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Ideas for Participating

1. Evaluate your lighting needs and extinguish all unnecessary lighting in or around your property. If lights are necessary (i.e. for safety and security) do not turn them off.

2. Admire the change in atmosphere created by extinguising or dimming even one exterior light.

3. Consider ways to permanently reduce the use of non-essential lighting, and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.

4. If you're an educator, use a day during IDSW to teach students about the night sky and light pollution. Encourage kids to find ways to ameliorate the problem by participating in activities and a home audit.

5. Post flyers about IDSW in your area, encouraging people to turn off their unnecessary lights, or switch an unshielded light to a shielded one.

6. Consider hosting an event to observe the night sky, such as a family backyard stargazing BBQ or sidewalk astronomy.

Links for More Information

IDA's Quick References, including Practical Guide 3: A Homeowner's Guide to Nighttime Friendly Lighting

IYA Dark Skies Awareness Cornerstone Project's IDSW page

Distributor's of Dark Sky Friendly Lighting

Elementary School Curriculum for Astronomy and Wildlife

Other Activities and Teaching Materials

Astronomers Without Borders and Global Astronomy Month

UNESCO's IYA 2009

Starlight Initiative

World Night in Defense of Starlight, April 20th

 

Join Us In Celebrating IDSW

Join us in celebrating the natural night sky for International Dark Sky Week on April 4 to 10, 2010. Founded in 2003 by then high school student, Jennifer Barlow, National Dark Sky Week has been endorsed by the International Dark-Sky Association, the American Astronomical Association, Sky & Telescope Magazine, Astronomers Without Borders, and the UNESCO IYA 2009 Dark Skies Awareness Cornerstone Project.

Over the past two years, Jennifer's dream of transistioning the event from a national one to an international one has come true. Review the participation ideas in the sidebar column and try to encourage as many people to participate as possible. Also consider contacting your local radio, television, or newspaper for their assistance in promoting International Dark-Sky Week. Click here to view a sample request letter>>

How will International Dark Sky Week reduce light pollution since it's only one week and not everyone will participate?

The main goal of IDSW is to raise awareness. So if you participate, and you encourage your friends, relatives, and neighbors to participate, we'll have achieved awareness within your circle of friends. We recognize that it would be nearly impossible to get rid of all light pollution; however, it is possible to make a small difference in the quality of the night sky and inspire those around us to preserve the beauty of the sky.

What about lighting?

That's definitely a goal of IDSW - to encourage efficient use of outdoor lighting. Lighting that lights where you need it, when you need it, and for amount of time it's needed.

Earth Lights

Data courtesy of Marc Imhoff of NASA GSFC and Christopher Elvidge of NOAA NGDC.  Image by Craig Mayhew and Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC.