Supporting Dark Sky Communities in the Park

本项目旨在延续我们先前由2011/12财政年度开始的STFC资助项目“公园天文学-景观和天空景观”的工作，该项目旨在提高通常不从事天文学的观众对天文学的认识，以及在与天文学无关的地点。在整个2011/12年度，诺丁汉特伦特大学和山顶区国家公园管理局一直致力于提高人们对光污染有害影响的认识，特别关注将景观中的古老特征与夜空联系起来的文化遗产的损失。山顶区国家公园管理局有一个法律的的目的，以保护和提高，以及促进理解和享受，特殊品质的国家公园，其中包括文化遗产和黑暗的天空。连同山顶区黑暗的天空组，一个集合当地天文学会从内部和周围的国家公园，我们已经利用外联活动，采取了公共散步和讲座的形式，以及使用充气天文馆，直接吸引来自全国各地的400多人参加。我们组织的每一项活动都获得了超额认购，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，我们还想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，亲自演示天文设备，并努力在当地创建自助的暗天发现网站。在我们之前的项目中，我们已经通过专门开发的解释面板间接吸引了1000多名访问这些网站的人。社区内的发现号站点将再次包括由社区自己选择的SDO，Herschel和VLT观察到的天文物体的例子。总体影响将是认识到每个人都可以探索天文学，并将观测与STFC资助的设施（如SDO，Herschel和VLT）提供的图像联系起来。参与者不仅将探索光污染对这些观测和文化遗产的影响，而且基层方法还将使社区能够声称其网站的所有权，并对确保其持久遗产的维护负责。由于支持在户外教室学习科学（包括天文学）的工作是D.布朗，并链接到他的硕士论文工作在国际高等教育，该项目的成果将进一步用于改善支持这种学习和教学的学校。最重要的是，黑暗天空小组-业余天文学家协会，大学和峰区国家公园管理局（PDNPA）的网络-将在他们的教育工作中提高认识，以解决光污染和建立黑暗天空保护区。我们以前的工作也使人们对后续工作产生了广泛的兴趣和需要，并表明了这类活动的潜力。

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.