"how many stars do we still see?" - a nationwide light-pollution campaign for the general...

"How many stars do we still see?"

- a nationwide Light-Pollution

campaign for the general public J. Hron, G. Wuchterl, N. Zeitlinger, T. Lebzelter, M. Netopil, H. Pikall, T. Posch

Institut für Astronomie der Universität Wien

Verein Kuffner-Sternwarte

Context

• Austrian Science Week: Nationwide PUS-event

• (1st) Flagship-Event (700 events total)

• scientific goal: easy “do it yourself” science

High Visibility: Target 1 Mio people =1/8

Austrians all over Austria

Method for Estimating LP

• Search UMi with UMa

• Compare observed UMi to reference Pics

• Flash Intro

Reference images

150 450

1400 4200 6000

50

Project organisation

• Collaboration Inst. for Astronomy Univ.Vienna, Verein Kuffner-Sternwarte, ScWeek plus several amateur astronomy clubs

• Own web-site

• Intensive media contacts (daily press releases, participation in press conferences)

• Main feature in printed catalog of events

• Attractive prizes (1st prize: asteroid naming right)

• School project (access via web-site)

Data Collection

• Astronomer Call Center (two lines)

• Robotic Call Center (60 lines)

• Coordinate determination!!! Map stamps (for

narrow bandwidth web access!)

• On website for Web-Users and Call-center usage

Results - media

• Reports in prime-time TV-news and weather

• Feature in popular TV science-magazine

• Daily feature in TV science-web-site

• Articles in nationwide and local newspapers

• Interviews for several radio stations

• Total range: 2 Mio in 14 days, 500 000 with

science/technology interest

Results - society

• Law-making process accelerated

• Light pollution --- an integral approach:

Astronomy/Nature Health/Energy

• “Helle Not” – Federal Environm. Agency

• Cooperation with national parks and nature

reserves

Results - science• 1250 Obs in 14 days• Cities and suburban aereas well covered• Gaps in the mountains• Up to now 1750 obs, • still counting at least to End 2002

Conclusions/Lessons learned

• Amateurs/schools/observatory contributions don´t

fill the map

• Idea interesting for many media

• The Little Dipper already Lost a wheel Median 4th Magnitude

• Wide coverage essential!

• Attractive for joint efforts with protection of endangered species etc.

The next steps

• Southern method proposed

• Method(s) to fill the gaps in unpopulated/-

popular areas

• support other national campaigns

Thanks to