies suggest that lighting can reduce accidents at junctions where pedestrians and traffic meet, but it does not necessarily reduce accident levels on motorways when compared to daylight conditions;
• The Commission particularly regrets the fact that the Government undertaking in 2004 to produce a lighting annex to PPS23 (a directive to local authorities when granting planning permission for new developments) appears to have been withdrawn;
• They recommend that there should be explicit consideration of lighting in planning policy;
• They recommend that planning guidance include a presumption against the provision of artificial light in areas where it may have a negative impact on species of concern (e.g. bats, glow worms).

Dan Nixon, CfDS supporter and Essex-based graphic designer, is a past winner of the Campaign for Dark Skies’ Joy Griffiths Award. He promotes the dark-sky message through his artwork and fascinating website www.need-less.org.uk. Dan has now produced an interactive online dark-sky simulator. This interprets satellite data to create a realistic 'sky view' from any UK location. Moving a cursor to the observer’s position shows the night sky as it would appear to the unaided eye, with the zenith at centre, and the canopy of the stars and the Milky Way (if visible). This resembles the all-sky view as might be seen in a planetarium. Light pollution from nearby settlements is realistically depicted, and even clouds can be added. The compass direction the observer is facing can be entered. Enjoy the Night Sky Simulator at
www.need-less.org.uk/night%20sky%20simulator.html

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Joy for Emma
The CfDS’Joy Griffiths Award for meritorious efforts in the dark-sky field was presented in October 2009 to the CPRE’s Emma Marrington, who has done much to keep the subject of light pollution high on the CPRE agenda. Emma reports a huge take-up for their latest light pollution survey. Watch this space for details. She also reports that the Women’s Institute 2010 annual has included a three-page spread on the subject.
Suffolk switch-offs
Suffolk County Council is the latest authority to consider plans to reduce lighting (by up to 50%) as it strives to become one of the greenest counties in the UK. Its 54,000 street lights cost the council an estimated £450,000 each year - a quarter of its total energy budget.
B&Q move forward

Roy Miller of B&Q’s Social Responsibility Team, to whom CfDS has been talking for some months, now writes that the company will henceforth insert the following advice in all exterior lights:
Light Pollution & Considerate Lighting:
Please be aware of the annoyance over-lighting an area can cause to your immediate neighbours. Light pollution caused by incorrectly installing a unit or over-lighting an area can be limited by carefully considering the location and position of your unit before installation. The light spread on all halogen floodlights can be reduced by angling the floodlight downwards on the mounting bracket. This will also concentrate the light on your property and limit the potential inconvenience of the light shining into your neighbour's windows.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
…continued

Switch-off pioneers: correction

In our autumn 2009 newsletter, we stated that the post-midnight switch-off experiment began in East Sussex. In fact, it was West Sussex.

Gerard the Great!

CfDS stalwart Gerard Gilligan (Merseyside) began a personal campaign in 2007 to improve the glaring sports lights at Lymm High School. He has succeeded admirably, and has presented the CfDS Good Lighting Award to the school. Local resident Chris Reeves said ‘‘I am delighted with the superb installation – an excellent result for the Campaign for Dark Skies. Well done!’’. See www.thorntonsports.co.uk/news/dark-skies-restored-over-lymm-high-school/36

Artful supporters

Dale Holt (Letchworth AS), one of CfDS’ most active supporters, joins Christine Wakelin as an official artist to CfDS. Dale donated one of his superb Moon sketches to be auctioned at a meeting of the Letchworth Astro Society last September, and donated the proceeds to the campaign. Many thanks to Dale.
Blue light blues
An interesting discussion on the trend towards bluer
lights, particularly LEDs, and the implications for the environment can be found at:
www.ledsmagazine.com/news/6/10/8?cmpid=EnlLEDsOctober142009
British Sugar sweetens the neighbours
British Sugar is heading for a CfDS Good Lighting Award at its Cantley (Norfolk) depot following reports from neighbours and CfDS supporters that they have gone to great lengths to control light spill.
Carolyn Bedwell passes on horticultural advice from the Independent:
“Amongst the tips on ‘How to get a more natural garden’ - Don't illuminate your garden at night with bright lights. This will disturb many nocturnal creatures, such as moths.”
Local authorities and civic societies who have invited CfDS members to speak to their officials about lighting practice already this year include: Bristol. Cromer and Stirling.
CfDS website – www.dark-skies.org

The CfDS website receives regular light pollution and news updates. If you have any contributions or ideas for the website, please e-mail Darren Baskill: webmaster@dark-skies.org

Recent correspondence to CfDS has come from, among others, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Israel, Malta, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, the USA …

We welcome Dietmar Hager, new volunteer CfDS contact in Austria. Dietmar and Immo Gerber
operate a remote-controlled triple-APO observatory in the south of France. See:
http://www.stargazer-observatory.com/TAO_01.html

Our French counterparts, the ANPCEN (National Association for the Protection of the Night Sky and Environment) have produced an attractive presentation of their history and achievements. Those with a little French can peruse it at http://jt2009.astrochinon.fr/conf/Martin-Brisset%20-%20ANPCEN%20-%20JTChinon.pdf . One of our frequent correspondents in France, David Portsmouth, is working with the French standards agency to try to influence lighting designs nationally. ANPCEN is currently building up a database of French municipalities which switch off lights late at night – it is a surprisingly common practice in French rural communities.

CfDS local officer James Abbott forwards a communication from Rod Downie, Environmental Manager at the British Antarctic Survey. The BAS now operates a policy of well controlled lighting to minimise the impact of light pollution from BAS Stations and Research Vessels, to protect local fauna (especially birds) and facilitate scientific observations. The CfDS Good Lighting Award now hangs somewhere near the South Pole!

Jan Hollan, doughty campaigner in the Czech Republic, draws our attention to www.nobelcause.org

Members of the CfDS attended the Ninth European Dark-Sky Symposium in Armagh on September 17-19 2009. A report and video can be found at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2187588

CfDS thanks recent contributors:Alf Bacon,Gerry Bond, David Bryant, Irene Buchan,Graham Cliff, Frank Daley,Matt Dugas, David Frydman, Heather Harris, Dale Holt, Colin Knappitt,Andrew Marsh,Sid Skerman, Bob Stuckey, Tom Voûte, Knowle AS, Letchworth & District AS,Wessex AS. Apologies to any donor inadvertently omitted. CfDS is grateful to the British Astronomical Ass’n for continuing support., and to the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, a charitable trust in London, for its assistance over the last three years. Why not collect for CfDS at your next astronomy meeting?

Standing orders to CfDS can be made via your bank to: sort code 09-00-00, a/c number 0005 0005, K2922741CAM, a/c name “Campaign for Dark Skies”. Please let Bob Mizon know on 01202 887084 if you decide to support CfDS in this way.

Fighting fund donations may be made to Bob Mizon (address below), payable to ‘British Astronomical Assn (CfDS)’.

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ISSUE NO. 36 SPRING 2010