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ASSIGNMENT
Choose one of the options below and write a reflective piece (150 words minimum) in this forum as a reply to this post:
- Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
- Creating a teaching resource using the “Globe at Night” citizen science programme
- Planning a project for your class to take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme.
Also, please respond to at least one other participant’s post in this forum.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I grew up in a rural part of county Waterford where light quality at night was relatively good. Even in this setting, areas of the sky were visibly polluted by the light from nearby towns but stars were very visible during clear nights. I now teach in a suburb of Dublin which is quite built up and which experiences tremendous light pollution relative to the area in which I grew up. In order to engage learners in this topic, it is first important to recognise that the level of light pollution they are growing up with is what they perceive to be normal. It would be beneficial to give them some level of experience of what they should expect to be able to see on a clear night so that they can recognise the high level of light pollution to which they are accustomed as being abnormal. Some children may be able to share first hand accounts of being able to see the night sky clearly when on holidays in more rural parts of Ireland or abroad. A more immediate way of impressing this point on children would be to do an experiment in the classroom to indicate the level of light pollution. By darkening the classroom and using a projector, a good simulation of a clear night sky could be created. Various levels of artificial light can be introduced to demonstrate the impact on the visibility of the night sky. For example, are the projected constellations as visible with lamps lighting in the room? This would give an indication of how much visibility is being lost due to street lamps in the children’s local area. As a follow-up activity, children could be encouraged to make a composite photograph of the night sky in their area using clear photographs of the night sky from areas with low light pollution – the composite could show local landmarks in the foreground and a very clear image of the night sky in the background to demonstrate the level of visibility that should be possible.
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I teach in Kerry, so we are very lucky to live so close to one of the few Dark Sky Reserve sites in Ireland. However light pollution is beginning to impact the area I teach in. Our school is situated on a hill and is the perfect vantage point in which to raise awareness with the children and conduct experiments in.
People all over the world are living under the nighttime glow of artificial light, and it is causing big problems for humans, wildlife, and the environment. Sky glow might sound pretty, but artificial light can wreak havoc on natural body rhythms in both humans and animals. There is a global movement to reduce light pollution, and as part of the lesson I will ask children to become involved. There are several organizations working to reduce light pollution and children could contact them for further information on how to help reduce light pollution in their area.
Students could also participate in a ‘citizen science’ activity with the Globe at Night to record and submit scientific data on light pollution. I will also be using the websites below with my class to raise awareness on what we can do to help reduce the impact of light pollution.
Participate in Globe at Night: https://www.globeatnight.org/
Participate in Earth Hour: https://www.earthhour.org/
What is the effect of light pollution on animal life? https://www.noao.edu/education/files/TheNightYouHatched.pdf
Find out about Dark Skies in Ireland and around the world: http://www.mayodarkskypark.ie/ , http://kerrydarksky.com/ and http://www.darksky.org/
Find out how assessing the lighting needs of your school is linked to Green Schools Energy Theme -
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Patrick I’m also from county Waterford- I taught in Dublin for a few years before returning home and while I’ve always said it’s so sad the children don’t see farms nature etc in urban areas I had never thought of the night sky. Thinking about it it is so true there is nothing more spectacular and educational than a cold crisp night when the sky is full of visible natural light
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Living in Dublin City, I’ve noticed that the night sky is not as dark as it used to be. Streetlights, house lights and signs from businesses, illuminate the night, washing out the stars and disrupting the natural darkness. This has not only affected the beauty of the night sky but also has broader implications on local wildlife and human health.
Firstly, the light pollution has a huge impact on stargazing. Stars and constellations that were previously visible, are now impossible to see in our area, due to the glow from unnatural light. As well as this, our local wildlife is significantly impacted. Nocturnal animals, which rely on darkness for hunting and navigation, find it increasingly difficult to survive. Birds, insects, and other creatures are drawn to artificial lights, leading to fatal consequences. Finally, light pollution disrupts human’s circadian rhythms and makes it difficult to sleep, which has a negative impact on overall health.
To engage learners to explore this, I would use a number of resources shown in this module. We would use the videos showing ‘What is Light Pollution?’ and ‘Exploring Colour’. We would explore the 4 categories of light pollution as well as the components of light pollution. This would provide the students with plenty of information before we engage in observations and research of our local area. We would conduct an investigation of our local area using some of the prompt questions:
• Consider the area – are there trees or hedges nearby?
• Would the lights disturb wildlife after dark?
• Is it urban or rural? Are there other lights nearby at night?
• Count the number, type and purpose of the lights
• Are the lights shielded?
• Potentially as homework, children could return at night – are the lights causing light pollution? What colour are they?
• Are the lights on a timer or switched on from dusk to dawn?4
Children could then create a light map of their area using photographs from their investigation. We would then use LightPollutionMap.info to compare how our local area compares to other areas around the world.
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I couldn’t agree more with your observations about light pollution in Dublin City. As a fellow Dubliner, I’ve also noticed how the night sky isn’t as dark and star-filled as it used to be. The glow from streetlights, house lights, and business signs has indeed eliminated the stars, but also impacted local wildlife.
Your points about stargazing, nocturnal animals, and human circadian rhythms are spot on. Stargazing has become challenging, and it’s disheartening to think of how nocturnal animals struggle with the constant artificial light. The disruption to our sleep patterns is another significant concern, impacting overall well-being.
I’m planning a similar activity in my class to raise awareness and explore the extent of light pollution. Using the same resources, such as the videos on ‘What is Light Pollution?’ and ‘Exploring Colour,’ will be incredibly informative. I indeed to have my class investigate our local area with similar prompt questions to those you’ve listed. Creating a light map and comparing it with other areas using LightPollutionMap.info is a brilliant idea.
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Absolutely, I think it is really highlighted when you fly into Dublin at night time. The spread of light and glow from not just the city itself but all the commuter towns surrounding it is unbelievable. I think it is really sad that so many people don’t get to experience the dark skies and all that can be seen.
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Light pollution is increasingly affecting my local area, diminishing the visibility of stars and planets, disrupting ecosystems, and impacting human health by altering sleep patterns. To engage learners in exploring light pollution, start by discussing its causes, such as excessive street lighting, brightly lit buildings, and outdoor advertisements.
In the classroom, conduct experiments showing how light scatters and its effects on visibility. Engage students in discussions on the ecological impacts on nocturnal animals and plants. Finally, encourage them to brainstorm and present solutions to reduce light pollution, such as advocating for shielded lighting or community awareness campaigns. This multifaceted approach fosters curiosity and empowers students to become advocates for darker, star-filled skies.
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Light pollution is increasingly affecting my local area, diminishing the visibility of stars and planets, disrupting ecosystems, and impacting human health by altering sleep patterns. To engage learners in exploring light pollution, start by discussing its causes, such as excessive street lighting, brightly lit buildings, and outdoor advertisements.
In the classroom, conduct experiments showing how light scatters and its effects on visibility. Engage students in discussions on the ecological impacts on nocturnal animals and plants. Finally, encourage them to brainstorm and present solutions to reduce light pollution, such as advocating for shielded lighting or community awareness campaigns. This approach fosters curiosity, empowering students to become advocates for darker, star-filled skies.
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I would especially agree with this post.
I’ve found it strange over the last few years that nocturnal animals are appearing more often during the day. We see foxes all the time now running across the roads in broad daylight and I wonder if this is due in some way to light pollution. It really gets you thinking.
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It is so true Patrick that a lot of our children never really see the true night sky. In my previous school in Inner city Dublin we took children away on school tours for an overnight to rural locations and they were terrified of the dark because they had never truly seen the night sky. It’s very sad really .
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I’m really excited by citizen science in general. And collecting data is an important part of the framework of inquiry. The Globe at Night campaign raises awareness of the impacts of light pollution around the world. The children could take part by measuring night sky brightness and submitting their findings via phone for computer. The data is used to “monitor levels of light pollution around the world as well as learn about the impacts of light pollution on energy consumption, plants, wildlife and human health”. The campaigns are held once a month for 10 days when the moon is not up. There are 5 clear steps and what I really like is that it involves locating the ‘current constellation of the month’. This is a prominent constellation and you’re asked to match it to images of it, corresponding to how visible the main stars in it are. There is already so much learning in the setting up of this and would consolidate nicely previous learning about the constellations, the moon cycle and the framework of enquiry.
In terms of creating a teaching resource; I would see this as a series of maybe three lessons on constellations, light pollution and then culminating in the activity of taking part in the citizens’ science campaign. If this coincided with our annual camping trip that would be perfect! -
Sorry I posted my answer into this field accidentally.
To comment on your post Amy, this is a great comprehensive way to use these resources and to get the children involved indeed in a meaningful way; using those great prompt questions and then culminating in the light map. Super, thanks- i’ve copied and saved your entry for my future use.
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Una, I agree that citizen science is so important and exciting and empowering for our students. I liked the idea of a series of lessons and loved the idea of them linking with your annual trip; which also sounds exciting. The Globe at Night campaign looks like it would be a very useful resource for the classroom and it’s clear steps make it engaging and hands-on for the children.
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I grew up in a rural area and remember loving looking at the stars at night. I still love doing so when I go home for a family visit. I was shocked to see the growth in light pollution in Ireland from 1995 to 2015, its staggering and I can imagine it is only getting worse rather than better. I now live in Cork City and the light pollution is bad. It saddens me that my students have not seen the Milky Way. I discovered recently even some of my colleagues haven’t!
To entice students interest in the night sky I would explain to the students that I am a member of the Cork Astronomy Group and show them photos of the night sky taken by some of our members, they are incredible! I would then show some of the videos in this course to highlight how light pollution is the reason we can not see some of these incredible sights in the city.
Just like in the course, I would encourage the students to first create a map of the school, putting in the sources of light pollution. I would then extend this to include the school’s local area/town. We could write a letter to the local councilor with our map outlining our concerns and our want for shielded lights.
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Hi Michelle,
I, like you am living in Cork City and find is disheartening to see the amount of light pollution we have as well as the increase in light pollution in more rural areas compared to 1997.
You’ve got me curious about the Cork Astronomy Group. I may very well look it up and join myself.
Thanks.
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Light Pollution – Introduction: begin by explaining that artificial lighting like streetlights and house lights leak light into the night sky which means we can’t always see the stars.
Example: We could turn off the classroom lights and close the blinds, explain to the children that it won’t be truly dark as it is still daytime. Ask them to spot where does the light creep in……..under the blinds, through the windows/doors, etc. This is a bit like the night time sky, where light creeps into the sky from various sources like streetlights making it difficult to see the stars properly.
We could carry out a survey of the school and note down the sources of light – overhead lights, outside lights, security lights, lamps, computers. Discuss how sensor lights work by sensing movement in the room. Ask pupils to note the light sources on the way to and from school. Can they spot streetlights, security lights, shop or building lights, car headlights?
Impact on Animals: Can the children think of some nocturnal animals, like foxes, hedgehogs, badgers, moths, bats? Why do they prefer the night time? Where do they get their food from? What might happen if there is too much light at night time? Some these nocturnal animals might sleep too much or too little. Some of them may have their babies at the wrong time of the year.
Explore and discuss animals that migrate at night. Often, they use the moon and stars to navigate. For example, newly hatched baby sea turtles are attracted to the ocean via natural lighting cues. If there are too many artificial lights in the area where they hatch, they crawl inland and die.
Useful stories include The Darkest Dark; The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark; Can’t You Sleep Little Bear.
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Here is what I think is the most affected areas of light pollution in my localty.
Human Health and Well-being
1. Sleep Disruption: Excessive nighttime lighting can interfere with human circadian rhythms, leading to sleep disorders and related health issues.
2. Mental Health: Lack of natural darkness can affect mental health, contributing to stress and anxiety.
Astronomical Impact
1. Stargazing and Astronomy: Increased light pollution limits the visibility of stars and celestial events, diminishing the experience for amateur astronomers and the public’s connection to the night sky.
Engaging Learners to Explore Light Pollution
– Globe at Night Project: Involve learners in citizen science projects like the Globe at Night, where they can submit observations about light pollution in their area.
– Create Local Maps: Use data collected to create a light pollution map of the local area, identifying hotspots and comparing them over time.3. Classroom Experiments:
– Modeling Light Pollution: Use small models to demonstrate how light spreads from different types of fixtures. Experiment with shielded versus unshielded lights.
– Impact on Plants: Grow plants under different lighting conditions to observe the effects of artificial light on growth cycles.
Perform lighting audits around the school and consider ways to reduce blue lighting -
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution in Dublin significantly impacts various aspects of life and the environment. Growing up in the countryside in Mayo, the night sky was relatively clear, but moving to Dublin revealed the stark contrast of excessive artificial lighting, creating skyglow and obscuring the stars. This not only hampers stargazing but also disrupts local wildlife, altering the behaviors of nocturnal animals and affecting plant growth.
To engage students in exploring light pollution, I would start by acknowledging their perception of bright nights as normal. I would introduce the concept using visual aids and simulate a clear night sky in a darkened classroom. By gradually adding artificial light, students could observe the impact on star visibility. Additionally, students could share their experiences of clearer skies from rural areas or holidays.
We could also use the “Globe at Night” program to map light pollution levels in Dublin, comparing different areas. Exploring dark sky places in Ireland, students would learn about preserving these areas and brainstorm ways to reduce light pollution, such as using shielded lights and advocating for better lighting policies. This hands-on and reflective approach would deepen their understanding and foster environmental stewardship.
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I’m the same Pardraic,
I moved to Dublin from Baltimore in West Cork and the stark contrast to clear skies and being able to see the stars and planets to an orange glow was quite jarring when I moved here first. I like the way that you say to acknowledge that their perception of bright nights is normal and grow from there and show them the dark sky places they could visit in Ireland to give them a new perspective.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I grew up in a lovely rural area in Co. Limerick where we always had a lovely clear view of the sky at night. The only light pollution in the area was from the neighbouring homes but once everyone was in bed there would be zero artificial light to be seen. It was always a wonder to go out and admire the night sky then.
I teach in a large town in North Co. Cork. The majority of the pupils live in the town with a small amount living in surrounding rural townlands.
The impacts of light pollution in this town are:
• Wildlife disruption – Artificial lighting can disrupt nocturnal wildlife, including bats, moths, and other nocturnal insects, by altering their natural behaviours and habitats.
• Plant Growth: Light pollution can interfere with the natural growth cycles of plants by altering their photoperiod, potentially impacting local agriculture.
• Skyglow: Increased artificial lighting reduces the visibility of stars and celestial bodies, affecting amateur astronomy and the natural beauty of the night sky. This is particularly relevant in areas like the town my school is on, where rural charm and natural scenery are valued.
• Exposure to excessive artificial light at night can disrupt human circadian rhythms, leading to sleep disorders and other health issues. This can affect the well-being of Charleville residents, impacting their overall quality of life.
• Loss of Heritage: The night sky has cultural and historical significance, and light pollution can erode this heritage by masking the view of the stars. This loss is significant in communities that value their cultural and historical ties to the natural world.
I would engage my pupils (6th class) in a few different ways. The first would be to explore what light pollution is. We would discuss what they can see when they go outside their front/back door at night and look up. It would be interesting to see what differences there are between the pupils who live in the town versus outside the town. I would try and have images to show the pupils what I see when I stand outside my house and look up. I live in a really rural area with little light pollution so there would be a big difference in our experiences.We take our 6th class on an overnight trip to a local village education centre. This would be an ideal time to have an observation night of the night sky. It would provide an opportunity for the pupils to see what is closer to the natural dark sky.
I really like the idea a fellow participant Patrick suggested where the classroom is darkened and you use a projector to mimic the night sky to allow the pupils to experience a clear sky. This would allow them to see how their level of light pollution in the town isn’t actually normal/natural.
I think this would be a brilliant topic to cover with the pupils. I, myself, found this to be a really interesting module.
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Hi Gráinne, I really liked your mention of the wildlife disruption and the effects of light pollution on plant growth. It is something that I had not thought of before this module. I also agree with the effect of light pollution on our circadian rhythms.. it is vital to teach children about this. I think it is effecting many people nowadays and and increasing amount of people are having trouble sleeping. I think that if you gave the older children this knowledge it would help them going forward. They would understand just how important it is to turn off the tv/ipad and lamps before bed time. I also agree, Patricks idea to use a projector to mimic the night sky is excellent!
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Your plan to explore light pollution with your 6th class sounds fantastic! Comparing their experiences with the night sky, both in the town and rural areas, will be eye-opening. The overnight trip to a local village for a stargazing session is a great idea, providing them with a direct contrast to their usual light-polluted view. Using a projector to simulate a clear night sky in the classroom is a brilliant way to show them what a natural night sky looks like. These activities will help them understand the effects of light pollution and appreciate the night sky’s beauty.
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I would use the globe at night is citizen science program was my 4th class in the following way. The program is available 10 days in any month. I would use the program in January or November when the sky is dark early in the evening. Preparation for the program the class would study constellations within the classroom Andrews star charts to determine which is the best constellation to use for their area for that particular month. 4 the 10 days of observation and recording I would assign this as a homework activity replacing the traditional homework assignments the class are given. I would provide students with charts to complete during the evening observations. Each day the students can present their observations using these charts and information can be uploaded to the website using class laptops in this way the students will be sharing their observations and this allows for all students to participate even those who do not have access to a device at home.
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I love how you would integrate the Globe at Night program into your 4th class! Your approach of replacing traditional homework with a real-world, hands-on activity is brilliant. It not only makes learning more engaging but also fosters a sense of responsibility and excitement among students. The idea of using star charts and classroom discussions to prepare for the observations is a great way to build anticipation and ensure they’re well-prepared. I also appreciate how you’ve thought about inclusivity by allowing students to upload their observations at school, making sure everyone can participate fully.
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It is imperative to explain to the children what is Light Pollution?
I teach in a rural location but near the large town of Tramore so it’s important to personalise the information for the children
– Light pollution happens when too many bright lights from cities and towns make the night sky less dark.
– This makes it hard to see stars and planets clearly.How is Light Pollution Affecting Our town of Tramore
– Bright streetlights, buildings, and outdoor lights can block our view of the stars.
– Animals and plants can be confused by too much light at night.Exploring Light Pollution Together
1. Observation Activity :
– Find a dark spot away from city lights and compare the number of stars you see there with how many you see from your home.
– Write down the differences.2. **Light Measurement:
– Use a simple app or device to measure how bright the sky is at different locations.3. **Create a Map**:
– Make a map showing where light pollution is the worst in your area.
– Use different colors to show areas with more and less light pollution.4. **Class Discussion**:
– Talk about how light pollution affects our ability to see stars.
– Discuss ways to reduce light pollution, like using outdoor lights only when needed.By exploring and discussing light pollution, you can help protect the night sky and learn more about our environment.
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i have lived in Dublin, Athlone and now I live back home in West Cork.
Over the years I have noticed that the stars are only completely visible at times where we are in west Cork. They are amazing on a clear night. Of course it is part of the countryside so we don’t have any street lighting.
I would speak to students and discuss how much street lighting is necessary in our area. Our school is in a rural area but there is a church and hall right next door and we often comment that we would like more lighting at night when there are ceremonies and special events.
I think the topic of light pollution is rarely spoken of and many students would not be aware of it’s impact.
By raising awareness children would be reinforced to turn off lights at school and even at home would think twice about leaving lights on at night when not necessary.
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Using a classroom experiment with a projector to simulate different levels of light pollution is a brilliant idea. This hands-on experience will make the concept more relatable to students, especially since they’ve grown up in an area where light pollution is the norm. Encouraging them to create composite photographs is an excellent way to illustrate the difference between their current sky view and what it could be. It not only reinforces the lesson but also helps students develop creative and technical skills. Your strategy offers a great blend of visual learning and practical application, making the topic both engaging and educational.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I was lucky enough to travel across America many years ago. Camping in the desert under the stars is one of my most enduring memories. The beauty of the night sky is breath taking. This module has made me realise how privileged I was. I was shocked and saddened to learn that over 50% of the population of Ireland and over 80% of the UK’s population can’t see the Milky Way. I work and live in Dublin. I can’t remember that last time I saw the night sky clearly. The children I work with are mostly from the inner city and they rarely if ever get out to the countryside. I suspect they would be amazed if they saw what the night sky looks like without light pollution. It is an unfortunate fact that they think the night sky they see is what the sky is meant to look like. I would like to dispel this myth for them by undertaking an investigation into light pollution in our area. A good starting point for discussion would be the ESRO Light and Dark activity. I also like the box planetarium and Space Week activity on light pollution to allow students to get hands on experience.
I would love to get my class involved in a Dark Sky Assessment of our local area. Our school is located in the city next to a small urban park. This park is lit up at night although it is closed to the public. Our street is lit by beautifully ornate Georgian lamp posts. If they could come up with some possible alternatives or adaptations to the current lighting in our area perhaps we could get a campaign going and try to affect change. It’s worth a shot.-
I agree 100% it is sad to think that some pupils will never get to see the beauty of the dark sky during their childhood.
I live in a rural area and appreciate the many starry nights I have witnessed over the years. Doing these CPD courses and learning more about the ESERO has created a real interest in the earth and space. Something I want to explore further with my class.
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I’m lucky enough to have spent every summer down in south Kerry both as a kid and now. The area is now a dark sky reserve and to come from Dublin where starts are very limited to the sights down in Kerry is phenomenal. The Milky Way is visible on any clear night. Trying to explain this this to my own class is quite difficult. They can’t understand why there are no lights and and don’t like the idea of not being able to see at night. They have told me it’s not normal. Many of these lads haven’t been out of Dublin. It is essential to have the children discuss the level of light pollution they are surrounded by and just how important it is to them and their locality. Discuss with the class the lights needed as opposed to what is needed. A really good idea would be to bring the pupils on a school trip (as many do down to connemara) and have them compare and contrast the differences between both
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It is definitely something everyone should fully experience, the dark sky reserve in South Kerry. It is truly remarkable and unforgettable. I live in a rural area of Donegal and it doesn’t compare to the dark sky reserve.
There are some fab apps available to download that you can use when exploring the dark skies at night be it in a dark sky reserve or any part of Ireland.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would start by looking at the ESERO 9 light and darkness activity with the pupils. I would pay particular attention to discussions on light sources around us in day time and at night, those that are natural and those manufactured.
I really found the light pollution map pretty cool, especially looking at the difference between 2005 and 2015. We could have a class discussion on this and look at the areas we live in. I could put this resource on the Book Creator App and set it as a homework task.
During the recent Northern Light phenomenon in early May it was clear that the less light around the better the view we had of the northern lights. Even the lights on in the house made a difference. We had a few neighbours out with us that night and we all made sure the lights were out both inside and outside. This is just a perfect example of light pollution and how it affects our view of the night sky. A great conversation to be had in the classroom.
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Hi
I did a similar lesson but forgot to use the resource you mentioned in your lesson the ‘ESERO 9 light and darkness activity’. I also like the idea of using the Book Creator App and getting children to do their own catalogue on what they work on and their experience.
It’s true what you mentioned on the northern lights that occurred in May and the effects light pollution has on our view of the night sky.
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Kerry is great, that’s for sure. Now that’s coming from someone who was born and reared here in Kerry so I was always going to say that. It’s funny really as a child I assumed everyone could see the night sky the way we can and I guess unless children grow up in a dark sky area they would find it hard to comprehend that the stars and planets etc are visible from ones garden.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
- The school I currently teach in is in a rural setting with maybe just one street light at the crossroads junction beside the school, the next street light is probably 10km away.
- One thing I have noticed over the years in all rural areas is the strength of the floodlights in the local sports pitches along with an increase in the use of private outdoor garden lights and lights at entrance gates to private houses. Some of the lights are exceptionally bright and after studying the module I’ve come to the conclusion that their alignment possibly needs to be adjusted or perhaps an alternative more environmentally friendly light needs to be sourced.
- I would introduce the children to our native nocturnal wildlife and perhaps invite the NPWS to call to the school with the display they have of these animals at some point during the year.
- We would consider the environmental impact, health effects and economic costs of this light pollution.
- Environmental: Wildlife disruption whereby the light pollution affects nocturnal animals as well impacting on insects and the local ecosystem.
- Plant growth: affecting local flora.
- Health: Sleep disruption affecting the circadian rhythm.
- Economic costs: inefficient lighting leading to higher energy consumption.
- The children could undertake a project in small groups and research the above.
- They could come up with possible solutions to the overuse of lights and conservation of these ecosystems.
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I think it’s very important to help children to see all of the external factors that need to be considered so focusing on the negative economic, health and environmental factors as well as the detrimental impact on the night sky is very important to highlight to help the children to get the full picture.
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A reflective piece on how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I was fortunate enough to have grown up in a rural part of Cork where the light quality throughout the night was very good. When I looked into the distance in the direction of the nearest town, it was very easy and clear to see the light pollution caused by the streetlights, shops and house lights. I have since moved up the country to a large town, where the effects of light pollution are extremely strong. Teaching about light pollution to the children would be a little bit difficult as the children have grown up in this large town and would find it unimaginable to imagine a clear, unpolluted night sky in the locality. I would show the children older pictures of the town to display how much less unnatural lights there were in the town. I would also show them images of the night sky from the countryside and the middle of the town to discuss. I would also bring the children on a trip to a rural part of the country (south west/west part of the country) so they can witness in person the beauty of an unpolluted night sky.
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Module 3 assignment
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I don’t think the children in my class will even realise that light pollution is a thing. This module has really opened my eyes. I think it will be interesting to see what the children come up with when I pose the questions ‘What can you tell me about light pollution?’ Or ‘What are the impacts of light pollution?’
Dark sky planning guidelines provide a lot of tips for us to follow so that we can reduce light pollution and so astronomers can perform their research.
The IDA’s Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting of targeted, useful, low, controlled and coloured are also a great guide for the children to follow.
The children can perform a number of studies in the school environment and at home and in their communities that will help them explore how light pollution is impacting the local area.
Conducting some of the studies suggested in the ESERO 9 light and darkness activity pack would be a useful place for the children to start their studies. They could go out and about and explore their local areas keeping the EDAs 5 principles in mind that would be really beneficial. It will be interesting what they come up with. The Magic of Light packs from the ESA PRO6 resource would also be useful.
Even though we are a country school and light pollution isn’t as obvious as an urban area light pollution can always be reduced. Raising awareness is super important in this regard. The children can create posters and place them in the school and around the community to raise awareness. We can use the school website to further promote their campaign. Maybe we too can get on the Official Dark Sky Places on the Island of Ireland map like Kerry, Mayo and Davagh Forest Park.
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Light pollution is significantly impacting Cork, reducing the visibility of stars and constellations in the night sky. In the city where I come from, the artificial lighting causes skyglow, which obscures the stars, planets etc. and risks disrupting natural ecosystems. This not only affects astronomical observations but also influences human circadian rhythms and wildlife behaviour.
I found this topic heavy enough and feel that it really would be more suited to the senior end of the school at best. I would structure it as follows:
Engage
Hook: Night-sky observation sessions in urban and rural areas to compare star visibility.
Questioning: Stimulate curiosity with questions about visibility differences.Explore
Experiments: Use the Space Week investigation ‘Can we design a device to reduce light?‘ https://www.darksky.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LIGHT-POLLUTION-TOOLKIT-2018.pdf which includes the Box Planetarium from previous moduleExplain
Multimedia & Discussion: Explain/discuss light pollution’s sources and effects using https://youtu.be/wraMeDbLw5k?si=thdge3h5MDazACgS
Guest Speakers: If possible, have parent/local expert in to discuss potential solutions.Elaborate
Creative Projects: Posters, essays, and presentations on preserving dark skies.
Community Event: “Dark Sky Night” to reduce lights and observe stars encouraging students and their families to turn off outdoor lights and observe the night skyEvaluate
Reflection and Assessment: Journals, discussions, quizzes, and presentations to assess understanding and application.-
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I agree that light pollution in Cork is a significant issue, reducing star visibility and disrupting ecosystems. I appreciate the suggested structure, which includes night-sky observations, experiments on reducing light, and discussions using multimedia resources. Creative projects and community events like “Dark Sky Night” would further engage students, with assessments through journals and presentations to solidify their understanding.
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Light pollution is significantly impacting Cork, reducing the visibility of stars and constellations in the night sky. In the city where I come from, the artificial lighting causes skyglow, which obscures the stars, planets etc. and risks disrupting natural ecosystems. This not only affects astronomical observations but also influences human circadian rhythms and wildlife behaviour.
I found this topic heavy enough and feel that it really would be more suited to the senior end of the school at best. I would structure it as follows:
Engage
Hook: Night-sky observation sessions in urban and rural areas to compare star visibility.
Questioning: Stimulate curiosity with questions about visibility differences.Explore
Experiments: Use the Space Week investigation ‘Can we design a device to reduce light?‘ https://www.darksky.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LIGHT-POLLUTION-TOOLKIT-2018.pdf which includes the Box Planetarium from previous moduleExplain
Multimedia & Discussion: Explain/discuss light pollution’s sources and effects using https://youtu.be/wraMeDbLw5k?si=thdge3h5MDazACgS
Guest Speakers: If possible, have parent/local expert in to discuss potential solutions.Elaborate
Creative Projects: Posters, essays, and presentations on preserving dark skies.
Community Event: “Dark Sky Night” to reduce lights and observe stars encouraging students and their families to turn off outdoor lights and observe the night skyEvaluate
Reflection and Assessment: Journals, discussions, quizzes, and presentations to assess understanding and application. -
Light pollution is significantly impacting Cork, reducing the visibility of stars and constellations in the night sky. In the city where I come from, the artificial lighting causes skyglow, which obscures the stars, planets etc. and risks disrupting natural ecosystems. This not only affects astronomical observations but also influences human circadian rhythms and wildlife behaviour.
I found this topic heavy enough and feel that it really would be more suited to the senior end of the school at best. I would structure it as follows:
Engage
Hook: Night-sky observation sessions in urban and rural areas to compare star visibility.
Questioning: Stimulate curiosity with questions about visibility differences.
Explore
Experiments: Use the Space Week investigation ‘Can we design a device to reduce light?‘ https://www.darksky.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LIGHT-POLLUTION-TOOLKIT-2018.pdf which includes the Box Planetarium from previous module
Explain
Multimedia & Discussion: Explain/discuss light pollution’s sources and effects using https://youtu.be/wraMeDbLw5k?si=thdge3h5MDazACgS
Guest Speakers: If possible, have parent/local expert in to discuss potential solutions.
Elaborate
Creative Projects: Posters, essays, and presentations on preserving dark skies.
Community Event: “Dark Sky Night” to reduce lights and observe stars encouraging students and their families to turn off outdoor lights and observe the night sky
Evaluate
Reflection and Assessment: Journals, discussions, quizzes, and presentations to assess understanding and application. -
Module 3 Assignment: Light Pollution in My Area
Light pollution is so prevalent and the norm for so many people that they don’t even know that it is a problem, or realise that there is so much happening in the sky that we don’t even see. I’ve noticed over the past number of years when driving, particularly on the motorway, that the light pollution from towns and villages is becoming more and more pronounced in the form of sky glow. It really is a pity that this is the case.
I grew up in the countryside in quite a secluded area. We spent many summer nights looking at the stars, and when we were lucky enough, we also saw signs of the Northern Lights. Now living in a built up commuter area, there is very little to be seen in the sky due to light pollution. Having looked at the presentation on light pollution, it has made me even more aware of the extent of waste that is involved in lighting the area. In my estate alone, there are many street lights that constantly flicker, and ones that are situated in areas that have no need for them at all. I think the lighting fixtures in the estate are all partially shielded, so at least some attempts have been made at dark sky protection, but there is still a long way to go.
In the village that my school is located, it is very remote with very few houses and not many amenities. However, there is still quite a lot of light pollution. A new walking track has been developed around the GAA pitch with lighting installed that is constantly on. This alone is such a huge waste for such a small area. To make the children aware of light pollution and to identify ways in which we can solve the problem, I would begin by going on a light trail around the community. This would involve observing the lighting fixtures in the area, their locations, their purpose in that area, the ways in which they are shielded and the type of timer that they are on. From there we would make a presentation for the rest of the school and come up with an action plan within the school community. We would send home a copy of the action plan to parents and urge families to look at their homes and ways in which they could reduce light pollution and light waste at home. -
I grew up 30miles from Knock airport and we used to love seeing the lights at night. That shows you how clears (and a bit of luck from the lay of the land) the skies were. It was exciting.
We once had visitors from the states who we brought out on night-times walks and one asked how do you see when you’re driving. I initially thought it was a joke when I answered ‘you turn on the lights in the car’ when I realised she had grown up in a big city where light is only artificial and it was not a joke.
I now myself live in the city and think it is so important to teach about light. It was always something I valued and felt was a valuable science lesson. I teach in a junior school and found this module was more in my opinion geared towards the senior end.
I would engage my younger students and their families in a light project. Our school has lovely engaged parents and I feel this is one that we can reach out and do as project for home – school links.
Everyone take a photo at night beside artificial light and one with just natural light (where possible). this would give a wonderful discussion focus and a concrete understanding to the students about artificial light and natural.
We could further use these pictures for an art project to further support learning about this simpler end of learning about light and light pollution.
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Hi Louise,
Welcome to the course, and thanks for your reflective post on light pollution in your local area. Your story about how visitors were uncertain about how to drive at night is shocking but a reality for those who have never truly encountered a dark night sky! As the maps and apps reveal, we are losing the dark over time, with consequences for us all, but the good news is that it is one of the easiest forms of pollution to fix.
Using photos of the night sky with and without artificial light (and no flash!) is a great idea. While the survey in this module may be too advanced for your learners, you could also get them to identify what is causing the artificial brightness outside their homes at night-is it a streetlight in the city? A neighbouring building? Is it coming from their own house as the blinds are open, etc?
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Hi Louise,
That’s a great story about driving at night & the Americans. I reckon that could be said of an awful lot of rural places.
I had relations from mid-UK over a couple of years ago, we were driving home to Dublin late at night on the motorway & main roads and they were shocked at how much lighting there was. Like yourself, they reckoned that we should be using our car lights and not overhead lights at night. It wasn’t something that I had thought about until they pointed it out.
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Growing up in a rural area, we spent many nights stargazing, looking for shooting stars, discussing the moon and making pictures out of the things we could see in the night sky. However, now, living in slightly more developed area, the sky is much less interesting, with little to see due to light pollution. Light pollution is so common that many people don’t realise it’s a problem or understand how much it hides from our view of the night sky. Over the years, I’ve noticed increased sky glow from towns and villages, especially in my local area. Street lights come on at approx. 6pm and stay on until at least 6am, depending on the time of year. Light pollution is without a doubt a problem here!
To teach students about light pollution, I would start with lessons on what it is and how it affects the environment, using some of the videos and resources from this module. Students will use maps to pick local spots like schools, parks, and streets to observe. In small groups, they will check the types of lights, how bright they are, and if they are shielded. Back in the classroom, we will discuss what they found and think of solutions like using shielded lights or motion sensors. They will make posters and presentations to share their ideas, create an action plan to reduce light pollution, and involve the school community. -
Light Pollution
I am working with young children so it is important to investigate light pollution in a simple and relevant way. It is important to make the children realise that there is a difference between natural and artificial light . Growing up in the west of Ireland my memory of power failure was a regular occurrence. We were used to sitting by the open fire for light and my granny had the candle sticks stocked with candles if you needed to move away from the light source.
To engage the children I would prompt them by asking how they see in their homes at different times of the day -Morning opening curtains and sunlight lighting up their homes , night time flicking a switch to light their home.
We could explore different different light sources that could be used- table lamps, stand alone lamps, TV, candles, torch, head lights in their woolly hats , mobile phones , kindles etc.
We could conduct an investigation of types of lighting in their homes and see how many lights might be on in a home on a winters night . Discuss the importance of turning off lights in rooms not used .
Now to move outside their homes and the need and use of outdoor lighting in their garden or apartment block or estate depending on where they live 0is the lighting used for visibility , decoration, security , safety etc
Making the children aware of lighting and its importance but also its overuse is important .
As a follow up the children could draw a picture of one light source in their community and explain its purpose – street light , flood light at the GAA, shop sign , traffic light etc.
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I like the idea of asking them to check the light in their house at various stages of the day during the week. This might be a nice change of pace to homework too! Instead of the same kind of homework every week it is important to have our parents see what else their child is learning about and will also inform parents and allow them to ask questions and talk about something very relevant to what is going on in school that week.
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I’m really excited by citizen science in general. And collecting data is an important part of the framework of inquiry. The Globe at Night campaign raises awareness of the impacts of light pollution around the world. The children could take part by measuring night sky brightness and submitting their findings via phone for computer. The data is used to “monitor levels of light pollution around the world as well as learn about the impacts of light pollution on energy consumption, plants, wildlife and human health”. The campaigns are held once a month for 10 days when the moon is not up. There are 5 clear steps and what I really like is that it involves locating the ‘current constellation of the month’. This is a prominent constellation and you’re asked to match it to images of it, corresponding to how visible the main stars in it are. There is already so much learning in the setting up of this and would consolidate nicely previous learning about the constellations, the moon cycle and the framework of enquiry.
In terms of creating a teaching resource; I would see this as a series of maybe three lessons on constellations, light pollution and then culminating in the activity of taking part in the citizens’ science campaign. If this coincided with our annual camping trip that would be perfect! -
Living in a suburb of Dublin, it can be difficult to get a good view of the night sky. This was further highlighted by the difference between the Northern Lights photos taken in the city and countryside a few weeks back! Street lights, shops and flood lights for sports pitches all have a part to play in this.
In terms of classwork, I would introduce the topic through story. In my experience, a lot of students respond well to serious topics such as this through a light hearted story. It makes the topic less abstract. I would use the book ‘What if’ by Paul Bogard as a stimulus to start discussions on light pollution.
I also feel it would be necessary to teach the students specific terms such as glare, skyglow, light trespass and clutter.
While I feel teaching about light pollution could be tricky given the time of day we are together as a class, I feel I would rely on remote learning platforms such as Seesaw to let students explore the light in their area and post their findings to share with the class the next day. This would spark further discussion in class. -
The growing issue of light pollution in my community is compromising the visibility of celestial bodies, disrupting local ecosystems, and affecting human health by disrupting sleep patterns. To educate students about this problem, we can begin by exploring its causes, such as excessive street lighting, illuminated buildings, and outdoor advertisements.
In the classroom, we can conduct hands-on experiments to demonstrate how light scatters and its effects on visibility. Students can participate in discussions about the ecological impacts of light pollution on nocturnal animals and plants. Finally, we can encourage them to brainstorm and present innovative solutions to reduce light pollution, such as advocating for shielded lighting or community awareness campaigns. This comprehensive approach will spark students’ curiosity and empower them to become champions for preserving the beauty of the night sky.
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I would kick off our exploration of light pollution in Rathfarnham by getting the students to look up at the night sky right in our own neighborhood. We’d compare it to photos of rural areas with minimal light pollution, sparking a discussion on what we’re missing out on. To make it hands-on, I’d organize a nighttime field trip to a darker spot, where we could actually see more stars and constellations.
Back in the classroom, we’d delve into the effects of light pollution on wildlife and human health through interactive activities and discussions. I’d set up a fun experiment where we’d measure the brightness of different areas around the school using smartphones and simple tools, then chart our findings.
To wrap it up, I’d encourage the students to come up with creative solutions to reduce light pollution, like designing community awareness posters or writing to local authorities. This approach would not only make the learning process engaging but also empower the students to make a difference in their own community.
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Hi Matthew. I grew up in the countryside in West Limerick where the dark starry skies are still as beautiful as ever. I’m not sure how practical it would be but I do think that a night time field trip to a rural place devoid of light pollution would be an amazing opportunity for city children to star gaze and appreciate dark skies in all their glory.
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I love the idea of an after dark field trip, not sure I’d be brave enough to organise one though! Maybe it could be done in conjunction with a local astronomy group or as part of Space Week with parents involved? I know that most of the children in my class live in estates and have little or no experience of dark skies as street lighting is always on. I live in the countryside and when my kids have friends over, especially in winter when it gets darker early, they can find our driveway a bit scary as it is really dark!
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I live and teach in Cork city centre. I recently realised the extent of the light pollution when I was unable to see the northern lights phenomenon despite clear skies.
I think it would be interesting to brainstorm with my 6th Class the ways in which wildlife, human life and indeed the aesthetic beauty of the city is being impacted by light pollution.
I would aim to elicit from the pupils that the habits of nocturnal animals such as foxes, bats, owls etc who rely on darkness for feeding can be disrupted by excessive lighting. We are lucky to have a local group called Cork Nature Network and it might be a good idea for the children to contact this group by email to ask questions or arrange a talk/workshop to find out more about this.
I live directly across the river from Páirc Uí Chaoimh and on occasion the intense lights in that stadium are left on late into the night. I would like to discuss the impact of light pollution on human health and how exposure to artifical light can disrupt our sleep patterns. Again a query could be made to the management of this local facility to enquire about what curfews may be in place for the stadium lights. I think this would encourage a sense of agency and citizenship within the pupils.
Finally we will discuss whether or not our school should continue to be lit at night and what the safety and security reasons for this might be. Our stargazing opportunities in the city are very much reduced and I think a class debate to determine whether quality of life for local residents is improved or lessened would be an engaging way to explore this topic.
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Light Pollution
I live in a rural village in a housing estate. Recently all the street lights have been redone – the lightbulbs have all been changed to LEDs and the light omitting from them is well reduced. Most of the neighbours are delighted becasue there are aesthetically pleasing but more importantly, the street lights donot glare into people’s houses, trespass into their bedroom windows at night and people have actually commented (through our Whats App Residents Group) on how happy they are with this result. Also we were able to witness the spectacular sight of the Northern Lights a number of weeks ago. The first night was an amazing sight, however the night after there was more cloud cover but still it was possible to see some of them.
So for me, I guess the effects of light pollution can depend on where you live – countryside, town, village, city, etc, and the presence of artificial light being prominent or not.Lesson for Light Pollution:
As we are following the Green Schools initative, we promote the conservation of energy daily throughout our school,in each and every classroom. We consistently promote the conservation of energy by ensuring the whiteboard is powered off
during every break and the lights are switched off at every given opportunity. I would talk about this with the children. I would then turn theri attetion to the street lights, security lights, alarm lights, and sensor lights. We have sensot lights in the toilets but also the room beside us has lights on all the time and cannot be switched off – I’m presuming for security reasons. I would lead a class discussion on this topic by introducing the term ‘light pollution’.
I would explain that light poLight pollution is the when there is too much artificial light in our surrounding environment and the negative impact it has on our world, our wildlife, and ways we can try to minimise it.
Again Twinkl (I am a big fan!) have lovely, child-freindly resource packs including a PowerPoint presentation, a mind map template, and activity cards that would enhance the children’s learning of thsi new term for them – Light Pollution.
I would then break it down into the four categories- glare, sky glow, light trepass and clutter. As a class, we would explore each one individually and create four large posters to be displayed in our classroom/corridor. There is an abundence of learning in this topic and I find it very interesting myself and I’m sure the chldren I teach would enoy it very much.
It would serve as a monthly theme and plenty of lliknage and integration would work really well through Literacy – reading and writing; Maths – data and graphs; SESE, Visual Arts; SPHE, etc -
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I teach in a rural school which has pupils from that rural area and also from our local town.
I would approach this activity by brainstorming what the pupils understand by light pollution. It would be very interesting for the class to note the differences between the two contexts. I think this activity would lend itself to group work.
We would refer to the International Dark Sky Association clip on Losing the Dark and consider the impact in three different sections:
- Impact on animals
- Impact on plants
- Impact on humans
We would also refer to Dark Sky Ireland and Duncan Stewart’s clip. I was shocked that 50% of people in Ireland and 80% of people in the UK don’t see the Milky Way. It was also sobering to see the change in the natural sky map of Ireland from 1997 to 2015. I’m sure it is even worse now, 9 years later. I live in a very rural part of Co. Wexford at the coast. Outside at night for us is amazing, I feel so lucky to see huge, dark skies, stars, constellations, Milky Way at any time. It’s not something I take for granted at all but I feel sad for any of our pupils who haven’t ever seen that or don’t realise what they are missing out on.
Pupils would present their findings to the class in their groups. I think a key aspect to this activity would be for pupils to research potential solutions. As mentioned in the module, light pollution is relatively easy to address and solutions are readily available, e.g. downward facing street lights that avoid light spill. I feel it is important for pupils to feel empowered that they can actively participate in being part of the solution, even with something as simple as turning off an unused light in their own homes.
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Hey Valerie, I too was shocked about how much light pollution has increased over the past few years. I really would have thought that certain areas in Ireland would have very little light pollution. It looks like nearly the whole country is lit up like a Christmas tree which is quite surprising. The negative impact, particularly on wildlife, is disturbing. More does need to be done to reduce the negative impact of light pollution.
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I found this to be a very engaging topic and it definetly made me pause and consider light pollution in my own locality. I live in a small village area in the outskirts of Dublin. It has a number of housing estates all emiting light, street lights and a number of businesses that leave lights on over night. In the immediate vacinity there is a dual carriageway and motor way all with street lighting and huge volumes of cars emmiting light.
I think of late people did consider ligght pollution when considering where to get the best views of the northern lights when they were visible across Ireland.
The best way to engage a class would be by discussion and allow them to identify pollutants. They in turn could create an awareness campaign in school. -
I live in East Wall in Dublin, and light pollution is a significant problem here. The bright lights from streetlights, buildings, and other sources make the night sky so bright that it’s hard to see stars and other celestial objects. This makes it difficult for people who enjoy stargazing and disrupts local wildlife and our sleep patterns. Animals like bats and some birds have their natural behaviours disrupted by all the constant light. It also affects people, causing sleep problems and stress.
To help my students understand this issue, I would start by organising a night sky observation activity. We would compare how well we can see stars from different places in Dublin, from bright city areas to darker outskirts. This would give them a clear picture of how light pollution affects our view of the night sky.
Next, we’d do a project where students use light meters or smartphone apps to measure light levels around the city. They would analyse the data, create maps showing where light pollution is worst, and discuss what it means. We’d also look at the ecological and health impacts by watching documentaries and reading articles. Inviting guest speakers, like local astronomers or environmentalists, would give the students more insight and inspire them to think deeply about the issue.
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Hi Kerri,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this module. Living in the city certainly has an impact on what you can see in the night sky and the impact street lights have on our environment. I’ve lived in the countryside most of my life and sometimes I take it for granted.
It is important to make the children we teach aware of the problems these street lights can cause for animals and also ourselves. You have great ideas for the children to record their own data on the light levels in the city. By having external speakers it would add to their understanding and make the class aware of changes that could be made.
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For me, light pollution is becoming a bigger issue in the urban area I live in due to changes in visibility in the night sky. This has resulted in it being more difficult to view stars and planets at night and affecting the local natural environment. I have learned a lot about light pollution from this module so I would start any lessons on this topic with new information that I found interesting such as the causes of light pollution and the different types of light pollution.
Possible classroom activities to engage learners could involve integration with the strand unit of Light in Science where pupils can conduct experiments showing how light scatters and its effects on visibility. Pupils can also explore the light pollution map during computer time to see the areas which are being most damaged by light pollution and the possible reasons for this. Lastly, pupils will hopefully have gained the necessary knowledge and skills to identify possible ideas to reduce light pollution.
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Hi Sean,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this module. There is a vast difference between rural and urban areas for light pollution and as our cities and towns expand, the effects of light pollution are also growing. While my own school is in a rural area I hope to use the materials from this course to explore light pollution with my class next year. The light pollution map could be explored for children to see the difference between their area and a contrasting area. I like how you have allowed the children to identify possible ideas to reduce light pollution to encourage them to share ideas and try to make changes.
There are lots of resources across this module to use with your own class next year.
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Light Pollution:
Like many others on this forum, I grew up looking up at the night time sky. We used to look out for The Plough or The Saucepan, as we called it – seven stars – four stars making the pan and the remaining three forming the handle. It is a lovely memory!
In the city I rarely look up at the night time sky. When I first lived in Dublin I think I was so caught up by everything else going on around me, I forgot to look up, day or night! As Fred, the astronomer, said in the video, too much light stops us seeing and interpreting the magic of the night sky, for example, street lighting, light from homes, sport pitches lighting etc…
I would like to use the short video of Fred, as a trigger for my class. The information and tips shared by Fred applies to us all. I think the children would hate to see the effect light pollution has on nocturnal animals, affecting their breeding and migration. The Dark Sky Planning Guidelines are simple, effective ways for the children to get thinking and to be active – switching off lights, directing light downwards, only using light when and where needed and using environmentally friendly warm coloured light bulbs. It is important to reiterate to the children that every action we take will help improve visibility in the night sky. Small changes can have a huge impact.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Living & teaching in Kerry has made me very aware of how privileged I am to be close to an International Dark Sky Reserves area. It has been proven that light pollution can have adverse effects on the environment, our health, biodiversity, and our climate (through energy waste). As such it is an objective of the Kerry Co. Council Development Plan (2022-2028), where resources allow, to replace the public lighting system throughout Kerry with a more energy efficient, money saving, dark-sky compliant lighting system.
There are many things we as individuals can also do at home to help reduce light pollution and preserve our dark skies. To engage the children I teach in supporting this I would ask them to carry out a Light Pollution survey, asking their relatives and neighbours to consider what extent they believe the following contribute to light waste, i.e., street lights, traffic headlights, residential outdoor / security lights, lights from local businesses, public buildings, sports grounds & car parks. This will inform the pupils and the general public of what is deemed to be problematic and where improvements could be made.
The students would then explore ways in which light pollution could be decreased. The following questions would be asked:
1. Are all the lights useful? Do they have a clear purpose?
2. Are lighting shields beings used?
3. Are the lights brighter than necessary?
4. Are direct lights used only where needed?
5. Are warm tones being used rather than blue tones?Making the children aware of issues surrounding light pollution and what steps can be taken to help manage it will help to preserve our dark skies for generations to come.
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Impact of Light Pollution in Dublin
Light pollution in Dublin, is having significant effects on various aspects of life and the environment. The phenomenon of skyglow, caused by excessive artificial lighting, has made it increasingly difficult for both amateur and professional astronomers to observe the sky. This brightening of the night sky reduces the visibility of stars and other planetary events, thereby diminishing opportunities for public stargazing and educational activities centred around astronomy.
Beyond its impact on stargazing, light pollution disrupts local ecosystems, particularly affecting wildlife. Nocturnal animals, such as birds and bats, experience altered behaviours due to the presence of artificial light. Birds can become disoriented during their migratory patterns, leading to increased mortality rates, while bats may face challenges in foraging effectively. Additionally, plants are not immune to these changes, as artificial lighting can affect their growth, potentially altering the local flora and fauna dynamics.
Human health is another area significantly impacted by light pollution. The interference of artificial light with natural circadian rhythms can lead to sleep disorders and other health issues. The energy wasted due to inefficient lighting designs adds to carbon emissions, exacerbating climate change and increasing energy costs.
Engaging 5th Class Students
To help my class explore the impact of light pollution in Dublin, I created a structured and interactive lesson plan. The lesson could begin with an introduction to light pollution, discussing what it is and how it differs from other types of pollution. Using visual aids such as pictures of night skies with and without light pollution can make the concept more tangible for the students.
Delving into the local impact of light pollution, the lesson would show the effects on Dublin. These could cover the disruption to wildlife, the altered growth of plants, and impact on humans. Inviting a local astronomer or environmental scientist to speak to the class would provide real-world insights and make the issue more relatable.
The exploration phase of the lesson could involve several engaging activities. A night-time trip to a less light-polluted area (perhaps Phoenix Park) would allow students to observe the night sky using telescopes, comparing their observations with what they see from school or home. This hands-on experience would help them understand the difference in star visibility caused by light pollution. Another activity could involve using online tools or smartphone apps to map areas of Dublin with varying levels of light pollution. Students could then analyse the data collected, discussing why certain areas have higher levels of light pollution than others.
A project on the impact of light pollution on local wildlife would further deepen the students’ understanding. Small groups could investigate different aspects of this topic and present their findings to the class, fostering collaborative learning. This could be complemented by brainstorming sessions on ways to reduce light pollution, encouraging students to think creatively about solutions like promoting better street lighting designs or advocating for “dark sky” policies within the local council.
To conclude the lesson, students could develop a class project aimed at raising awareness about light pollution. This could take the form of a poster campaign, a presentation at an assembly, or a letter-writing campaign to local authorities as part of a literacy lesson. Reflecting on what they have learned and discussing how they can make a difference in their community would help reinforce the importance of taking action. Follow-up activities could involve students observing changes over time and reporting back on any measures they or their families take to reduce light pollution.
Combining hands-on activities, real-world problems, and community involvement, this lesson can help the class gain a deeper understanding of light pollution and its impacts. Encouraging critical thinking and environmental awareness, the students can become more aware of the importance of preserving the night sky and reducing light pollution in the local area.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution can have various impacts on a our local area, including disrupting ecosystems, affecting human health, wasting energy, and obscuring views of the night sky. To engage learners in exploring this topic, you could consider the following activities:
Night Sky Observation: Organise a stargazing session in a darker area away from city lights. Compare the visibility of stars and constellations in a light-polluted area versus a darker area to show the impact of artificial light.
Light Pollution Mapping: Have students research light pollution levels in different parts of your local area using light pollution maps. They can compare the data and analyse how light pollution varies across the region.
Health Impacts Research: Assign students to research the effects of artificial light at night on human health. They can explore how light pollution disrupts sleep patterns, contributes to increased risk of certain diseases, and affects overall well-being.
Community Awareness Campaign: Encourage students to create awareness materials, such as posters or presentations, to educate the community about the impacts of light pollution and ways to reduce it.
Lighting Redesign Project: Challenge students to design outdoor lighting solutions that minimise light pollution while still meeting safety and visibility requirements. This can involve researching energy-efficient lighting options and light-shielding techniques. The children could sketch up their ideas or maybe this could be made into a class art competition.
Engaging learners in hands-on activities, research projects, and real-world applications can help them understand the effects of light pollution on their local area and inspire them to take action to reduce its impact.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
This would be a very interesting topic to explore with students in my school. I work in a city school and many of the children lie in neighbouring housing estates which are lit up by street lights. This is what the children are used to and know no different. However it would be interesting to explore with the children how the sky looks in other parts of the country and world. Many children in my school would have family members living in other parts of the world. It could be a nice opportunity to compare and contrast their view of the sky from wherever in the world they are. We could then further investigate what are the factors which are causing better/ poorer light pollution and what can we do in our locality to improve our light pollution.-
Hi Christina,
Welcome to the course and thank you for sharing your thoughts on this module.
Light pollution is certainly having an impact on every local area, for children in urban areas they may not see the night sky or realise the impact of light pollution on their area. I really like your idea to link in with family members in other areas and even other parts of the world and look at the night sky from their perspective. This would ideally integrate with Geography too.
The children could also look at the design of the street lights and whether they could be changed to further help light pollution in the local area.
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Hi Michelle,
I really like how you suggested the integration with Geography. I feel this topic of Light Pollution would offer a lot of scope for integration across the curriculum. I suggested Maths too. I think it would be a great one to do with Data. Children gather information on lights in their area and share results on a visual.
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In the last 15 years, our local area has had a huge increase in the building of new roads, housing estates, industrial buildings, and school buildings. Due to this infrastructure, there has been a huge increase in artificial light. It is quite shocking to see the same area only 15years ago was covered in fields and paddocks for horses. Much of this artificial light is wasted light. Unshielded lights overpowering the darkness, and the waste of energy is obvious. Streetlights produce most of the light pollution in our locality. Light pollution threatens the health of every living thing on earth. Lights at night affect plant growth too.
It is important to enable the children to learn about ways to reduce light pollution in their area and to identify the simple things that we can do to ensure that light is neighbourhood friendly, energy efficient and to help to preserve dark skies.
With my own students I would use the Framework for Inquiry to assist them in their investigations of “How we can reduce light pollution in our local area”. I would use starter questions as a “trigger” to their thinking around the topic e.g. “Can we make shields for lights to reduce light pollution?”, “Where should lights be directed?” I would then divide the children into groups and design their own “streetscape” using a variety of light sources and deciding as a group where light is needed and where it is not.
Following this I would challenge the groups further by asking them to participate in a design challenge: “Can we make a plan to reduce light pollution in our local area?” The students can share their results in the form of a map or drawings or photographs and an inventory showing the number and type of lights, effectively building a toolkit for reducing light pollution in our local area. I would get the children to use the following link to assist them with their map work. https://www.darksky.org/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2019/06/Dark-Sky-Assessment-Guide-Update-6-11-19.pdf -
Number 1: Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Like many of the other participants I am lucky enough to live in a rural area, surrounded by fields and very little light pollution. The night sky is a sight to behold on a clear night and we often camp out with the children in the garden or surrounding area and take it in. I can however appreciate and recognise an increase in light pollution in my nearest small town; it has developed and expanded in recent decade, which comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Certainly light pollution is an issue but its not something I would have taken note of until it was highlighted in this module.
My pupils also mainly live in a rural part of the country but I can think of lots of examples of light pollution in the local village. I think the children will enjoy engaging with this topic and identifying where artificial light sources are located and how they interfere with the night sky. I would highlight the benefit of sensor lights (which we have in the school). I would also utilise the video clip “Losing the Dark” to get the children to consider the effect light pollution is having on animals/plants/humans. This would all link in really well with our Green Schools initiatives and children could also be part of coming up with ideas/actions to tackle the issue.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Over the last 25 years have seen a huge change in my local envirnoment at night.Living in Co, Meath just 15 miles from Dublin the countryside has changed so much especially at night . There is a costant glow in the sky every night and despite living ina very rural area I can say there is never complete darkness. The national roads have traffic all night will very little quiet time ,the towns and villages and even crossroads have street lighting from dusk to dawn . Residential houses all have outside lighting when dark rather than sensor activated lighting. Traffic on small country roads blind animals and often lead to road kill.
I think you could draw the children’s attention to places in Ireland that are Dark Sky places and ask them what we as individuals can do to lower light pollution . Start with thier homes and the classroom .Ask are we using all the natural light we can and if not what could we do to improve this . Classrooms may have vertical blinds should we open them? Experiment with light bulbs to see which give glaring lights . Use some of the photos in the slides eg, the outside lights with soft and glare lighting .Discuss the insects being attracted . Set a task to record if at home there are lights being left on.
Have classroom discussions on light pollution and how it is changing our environment ,not being able to see the Milky Way in parts of the country and explain why not. All this will help engage children in change.
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Like you said here Róisín, when you look at the changes that have occurred in terms of lighting in our landscape over the years it is not surprising that many of us can no longer see the night sky very clearly. I live on the outskirts of a village where you might assume that the level of light pollution would be relatively low, however I was surprised to see on the light pollution map website that it is higher than I expected. Having done this module though I can now understand what this is the case. There is usually a glow in parts of the night sky from the bigger towns nearby. As well as this, many houses in the area tend to leave on outdoor lights at night which creates the effect of clutter. Also, new street lights were recently installed on the footpath that leads from the village to my house. While this path is used a lot by pedestrians during the day, it is rarely used at night as there would be no businesses open in the village after about 6pm, so it seems wasteful to have a string of street lights on all night long in a location like this. Perhaps having some form of motion sensors that would turn the lights on when needed might be a better solution, as I have seen in other places. Doing a survey on light pollution with a class would certainly be a good way to raise awareness of this problem.
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Hi Roisin
That sounds like a lovely set of activities. Looking at different light bulbs within the classroom is a great way to get the children noticing the effects of different lights on their own vision. This combined with use of pictures and discussion within the classroom will help them think about what to look out for when they start exploring outside the classroom and at home.
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A reflective piece on how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this:
Like many here, I am becoming increasingly aware of the changes occurring to our dark skies.
I think that this topic would be most suited to senior classes so as to have a better chance of some perspective.
Engage: I think the comparison drawn between the skies of 1995 and 2015 would be a great opener to spark discussion using the thinking strategy ‘claim, support, question’.
Explore: This time present two photos of the recent Northern Lights. One would ideally be taken locally and the other taken with either an obviously better or obviously worse view. The children could hypothesize what they think would cause this.
Explain: Next the children can share their ideas and be presented with the ‘what is light pollution’ video.
Elaborate: We could choose a project to work on here, maybe the light pollution map or the light and dark activity. Both would offer the children a chance to connect with this topic.
We could also take part in ‘earthhour.org’ to find practical ways to improve light pollution in our locality.
