National Dark Sky Week
The National Dark-Sky Week ( English : National Dark-Sky Week , NDSW), a week in all over the United States , the light is switched off at the beauty of the night sky without light pollution to be considered. This event was initiated in 2003 by Jennifer Barlow of Midlothian, Virginia and is seeing increasing participation every year. It is endorsed by the International Dark-Sky Association , the American Astronomical Society, and Astronomical League .
The event always takes place in the new moon week in April, as the sky is then as dark as possible and there are optimal visibility conditions.
Barlow explains: "My wish is that people can see the night sky in all its glory - without excessive light - as our ancestors saw it hundreds of years ago"
The objectives of the event are to temporarily reduce light pollution and to create awareness of its effect on the night sky, to encourage the use of better lighting systems that are directed downwards rather than upwards, and to promote astronomical studies .
Jennifer Barlow stated, “The night sky is a gift of such overwhelming beauty that it shouldn't be hidden under a layer of wasted light. It should be visible so that later generations do not lose touch with the wonder of our universe. "
Events
The NDSW 2009 took place from April 20th to 26th.