Steering by Different Stars? Astronomers and the Dark-Sky Movement

Mercury, July/August 2006 Table of Contents

Photo courtesy of the International Dark-Sky Association.

by Susan McGowan

Sometimes, when I forget to compost a carrot peel, my husband asks, "Why do you hate Mother Nature?" Needless to say, a polite list of reasons isn't first on my tongue. Asking why someone doesn't support a worthy cause is downright awkward. They feel defensive; you feel self-righteous—not a good start.

It is time to have a conversation about light pollution, the dark-sky movement, and you, the astronomer. You may already be actively involved in the dark-sky movement—that is wonderful, and we all appreciate your involvement. My hope, however, is that this article will speak to you who are not yet a part of the dark-sky movement: you are the one who Daniel Green mentioned in his 1998 Sky & Telescope article, "Astronomers and Light Pollution," in which he points out that astronomers' participation in dark-sky organizations, such as the International Dark-Sky Association, is only a small percentage of what it should be. That was eight years ago. You've had plenty of time to catch up on your reading, realize your absence is noticed, and spring to action, but you haven't. At least not yet.

According to Arthur Upgren, senior research scientist at Yale University and emeritus professor of astronomy at Wesleyan University, only 17% of ASP members were also members of the International Dark-Sky Association in 2001. This leaves a large number of people just warming the bench in the struggle against encroaching light pollution, a threat to our livelihoods, our studies, and—I might assume—one of our passions.

The Tucson-based International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) was incorporated in 1988 for the purpose of "protecting and preserving the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies." Founded by a professional and an amateur astronomer, IDA is an organization for which it would be impossible to separate goals from astronomical roots, a fact that sometimes discomfits the lighting professionals, environmentalists, power companies, and other non-astronomers within the organization. The bulk of IDA's membership (11,200+ strong now) comprises amateur astronomers. These backyard astronomers and stargazers don't earn their paychecks from the night sky. Why then, are they willing to work for the protection of the night, when professional astronomers are not?

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