Evaluate: We could work on a presentation or a quiz here to share our growing knowledge.
Extend: The children could go on to explore how light pollution affects us, nocturnal animals, plants, etc. -
I really enjoyed the light pollution module. In particular, street lighting. My school is located on the outskirts of a small town. I was planning on doing a study of the centre/diamond of the town – historical, economical and now I can add this aspect to the study.
Firstly, as a class I will introduce the term ‘pollution’ and move on to ‘light pollution’ . I would do a living KWL chart which will focus our learning and help us to assess our learning in the end. After exploring light pollution globally, we will then explore light pollution locally. We will carry out a survey of lights in the diamond at different times during the day and the evening/nights. Using a map we can plot the different types of lights and I will ask the pupils to record other information like the colour of the light(soft/harsh), where does the light shine(all around/down/on to a building/ carpark) , how many of these lights are there, how long are they turned on?, are they public/private. After doing our survey we will explore reasons for lighting(safety, deterrents, decorative, advertising, signage). Once we have all this information we an then ask these questions :
Are the lights on my school/home “dark sky friendly”?
• Are they causing light pollution?Then we can make a plan by asking these questions:
What differences could be made by using different light fixtures?
• Would shielding make an improvement?
• Would a different colour light make a difference?Focusing on the street lights, I will ask the children to construct a light fixture that would minimise light pollution. We can try these out using a lamp.torch.
Finally, we will evaluate our findings. Can our town do better when it comes to lighting? Who can we approach if we have recommendations(County Council)?
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this
I have had the great pleasure of living in city setting and a country setting. I am currently living in a city setting for the last 3 years and I have lived the majority of my life in a country setting and I there are significant differences in both settings. Light pollution can significantly impact the city area by disrupting the natural day-night cycle for both humans and wildlife. The excessive artificial lighting can lead to issues like sleep disturbances for residents and confusion for nocturnal animals. What I would do to engage the students in exploring this topic is that I would organize a nighttime excursion to a dark sky location outside the city. This hands-on experience would allow the students to observe the contrast between the natural night sky and the city’s illuminated sky. I would encourage discussions on the effects of light pollution on ecosystems and human health. The students could also conduct research projects on light pollution levels in different areas of the city and propose solutions such as using energy-efficient lighting and implementing light reduction measures in certain areas to mitigate the impact of light pollution.-
I think its really interesting that having read many of the comments on this forum it is really apparent that many of us have, at some stage, lived rurally and been exposed to really good dark skies. Because of shifting demographics this is a privilege that fewer and fewer children are enjoying. All the more reason to preserve the dark skies we have.
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Creating a teaching resource using the Globe at Night- I would see the Globe at Night as being a useful tool to raise children’s awareness of the problem of light pollution. Firstly, I would do the activity described in this module where the children create a streetscape using different types of lighting to mimic the effects of street lights and other artificial light sources, then use a box planetarium to test the effect of light pollution on our ability to see the night sky clearly. This activity would be a good way to introduce the topic and help the children to understand the concept of pollution is and what impact it can have. I noticed on the lightpollutionmap.info website that when you click on a place on a the map if gives a score on the Bortle scale which goes from 1 to 9. A quick Google image search brings up some examples of different views of the sky and where they fall on the scale. The children in my school would range from those who live in housing estates and townhouses to those who live several kilometres out in the countryside, so it would be interesting to see what they think the night sky looks like from their individual houses. Finally, I would adapt the Globe at Night to use with primary school children. We could pick a night where there is no moon and the forecast is for clear skies. I would ask the children to compare what they can see from their house with the star charts from the Globe at Night. We could compare the results from different locations and follow up by doing a survey of light pollution in the area to see why some people can see the night sky more clearly than others.
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Growing up in an Urban area I was always accustomed to going to sleep at night with an orange glow in the room from street lighting. When I moved to a rural setting a nymber of years ago, the dark at night took time to get used to… I walk out the back and can see clearly on a clear night and feel saddened for those who can’t. The night the arora borealis was readily seen in May, I was out studying the sky, like everyone else and really noticed the orange glow above the town, approx 7km away. It was only on reading the environmental impact and the human impace of this sky glow that I realised how harmful it is, also how costly. To explain this to kids, I would look up the dark skies website and show them the various sites around Ireland. There was a lovely experiment detailed on https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/constellations-light-pollution , It details setting up a classroom as dark as you can, using a flashlight with sugar paper covering the light source and a few pin holes in it… gradually increasing the amount of natural light being left back into the room and the effect then on the light coming from the flashlight. Kids will probably be familiar with smog and smoke pollution, but light pollution might be a new concept to them.
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Hi Anthony
Using the recent Aurora Borealis sightings is a great way to start a conversation about dark skies with the children. You could ask if anyone managed to see it. Even though I live in a rural area and can see the stars relatively well from my garden, I have some neighbours with very bright outdoor lighting and a few bright streetlights so I was very disappointed not to be able to see the Aurora myself. Sharing your own experience of now being able to experience darkness at night when you couldn’t previously would be a good way to spark conversations about places the children may have been with higher or lower levels of light pollution
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As many have already said here, living in rural Ireland, I am lucky enough to witness dark skies everynight. I teach in a town about 30 mins away though and the children there would have a different experience at night. Most live in a neighbouring estate. I would fistly brainstorm with the kids about light pollution, maybe through a kwl… Over the course of a week, I will get the children to survey sources of light as they are going to bed at night… we will discuss the environmental risks and the mental health implications for people. We will then move onto designing a plan to reduce light sources in an ideal world… firstly maybe starting in our own school and homes through use of sensor lights then on a larger scale discuss how councils could improve the situation. Maybe discuss a community awareness programme where locals could be educated on the impact of light. Also we might look at simple swaps to led lights and I would show them the energy use od leds compared to traditional lighting.
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Engaging my primary school class in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme presents a great opportunity to blend environmental science, community involvement, and real-world impact. We would start with a fun lesson on light pollution, helping students understand how artificial light affects animals, people, and our view of the night sky. Using simple tools like flashlights and homemade sky viewers, students can see how different types of light affect visibility.
Next, we’d embark on a community awareness campaign. Students could create colorful posters and brochures to inform local residents about reducing light pollution. We could also plan a “Dark Sky Night” at the school, inviting families for stargazing and learning activities.
To make a bigger impact, we’d partner with local businesses and officials to discuss the benefits of shielded lighting. The final phase would involve students documenting their efforts and submitting their project for the “Rising Star” Awards. This project empowers students to make a positive change in their communities.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this
I grew up in a rural setting not far from Cork city. Looking at the light pollution map from 1997 as shown in the module, I would have had a very good quality of stargazing as a kid. However I can’t say that I have any strong memories of the night sky from my childhood which is a bit disappointing and surprising as I was a very outdoorsy child. I do have a clear memory of first seeing the Milky Way, I was in my 20s, camping in the Glen of Aherlow in Tipperary, lying down and looking up at the sky. It was a revelation, even though the same sky must have been apparent over my head countless times before if only I had had the knowledge and desire to perceive it.
I still live rurally near Cork city and teach in a nearby suburban town. According to the light pollution map on http://www.lightpollutionmap.info the children I teach live with light levels of 20.8 magnitude/arc second so the kids should still be able to see the Milky Way on a good night. This lesson has highlighted to me how important it is that the children are made aware of the wonders of the sky above them. This might drive them to look for darker skies and become active in making their environment a less light polluted area.
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Planning a project for your class to take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme.
In creating a project for a 2nd class to participate in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme I would include activities to teach students about light pollution and encourage community involvement. To begin, I would introduce students will to the concept of light pollution through story time and discussions, to help them understand its effects on the environment, particularly on nocturnal animals. They would then observe and identify sources of light pollution in their community by going on a supervised night walk and drawing what they observe, such as streetlights and house lights.
Following this, the students would learn about solutions to reduce light pollution through activities like listening to a guest speaker and creating DIY light shields using paper and cardboard. To raise awareness, they could make posters about the importance of dark skies and present their work to other classes or their parents. The project would also involve community engagement, where students write letters to local authorities or community leaders advocating for better lighting practices and start a “Dark Sky Night” campaign encouraging the community to turn off unnecessary lights for one night.
The entire project can be documented through photos, student journals, and a video compilation, showcasing the students’ activities and experiences. The documentation will be compiled into a project portfolio and submitted to the Rising Star Awards.
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Hi Orla
That sounds like a great project. I love the idea of community involvement, moving from awareness of the issues to coming up with solutions and then the active engagement with local authorities and the local community to try to have some of their solutions implemented. Having a wide range of ways for your pupils to document their work on the project is sure to keep the interest going in your class especially if they can persuade local authorities to engage with them on dark sky friendly lighting or encourage their families and others to turn off unnecessary lights at night.
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I found this module very interesting. Having moved from Dublin back to a rural area in Galway I can definitely attest to the huge difference in light pollution. It was really highlighted recently when the northern lights were visible over Ireland, getting amazing views here in our dark sky location.
To begin I would briefly introduce the concept of light pollution and its effects. I would describe the different types of light pollution (skyglow, glare, light trespass, clutter) and show examples and images for each type. Next I would discuss the impacts of light pollution on:
Astronomy: Reduces visibility of celestial objects.
Wildlife: Disrupts natural behaviours and habitats.
Human Health: Affects sleep patterns and circadian rhythms.Following on from this I would show the Globe at Night website and navigate through the resources available on the whiteboard. Then I would provide students with an opportunity to explore the website and constellations at the various magnitudes. After which we would come back and share our findings/ points of interest. I would then encourage the children to complete their own globe at night observation at home and ask them to bring their findings to share in the next class. After analysing the findings this would then lead on to carrying out some investigations such as the one featured in the module about how can we reduce the effects of light pollution and how we could adapt the local environment to do so. I think the children would love getting involved and contributing to the campaign.
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Hi Emer,
I found it interesting to hear that you noticed a visible difference in the night sky between Dublin and Galway. I liked the suggestion of allowing the children to use the websites to encourage them to look at constellations as some stars might be visible to them, but others might not be as clear with the influence of light pollution.
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When I was growing up our home had a view of Cork Airport and it stood out as being the only bright lights around at night. Now the airport is surrounded by a business park and when I visit home at night the light from the entire airport complex is considerably larger.
Where I live now is still in a rural area about 15 km outside of Cork City. There is quite a bit of one-off housing and because it is in a rural area people like to have lights in their driveways as there is no public lighting. We use solar lights that are down-lit and are on a sensor so they only come on when needed but most homes near us have constant lighting at night and much of it is blue-toned. It can look lovely but it does come at a cost as described in this module, impacting wildlife, our skies and even our own circadian rhythm.
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How is light pollution affecting my local area?
I am very fortunate to be living in a rural part of Ireland, we have no street lights or lit up buildings in the area, and so do not suffer from much glare, light trespass or clutter. At night we can general see the stars and moon quite clearly, something my family really appreciates. However, despite being a good distance from the nearest town or built up area, we do experience sky glow in certain areas, and it does intrude on the views of the sky – something that is increasing over the years as nearby areas become more built up and creep closer to where we live.
In contrast, I teach in a large town, where most of my learners experiences are very different – I’m sure many of them would not remember seeing a clear view of the stars from their garden or window, except perhaps during a powercut! This was really brought to my attention after the recent show of northern lights I watched from my bedroom window – but almost none of my students were as fortunate.
I think there are some great tools in this module to engage my learners to explore this – the Mayo dark skies video – Time to protect the night would be a fantastic starting point to introduce the topic of light pollution. I think the questions to prompt children to explore light pollution from their own home would drive home the relevance of the topic for them. And the design challenge – to think about light pollution in their school or home, and make a plan to reduce it – would encourage them to consider that they could have an impact on light pollution themselves.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I live in Drogheda and have grown up with the affects of light pollution all my life. I only ever realise these affects when I go to places that have a lot less light pollution. A few years ago, I was in a rural area in France and I could not get over how clear the night sky was, I would see shooting stars on a regular basis. It was fascinating!
For children in Urban areas: I would highlight the difference in light pollution from 1997 to 2015 by showing the background growth of light images. I would also start the lesson by questioning children’s understanding of pollution. If light pollution does not get mentioned I would explain that light is also a cause of pollution.
I would show images of different types of light pollution: Glare, sky glow, light clutter and trespass. It will be difficult for children to understand how light is a polluter therefore using images and you tube videos will help.
