Over the past thousand years, people have been paying heed to the starry night, and related history, science, and culture were derived from it. But in the past centuries, excessive uses of lighting have caused the spread of light pollution among the world: people in two-thirds of cities globally have lost sights of galaxies and constellations; the night environment of human and the entire biosphere has been under disruption; astronomic observations have been disturbed. We are losing the resource and asset of a starry night, a concern which has attracted more and more people's attention.

2019 marks the 100th anniversary of International Astronomical Union’s establishment. To commemorate this milestone, IAU initiates astronomic activities, including nine global projects like 100 Hours of Astronomy 2.0, Einstein Schools, Above and Beyond Exhibition, Dark Skies for All, Moon Landing 50th anniversary under the overarching theme Under One Sky, so as to increase the awareness of scientific spirit and approaches behind astronomy. China will actively participate in these projects.

Beautiful China needs a beautiful starry night. In order to cope with light pollution and protect the night environment in which human beings and other creatures live, CBCGDF has been committed to the protection of dark and starry sky. In March 2018, Ali and Naqu dark sky protected areas in Xizang have been officially listed into the World List of Dark Sky Places of Dark Skies Advisory Group of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN-DSAG), becoming the first two dark sky protection sites recognized by international authorities.

The Dark & Starry Sky Committee of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF Dark & Starry Sky Committee) believes it is of great importance to publicize light pollution hazard and dark & starry sky protection. In response to the content of IAU 100 projects, Chinese Astronomical Society Popularization Committee, CBCGDF and China Science Communication join hands together to hold Light Pollution and Dark Sky Protection science popularization tour lectures in 16 universities, including Beijing Forestry University, Capital Normal University, China University of Geosciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing Language University and Communication University of China from March to May this year.

The inauguration ceremony of 2019 Light Pollution and Dark Sky Protection- Beijing Campus Tour Lectures and the first lecture will be held in Capital Normal University on March 12. Please follow us for more activity information.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF)

(Photo source: Internet)

Original Chinese article:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/afS9ktyU_X5JrVRs4Wbx1w

By / Wang Yanqing