Supporting Dark Sky Communities in the Park

本项目旨在延续2011/12财政年度由STFC资助的“公园中的天文学-景观和天空”项目所开展的工作，在该项目中，我们试图提高通常不从事天文学的观众对天文学的认识，并在传统上与天文学无关的地方。2011年至2012年，诺丁汉特伦特大学和皮克区国家公园管理局一直在努力提高人们对光污染有害影响的认识，特别关注将景观中古老特征与夜空联系起来的文化遗产的丧失。山顶区国家公园管理局的法律宗旨是保护和加强，以及促进对国家公园的特殊品质的理解和享受，包括文化遗产和黑暗的天空。我们与Peak District Dark Skies团体（一个由国家公园内外的当地天文学会组成的团体）一起，通过公共散步和讲座的形式，以及充气天文馆的使用，直接吸引了来自全国各地的400多人。我们组织的每一个活动都得到了大量的超额认购，我们希望让每个人都有机会了解文化遗产和天文学之间的联系，以及它们是如何因光污染而消失的。除此之外，我们还希望积极鼓励国家公园内的社区承担起保护当地夜空的责任。为了促进这一点，我们希望为致力于减少当地光污染的社区设立一个奖项。我们的目标是通过教育活动向这些社区介绍天文学，实践天文设备的演示，并努力在当地建立自给自足的暗天发现站点。在我们之前的项目中，我们已经通过专门开发的解说板间接吸引了1000多人参观这些天文学遗址。社区内的发现地点将再次包括由社区自己选择的SDO，赫歇尔和VLT观测到的天文物体的例子。总体影响将是实现每个人都可以探索天文学，并将观测结果与STFC资助的设施（如SDO， Herschel和VLT）提供的图像联系起来。参与者不仅将探讨光污染对这些观察结果和文化遗产的影响，而且基层方法还将使社区能够声称对其遗址的所有权，并感到有责任维护其遗址，确保其遗产的长期延续。由于在户外教室支持包括天文学在内的科学学习的工作是布朗博士研究工作的一部分，并且与他在国际高等教育硕士学位的论文工作有关，因此该项目的成果将进一步用于改善学校对此类学习和教学的支持。最重要的是，由业余天文学家协会、大学和峰区国家公园管理局（PDNPA）组成的暗天小组将在解决光污染和建立暗天保护区的教育工作中提高人们的意识。我们以前的工作也确定了对后续工作的广泛兴趣和需要，并说明了此类事件的潜力。

This project aims to continue the work started by our previous STFC funded project "Astronomy in the Park - Landscape and Skyscape" from financial year 2011/12 in which we sought to raise awareness of astronomy in audiences not normally engaged in, and at locations not conventionally associated with, astronomy. Throughout 2011/12, Nottingham Trent University and the Peak District National Park Authority have been working to promote awareness of the detrimental effects of light pollution, with special focus being paid to the loss of the cultural heritage linking ancient features in the landscape to the night sky. The Peak District National Park Authority has a legal purpose to conserve and enhance, as well as promote understanding and enjoyment of, the specials qualities of the National Park, which include cultural heritage and dark skies.Together with the Peak District Dark Skies group, a collection of local astronomical societies from in and around the National Park, we have used outreach events that have taken the form of public walks and talks, as well as the use of an inflatable planetarium, to directly engage over 400 people from all over the country. Each of the events which we have organized have been significantly oversubscribed, and it is our desire to give everyone the opportunity to learn about the links between cultural heritage and astronomy, and how they are being lost due to light pollution. In addition to the above, we also want to actively encourage communities within the National Park to take responsibility for the conservation of the night skies in their local area. To facilitate this we wish to create an award for communities that commit to work towards the reduction of light pollution within their local area. We aim to do this by introducing these communities to astronomy through education events, hands on demonstrations of astronomical equipment, and working towards creating self supporting Dark Sky Discovery sites within their local area. In our previous project we have already indirectly engaged 1000+ people visiting these sites with astronomy through specifically developed interpretational panels. The Discovery sites within the communities will be again including examples of astronomical objects observed by e.g. SDO, Herschel and VLT that will have been chosen by the community themselves. The overall impact will be the realization that astronomy can be explored by everyone and linking observations with images provided by STFC funded facilities, such as SDO, Herschel and VLT. Not only will participants explore the impact of light pollution on these observations and on their cultural heritage, but the grass-roots approach will also allow the communities to claim ownership of their site and feel responsible for its maintenance ensuring a long lasting legacy.Since work supporting the learning of sciences including astronomy in the outdoor classroom is part of the research work carried out by Dr. D. Brown and also link to his dissertation work in MA in International Higher Education, the outcomes of this project will be further used to improve supporting such learning and teaching in schools. Most importantly the Dark Sky group - network of amateur astronomer associations, universities, and the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) - will be building upon the increase awareness in their educational work towards tackling light pollution and establishing a Dark Sky Reserve. Our previous work has also established a broad interest and need for follow-up work and has illustrated the potential of such events.