I live near the beach and I find that the location is a lot darker than more rural areas. I would encourage children to take a trip with their family in the evening to see the difference in the night sky.
To further reflect: I would discuss with children possible solutions to limit sky pollution. I would conduct a classroom investigation by setting up a model streetscape with a variety of light sources. This will help the children decide where light is needed and where it is not. This should help them come up with their own solutions for reducing light pollution in the wider community.
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Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for sharing your own experiences of the night sky. Living in rural France must have been great to really experience the night sky. Having grown up in a rural area myself, I began to appreciate the night sky when I moved to urban areas for work.
I like how to want to assess the children’s prior knowledge of pollution and to also introduce the concept of light pollution. I also really like your idea to create a model streetscape where the children can determine for themselves how to reduce light pollution.
I hope you enjoy the course.
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Light pollution in the west of Ireland is disrupting natural ecosystems, affecting wildlife behavior, and diminishing the visibility of the night sky, which is a significant concern for astronomical observations and cultural heritage. Urban expansion and increased use of artificial lighting contribute to skyglow, which hampers stargazing and the natural nocturnal environment.
To engage learners in exploring light pollution without a field trip, I would implement a hands-on, week-long observation project. Here’s the plan:
Introduction Session: Begin with an informative session explaining light pollution, its sources, and impacts on the environment and astronomy. Use multimedia presentations and local examples.
Observation Activity: Instruct students to observe the night sky from their homes each night for a week. Provide them with a simple star chart and encourage them to note the visibility of specific constellations and stars.
Data Collection: Students will record their observations, noting weather conditions, the time of observation, and any artificial lights visible in their vicinity.
Analysis and Reporting: Each week, have students bring their recorded data to school. Facilitate group discussions to compare observations, identify patterns, and discuss variations.
Project Compilation: Guide students in compiling their findings into a comprehensive report, including charts and graphs, to visually represent the impact of light pollution in their area.
Reflection and Action: Encourage students to reflect on their findings and brainstorm possible solutions to mitigate light pollution locally, fostering a sense of environmental stewardship. -
Light pollution is impacting on my local area as I am living in Cork City. There is a glow of the city lights at night time causing a glare, sky glow and light trespass. As the nights are already at their shortest during the summer months, the impact of flood lights during matches, stage lights during concerts and other night time events, have resulted in light pollution being amplified. This is impacting wildlife, people’s circadian rhythms, and overall visibility of the Milky Way.
I would engage learners to explore this by asking them to brainstorm ways to reduce light pollution in the skies at night. Once these have been discussed I would highlight the 5 principles for responsible out door lighting- making sure the lights are:-
1. Useful
2. Targeted
3. Have low light level
4. They are controlled
5. That they use warm coloured light.
I would also encourage the children to survey the lights in the immediate area and question if there is need for all the lighting measures, if there are timers in place or if the lights are focussed downward.
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I don’t think I would really understand what light pollution is had I not experienced a totally black sky on a number of occasions outside of Dublin. Living in the city it’s easy to believe that it is dark outside, but having a baby in the house makes you notice the light creeping in around the window. Then it becomes hard not to notice the neon signs, advertising boards, drive throughs, floodlights and of course, traffic lights. If we cannot get a sense of darkness I wonder how this must impact all living creatures sense of day and night, and what the implication of that might be.
To engage my learners with this concept I would wait until the winter months, and ask them to have their parent take a photo, without flash, in an outdoor space at night. Many of my pupils live in apartments, in an urban area, so their photos would likely show quite a lot of light. Then I would take some rural night photos, and compare and contrast in class what they see. Then as a second part we would explore what is light pollution, and the next night I would ask them to go back to the same place and look at sources of light in the night sky. Finally, I’d ask them how light pollution could be improved in our local school area and explore some places on Google Earth at night to show how significant light pollution can be.
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Hi Fiona,
I really like your idea of taking photos at night without a flash and comparing the rural and urban photos in the classroom. It is a great example of using the world around us while also making connections with the concept of light pollution. It also encourages the pupils to look at their own local area and the sources of light and what changes could be made.
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I live in an urban area in County Limerick and light pollution is impacting our environment and quality of life. The excessive artificial light from street lamps, buildings, and vehicles obscures our view of the night sky and disrupts the natural behaviour of local wildlife. Nocturnal animals, such as bats and moths, rely on darkness for their feeding and breeding patterns, which are now being disturbed. The loss of a clear night sky also disconnects us from the wonder of stargazing. Additionally, light pollution can disrupt our sleep patterns, potentially leading to various health issues.
It is important that the children recognise how the lighting in our environment affects our ability to see the night sky. To engage my students, I would get them to conduct a survey about the sources of light in our locality and map these. We could discuss the necessity for these lights and explore better alternatives.
Additionally, I would use resources such as the videos “What is Light Pollution?” and “Exploring Colour” to increase the children’s understanding of the topic. I would encourage the children to discuss how light pollution is impacting nocturnal animals and human health. We could also participate in the “Globe at Night” program to measure and document light pollution levels in our county, contributing to a global database. Integrating art and science, we could create posters to raise awareness in our school and wider community about the importance of reducing light pollution.
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I am from rural Donegal where there is great visibility and very little light pollution at night. This contrasts hugely to Dublin where I teach, which due to street lighting, business signs and housing offers poor visibility. This was particularly evident with the recent visibility of the northern lights throughout Ireland. When comparing pictures of the Donegal skyline and the Dublin skyline, they were much more obvious in Donegal due to less light pollution. I think it is inevitable in a city that light pollution will be on the rise due to changes in technology and expansion. It is important to preserve areas of no light pollution and ensure that we all work together to ensure this happens.
This is a topic more suited to senior classes. I think it would be an interesting project for the children to compare various places in the world and rank them in order of highest to lowest light pollution. They could print pictures of each place and make a visual display. They could also invite a local councillor in to talk about what they are doing to ensure light pollution is minimised. It ties in with global citizenship and being active members of the community. I think it would be a very interesting project for the children to undertake.
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Hi Clodagh,
What a contrast for you between Donegal and Dublin. Sharing images or your own experience with your pupils would be really engaging for them and also would lead nicely into your idea for a project. The display would be a great example of their learning and would also add to the children’s understanding of light pollution across the world and will tie in with global citizenship as you have mentioned.
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Living in the countryside about 5 kilometers from a large town offers a mix of serenity and starry nights, but light pollution is becoming an increasingly noticeable issue. The glow from the town often permeates the night sky, casting a diffuse brightness that intrudes on the visibility of the Milky Way. This artificial light competes with the natural darkness, making it challenging to fully appreciate the stars. Additionally, outdoor floodlights around the house, activated by movement, further exacerbate the problem. These lights can be particularly intrusive when trying to stargaze, their sudden brightness disrupting the eye’s adaptation to the dark.
However, on clear nights, especially during a new moon, the experience can be breathtaking. When the floodlights are turned off, the sky reveals its full splendor. The Milky Way stretches across the horizon, and various constellations and planets become visible in all their glory. It’s a stark reminder of what’s lost to light pollution. Efforts to minimize unnecessary lighting, such as using lower-intensity bulbs and shielding outdoor lights, could help preserve the night sky’s natural beauty.
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Hi Conor
I think light pollution has been a problem in our towns and cities for a long time but like you I live in a rural area and it is very noticable in recent years that there is very little darkness anymore. The presence of very bright outdoor lighting around rural houses has become so common and the shelves of garden centres are filled with a huge array of solar garden lights. All of these lights are damaging to human health and wellbeing and disastrous for wildlife, very wasteful of electricity and I find them very distracting and dangerous when driving at night. One or 2 small low intensity shielded lights may be useful for security outside a house but in the majority of cases these lights serve no useful purpose so more education and emphasis on reducing light pollution could as you said bring back the beauty of the night sky and bring benefits to both people and wildlife.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I noticed recently how bright the sky is even in the middle of the night. I was driving to cork airport at 3 am and i was thinking about how it should be pitch dark but there was a glow in the sky as if the sun was rising. To be totally honest i was completely unaware of Light pollution. I didn’t realise it was a thing. I am fortunate enough to live out the country so it isn’t too bad where i live but i do work in the town where i grew up and i can now see how important it is to address the situation. The pupils i work with come from all over Kerry so they would all have a different experience of the night sky and i would love to look into this with them and address the topic as a class.
I would begin by showing videos of light pollution to draw their attention to the subject. For example the Losing the dak Video’. We would look at the light pollution map and see which areas are the most lit up and which areas are the darkest. https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/
We would look at different types of lighting and the evolution of lighting over the centuries. There is great scope for many different lessons here.
We would use the space week lesson on light pollution to see where light is needed and where it isn’t. We would look at the satellite images to see the wasted light and energy.
Following on from this we would look at the impacts it has on humans, animals as insects.-
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for sharing your own thoughts, while covering this course I was also up early and I actually began to take notice of the street lights in the area around me. Having grown up in the countryside I didn’t appreciate the dark night sky until I moved to an urban area.
It would be interesting to cover this with your pupils given that they are from different areas and to see what their experiences are, you also have the Dark Sky Reserve in Kerry that might be of interest to your pupils. You have developed a good plan to explore light pollution with your class and make connections to their own lives.
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3. Light pollution significantly impacts our local area by obscuring the night sky, disrupting ecosystems, and affecting human health. The excessive and misdirected artificial lighting makes it difficult to observe stars and planets, hindering astronomical activities and diminishing our connection to the natural night environment. This artificial brightness also disrupts nocturnal wildlife, altering their behaviors and habitats. To engage my learners in exploring this issue, I will organize night-time observation sessions and have them compare visibility in areas with different levels of light pollution. Students will use light meters to measure and record light levels, noting the effects on visibility and the environment. I will also arrange guest talks with local astronomers and environmentalists to provide expert insights. Finally, students will participate in a community awareness project, creating presentations or posters to educate others about light pollution and advocate for responsible lighting practices. This hands-on approach will foster a deeper understanding and proactive attitude towards mitigating light pollution
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Q1
I am living and teaching in an urban area and it is clear that light pollution is present in the form of light glare from the vast number of cars on the road at night; light trespass from unnecessary light coming from closed shops and office windows as well as unwanted light from the local GAA pitch illuminating neighbouring houses; and light clutter from excessive lighting from street lamps.
Light pollution in the form of poorly designed lights are impacting the area by being a risk to pedestrians and drivers at night.
Light pollution impacts nocturnal animals, affecting their breeding and migration habits. And it affects plant growth in the area for e.g. our local community garden.
Personally I notice how light pollution from the neighbouring GAA pitch casts unwanted light into my back garden which can affect my sleep.To explore light pollution in our area I would engage the children firstly by showing them the images of the ‘Growth of Light in Ireland’ in 1997 and 2015 and even get an up to date image and use these to stimulate discussion about the progression of light pollution in Ireland.
Using images as triggers we will brainstorm possible causes of light pollution. I like the simple video comparing 2 street lamps one with a blue light which attracts insects away from food sources vs a warmer light which doesn’t attract insects and would show this to elicit talk around the colour of lights and how more warm coloured lights should be used in public areas as a way to reduce light pollution.
Using the NWS video on Light Pollution, the class could then come up with more ideas on how to reduce the pollution e.g. switching lights off, only use lighting where needed, shielding lights, directing light (street lamps) downwards and away from reflective surfaces. -
How light pollution is affecting my local area
Light pollution is lighting at the wrong place or wrong time. Light pollution is easy to fix but can have a big impact on where people live. There are four different types of light pollution: Glare, sky glow, light trepass and clutter.
In my area I feel there is alot of light pollution from the street lights that surround the area. This lighting also affects biodiversity, bluer lighting attracts insects away from natural food sources whereas warmer lighting does not. Our circadian rhythm is affected by lighting too, it is better to use warmer tones in the evening and at night as this makes us more sleepy instead of using bluer tones.
There are plenty of different ways to reduce light pollution in our towns and cities, these include angling street lights down, directing light only where it is needed, using lights only when needed and by avoiding blue tones and choosing warm tones.
