Citizen-scientists count the stars
Satellite image of Earth at night.
Credit: C. Mayhew & R. Simmon (NASA/GSFC), NOAA/ NGDC, DMSP Digital Archive
See a larger version of this image.
(February 25, 2008) Citizen-scientists: go outside at night and count the stars.
The international star-counting activity known as GLOBE at Night returns for its third edition from February 25-March 8, 2008.
The GLOBE at Night program is designed to aid teaching about the impact of artificial lighting on local environments, and the ongoing loss of a dark night sky as a natural resource for much of the world’s population.
Both the ‘classic’ GLOBE at Night exercise that anyone can do with their unaided eyes, and a digital effort to obtain precise measurements of urban dark skies are offered again this year.
If you can see the night sky, you can participate in the classic GLOBE at Night. It’s an easy observation and reporting activity that takes approximately 15-30 minutes. Citizen-scientists record the brightness of the night sky by matching its appearance toward the constellation Orion with 1 of 7 stellar maps of different limiting magnitude. Then, submit measurements on-line at www.globe.gov/globeatnight/. Resulting maps of all observations are created and placed back on-line by the GLOBE at Night staff within the few weeks that follow. More information at GLOBE at Night.
The digital version takes advantage of low-cost digital SQMs manufactured by Unihedron of Ontario, Canada, which can make a highly repeatable direct measurement of integrated sky brightness. The newly available second-generation of SQMs being used this year by several GLOBE at Night sites has a cone-shaped “field of view” that is four times more narrow than the older model, specifically aiding its use in city environments where surrounding lights or buildings may affect the readings, explains Walker.
A massive coordinated global effort using both versions is planned for the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
“Our 2007 results convinced us that a citizen-science campaign like GLOBE at Night is a great way to find dark sky oases in or near our cities,” says Stephen Pompea, manager of science education at NOAO. “These dark, safe places are as valuable to the astronomy-interested public as very dark mountain observatory sites are to astronomers.”
The GLOBE at Night website provides all the information needed to participate, including instruction guides for teachers, students, and parents. There is no cost to participate in GLOBE at Night.
For more information, including user-friendly teacher packets and information on how the activity relates to local science teaching standards, see the program’s web page (http://www.globe.gov/GaN/), or contact globeatnight@globe.gov or outreach@noao.edu.
Participation is open to anyone who lives or works in one of the 110 GLOBE countries and can get outside and look skyward during February 25-March 8.
GLOBE is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of State, and implemented through a cooperative agreement between NASA, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in Boulder, Colorado and Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
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