Are you a night owl?
Do you like to prowl around in the dark?
Would you like to make a contribution to science?
On Friday night April 17, community members are invited to participate in the first, biannual Sky Quality monitoring event. Participants of all ages will be involved in measuring the brightness of the night sky using Sky Quality Meters.
This citizen scientist program is being sponsored by the Entrada Institute with the cooperation of the Capitol Reef National Park. No experience is necessary to participate.
The group will be traveling around Wayne county collecting information at a variety of different sites. Participants will get the chance to use a Sky Quality Meter, Kestrel Weather Meter, and Handheld GPS device that have been purchased with grant funds from The Outdoor Foundation to promote night sky education in the region. Or, just come along for the experience and opportunity to learn more about the importance of dark night skies. Staff from Capitol Reef National Park will be available to answer your questions and provide star charts to help identify objects in the night sky.
The group will meet at the Torrey Town Park at 8:30PM on Friday April 17. Participants will carpool around the county and end back at the park around 11:30PM. Bring a coat and red-light flashlight. If you don’t have a red-light flashlight, red cellophane will be provided to cover your white light.
Light pollution impacts our ability to see the stars and other celestial objects. In addition, it can affect energy consumption, wildlife, and human health. This data will be used to track help us understand changes in sky brightness over time in our area.
Data from the project will be shared with the National Park Service and uploaded as part of the “Globe at Night” program. To learn more about this international citizen-scientist campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution, go to http://www.globeatnight.org/.