Supporting Dark Sky Communities in the Park

这项计划旨在延续我们先前由STFC资助的项目“公园内的天文--景观和天空”自2011/12财政年度开始的工作，在该项目中，我们致力于提高非通常从事天文学工作的观众以及与天文学无关的地区对天文的认识。在整个2011/12年度，诺丁汉特伦特大学和山顶地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，特别关注将景观中的古代特征与夜空联系在一起的文化遗产的丧失。山顶地区国家公园管理局有一个法律目的是保护和提高国家公园的特色，以及促进人们对国家公园特色的理解和享受，其中包括文化遗产和黑暗的天空。我们与山顶地区黑暗天空小组合作，该小组汇集了国家公园内外的当地天文学会，通过公共散步和演讲的形式，以及使用充气天文馆的形式，直接吸引了来自全国各地的400多人。我们组织的每一次活动都被大大超额认购，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，以及它们是如何由于光污染而消失的。此外，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，亲手演示天文设备，并努力在他们当地创建自给自足的黑暗天空发现地点。在我们之前的项目中，我们已经通过专门开发的解释小组，间接邀请了1000多人访问这些地点的天文学。社区内的发现点将再次包括例如SDO、Herschel和VLT观测到的天文天体的例子，这些天体将由社区自己选择。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资助的设施提供的图像联系起来，如SDO、Herschel和VLT。参与者不仅将探索光污染对这些观测结果和他们的文化遗产的影响，而且基层方法还将允许社区声称对他们的网站拥有所有权，并对其维护负责，以确保长期的遗产。由于在户外课堂上支持包括天文学在内的科学学习是D.Brown博士开展的研究工作的一部分，也与他在国际高等教育硕士论文中的工作相联系，该项目的成果将进一步用于改善对学校此类学习和教学的支持。最重要的是，黑暗天空小组--由业余天文学家协会、大学和山顶地区国家公园管理局(PDNPA)组成的网络--将在他们解决光污染和建立黑暗天空保护区的教育工作中提高意识的基础上进一步发展。我们以前的工作也确定了人们对后续工作的广泛兴趣和需要，并说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.