Saturday, April 17, 2010
by clicking here!
BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, FIGHT LIGHT POLLUTION!
The purpose of the Dark Sky Festival at Harmony is to expose the general public to the marvels of astronomy and the importance of protecting dark skies - not just for astronomy purposes, but also for the values that darkness provides to area wildlife.
Our entire family-friendly festival is held outdoors in low light conditions on the streets, sidewalks and park located in Harmony Town Square.
Due to Harmony's efforts and the support of the County Commissioners, an ordinance now requires new lighting in the County to be protective of dark skies. In a county that includes portions of Walt Disney World and has extensive brightly lit tourist commercial uses, this was a significant event in itself. In addition, all County facilities were retrofitted to better protect the night sky.
Harmony is an environmentally intelligent community located in Central Florida and was chosen as the site for the Dark Sky Festival for several reasons:
- Harmony Town Square, where the event is held, is in an area rated as Class 4 on the Bortle Scale of Light Pollution.
- The developer has commited to protecting dark skies. For example, all street lighting, any park lighting and other public lighting uses full cut off fixtures. Private residential and commercial lighting is also held to this standard.
- The Central Florida Astronomical Society and Brevard Astronomical Societyuse Harmony as one of their observing locations in Central Florida.
- The Harmony Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and the primary event sponsor, is located at Harmony and advises the Harmony developer on lighting and other measures to protect natural systems.
::TURNING OUT THE LIGHTS ::
The dangers of a bright night are becoming more apparent - US News & World Report
::HELPING THE STARS TAKE BACK THE NIGHT ::
Essay from the NY Times on the benefits of dark skies.
::OUR VANISHING NIGHT ::
National Geographic cover story features Harmony
See tonight's sky chart for Harmony courtesy of Sky and Telescope (Requires Java).
