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