Take the South Downs Dark Skies pledge

Take the South Downs Dark Skies pledge

November 18, 2014

Light pollution is a big issue. It not only wastes energy, costs money and impacts on wildlife, it can even affect our health – for example by disrupting sleep. It also stops people from enjoying the night skies. The South Downs National Park Authority is calling for people to show their support for tackling this problem by taking a Dark Skies Pledge.

The SDNPA are putting together a bid to make the South Downs an International Dark Skies reserve. The first step is to map where the dark skies are, the next is to work with communities to find where light pollution is coming from and where lighting can be improved to make our dark skies even better.

But to make this happen the SDNPA also needs to show that people living in and around the South Downs support the application.

Dan Oakley, dark skies ranger for the South Downs National Park Authority, said:

“The South Downs National Park sits bang in the middle of the most crowded part of the country but surprisingly we still have precious places where the night skies are still dark enough to reveal an astonishing starscape.

“Please show you back the bid by taking the Dark Skies Pledge.”

One of the best ways to experience the night skies is at a star party run by your local astronomy group. Find them at www.sagasonline.org.