I think this would be an interesting topic to discuss with my class, I would introduce the subject area by asking them if we can make a plan to reduce light pollution in our area. I would get the students to make a model streetscape, deciding where light is needed and then encourage them to change the direction of the light using shields. We could then discuss their results and compare designs. -
Clodagh, it was good of you to remind us of the beautiful skylines and multicolour sunsets which were visible in Donegal recently with the Northern lights. I actually took a few photos driving into Letterkenny and further west behind Muckish Mountain, Errigal Mountain and the Atlantic which I can not use in my own class project on light pollution.This can be a stark contrast with Light Pollution in Dublin where I live and teach.
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For the lesson on Light Pollution in the school area, which we would define using Google Maps. We would keep the area fairly restricted to enable a thorough examination of the different roads and street/road lighting, parks, schools and commercial properties with which the children are familiar with.The main emphasis would be our own school building, yard and footpaths and road adjacent to the school.
I would firstly help the children define what they understand as Light Pollution. Secondly, we would compile a list of the “main offenders” of Light Pollution; office buildings which are lit all night, multiple strong sensor lights in school yard or back/ front gardens, Neon lights on Commercial buildings such as cafes which are not switched off when businesses are closed, open street lighting which does not have shades to point light downwards, etc.
Thirdly, we would list the implications of such “over lighting”.These would include the inability to view the Dark Skies, interference with Natural Habitats and Nocturnal Animals, excessive cost and waste of electricity and the negative impact of bluer/led lighting on humans in their day /night routine and general wellbeing.
I would get a group to work on the development of the light bulb from the oil lamp in 1780 to the modern day led lighting, to ascertain what advantages/ disadvantages they all have in regard to Light Pollution. I would gather examples of same and light them in the darkened classroom to compare and contrast them and get the children to write a short report on their findings.
I would invite one or two public representatives to the school to show them the childrens’ findings and what changes they would like to see regarding |Light Pollution in the immediate area. We would also present the findings on the Light Pollution in our immediate school premises and yard to the school assembly, to teach the younger children the importance and the magic of the Dark Skies.
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Light pollution is increasingly affecting the night skies in Cork City, obscuring stars and planets due to artificial light from the area. This not only hampers our ability to observe celestial phenomena but also disrupts ecosystems and impacts human well-being. In cities like Cork, the glow from lights drowns out all but the brightest stars, preventing many from experiencing a truly dark sky and missing the awe of a star-filled night.
To engage children in exploring light pollution, start with discussions on its impact using visuals and videos. Organise evening trips to rural areas with minimal light pollution for comparison. Involve them in citizen science projects like Globe at Night to measure and report local light pollution levels. Encourage creative expression through drawing, painting, or writing about the differences between light-polluted and dark skies. Practical projects like building light shields and using planetarium apps can also help children understand and address the issue, inspiring them to become advocates for preserving dark skies. -
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Light pollution in Ireland is increasingly impacting the environment, wildlife, and human health. Excessive artificial lighting disrupts nocturnal ecosystems, affecting species such as bats, moths, and seabirds, which rely on natural darkness for navigation and feeding. This disruption can lead to decreased biodiversity and altered behaviours in these species. Human health is also affected, with studies linking light pollution to sleep disorders and increased risks of certain diseases due to the suppression of melatonin production.
Engaging students at school to explore light pollution could be both educational and impactful. For example, teachers could:
1: Organise citizen science projects: Encourage students to participate in citizen science projects like “Globe at Night,” where they can measure and report on local light pollution levels.
2: Hands-on Experiments: Conduct experiments to demonstrate the effects of light pollution on plants and animals, such as observing plant growth under different lighting conditions or tracking nocturnal animal activity.
3: Interactive Workshops: Host workshops that involve mapping local light sources, discussing sustainable lighting solutions, and creating awareness campaigns, trips to Blackrock Observatory.By combining the kids’ learning with scientific enquiry, us teachers can definitely play a part in fostering a deeper understanding and commitment to minimising light pollution.
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Dublin experiences significant light pollution due to its urban environment, with streetlights, advertising signs, and outdoor lighting contributing to skyglow and glare. This excessive artificial light reduces visibility of stars, disrupts local wildlife, and affects human health by interfering with sleep patterns. There are plenty of different activities that can engage children to explore this issue of light pollution. A light pollution simulation is one activity where children create a simple model to demonstrate how artificial light spreads and affects visibility. Use a dark box and a flashlight to simulate how light pollution occurs. Another activity where students can highlight the issue of light pollution is to have students create posters about the impacts of light pollution and how to reduce it. Display these in the school to raise awareness. By involving students in these activities, they can better understand the implications of light pollution and contribute to promoting solutions.
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Light pollution is increasingly encroaching upon Ireland’s once-starry skies, masking the Milky Way and disrupting local ecosystems. In my area, the glow from streetlights and urban sprawl diminishes our natural nocturnal environment, affecting wildlife and our ability to appreciate the night sky.
To engage learners, I would start this theme with a hands-on approach, with the intention of completing a variety of activities over the course of the fortnight. We could map out light pollution in our area using simple tools like lightpollutionmap.info. This activity would not only show the extent of light pollution but also highlight its impact on wildlife and human health through discussion. We’d then analyse data and compare our findings with historical star maps to understand how light pollution has evolved.
Next, we would engage in some experiments using spectroscopes and colour wheels to explore light. We would also look at the experiment based on the box planetarium and examine results.
The students could create awareness campaigns, designing posters and ICT resources to educate the community. This would help them grasp the importance of preserving our night skies and empower them to advocate for responsible lighting practices. By integrating technology, real-world data, and creative projects, learners would gain a deeper appreciation for both science and environmental stewardship. I would take a cross curricular approach and provide plenty of opportunities for integration.
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Light Pollution
Light Pollution is really effecting our society. I really enjoyed learning about it in this module, not only does it effect costs, it really has a significant impact on our biodiversity.
To engage students in this topic of Light discussion, I would impose a statement on the children suggesting how long lights are left on throughout the year and the amount of street lights in Ireland. This would trigger a conversation among the children. I would than arrange the children into groups and each group would have to brainstorm ways that we could reduce light pollution.
Other ways that we could look at the topic of light pollution is getting the children to design posters encouraging people in areas to switch of any unnecessary lights in areas. This topic of Light discussion also allows for some integration with Maths (Data). They could do some research on street lights in their own town and share their results on a visual (barchart/ piechart)
Overall, I think Light pollution would be a very interesting topic to do with children and I think it would be very beneficial. It offers a lot of discussion and integration across the curriculum. -
Module 3 Assignments: A reflective piece on how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I grew up in a rural area on the Kildare, Wicklow border so as a child we were afforded many opportunities to see clear, unpolluted night skies! Weren’t we fortunate to be part of a generation that made their way home only when it began getting dark. I remember learning all about consolations from some of the older children and have fond memories of camping out especially for meteor showers.
I teach in a rural school, mostly surrounded by farms and fields where the children in the area would be afforded opportunities to see clear night skies. Most recently however, the Co. Co. have put up street lights all along the little country road. To what benefit? I’m not sure. They weren’t petitioned for and many locals were surprised when the works began. After studying this module and learning about the different types of lights I believe these street lights are only partially shielded. Perhaps while exploring light pollution, the students could contact the local Co. Co. and ask if these could be fully shielded.
Once informed of the negative effects of light pollution, I believe students in our school would be motivated to create a community awareness campaign and like David said above, they could design posters encouraging people in areas to switch of any unnecessary lights in indoor and outdoor areas. As Una mentioned above, students could let the residents in the local community know that one or two small low intensity shielded lights may be useful for security outside a house as in the majority of cases big outdoor lights or flood lights serve no useful purpose so more education and emphasis on reducing light pollution is necessary.
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Firstly, I (the teacher) had little or no idea of the impact of light pollution on biodiversity. I did know that blue light affects sleep but in truth, I didn’t think about it beyond that. I grew up in Galway City, with street lights outside. Generally orange in color, if I remember correctly, is this a better kind of street light? I wonder if whoever decided that street lights would be orange did so for the sake of biodiversity? Sometimes, I think, modern life decision-makers forget the why when deciding to ‘change things’. I now live in rural county Kerry with no street lights and a magnificent night sky on a clear night!!
My school is an urban school and as such, it is always bathed in light; the night sky is not dark there. Streetlights, house lights, garden lights, etc all illuminate the night. The night sky is invisible because of this light. I wonder if students know what they are missing? Not to mention the broader implications on local biodiversity and our own health – Nocturnal animals, who hunt and navigate in the dark; Birds, insects, and other creatures who are drawn to artificial lights; trees are photosynthesising for longer hours; and human’s circadian rhythms are disrupted, impacting sleep quality and overall health and wellbeing.Awareness is key; to engage in exploring this, a conversation followed by showing the videos from this module, ‘What is Light Pollution?’ and ‘Exploring Color’, the 4 categories of light pollution as well as the components of light pollution and its effects.
Then an investigation of their local area and wider world (through technology, holidays, relations/ paired school’s experiences). Prompts include number or type lights, distance between them, hiding places for animals, etc. What can be changed/ improved by us/ council/ community, how to raise awareness among school/ community/ positions of authority. Decide on changes to be made, make them, log and compare results.
There are websites that will encourage, enlist and engage people actively in improving nighttime pollution. Susan Geaney highlighted them earlier in the month: Participate in Globe at Night: https://www.globeatnight.org/
Participate in Earth Hour: https://www.earthhour.org/
https://www.noao.edu/education/files/TheNightYouHatched.pdf
Find out about Dark Skies in Ireland and around the world: http://www.mayodarkskypark.ie/ , http://kerrydarksky.com/ and http://www.darksky.org/
Find out how assessing the lighting needs of your school is linked to Green Schools Energy Theme?
Light pollution awareness is definitely a topic that will benefit the children’s own growth and health if they understand the impacts of light pollution and take responsibility for improving things as they grow. -
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Module 3 Assignments: A reflective piece on how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
As I live in a rural area light pollution is not a huge problem, however there are pupils in my class who reside in more urban areas where light pollution definitely affects their ability to see the true night sky.
To engage learners in exploring light pollution, I would start with encouraging pupils to do a night-time observation session in their own area, we could discuss what different pupils see at night and identify differences. We could also utilize resources like Stellarium to simulate what the night sky should look like without light pollution. As a class project, students could research the impacts of light pollution on the environment and propose community initiatives to reduce it, such as advocating for shielded street lighting and promoting awareness campaigns. This hands-on approach will help them understand the significance of preserving our night sky.-
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I too live and work in a rural area, with pupils coming from the area as well as a local town. Making comparisons between both areas is a valuable lesson, as teaching the future engineers and professional it is important to instill in them how precious our environments are, not only to ourselves but in relation to light pollution in particular, the planet. Rural communities are constantly ‘developing’ their areas to be ‘safer’ and have amenities available to it’s residence, an awareness of short and long term effects of their ideas for ‘improvement’ is key to helping make positive future developments.
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I was actually very disappointed to view the pollution level of my local area on the online interactive map that shows light pollution and sky brightness. I just assumed living in the countryside of Ireland would mine that my local area was not majorly polluted but I was very surprised to see this and as a result, I would definitely show my group of learners this map as they may also feel the same. When teaching my class, I think I would start off with an SPHE lesson discussing phone and other technology. I would discuss blue light that these devices omit and to discuss the harmful effects of these blue lights on people, particularly the negative impact these lights have on people’s sleep. I would then continue this into an SESE lesson, which looks at light in general and the negative impacts that this pollution also has on our sleep, but further to animals. I would then show them the many videos and resources that were included in the slides on light pollution and then I would have the class to observe light pollution around the school and in their local environment.
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Hi Laura
Yes the light pollution map is a real eye opener. It is shocking to see the increase in light pollution over such a short number of years. Your assumption that your local area is not much affected by light pollution is a good example of shifting baseline syndrome, where people accept that the condition of the environment around them is normal. We most likely experienced darker skies in the past, but probably not to the extent that people of previous generations did and because the increase in light pollution has been gradual, we often don’t see it as a problem or realise how much better it would be for ourselves and for nature if the skies were darker. Using the blue light from a phone is a good prompt for a lesson on light pollution as children will probably have heard about the negative effects on people and it is a good way to begin a discussion on other forms of light pollution.
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Hi Laura, I totally agree with your comment above. I was shocked to see how heavily polluted my area is too. You would think that the countryside would be that bit less than the city!
Yes, totally agree that it would be interesting to show a group of young learners and get them to discuss what they could do in their local area.
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Hi Laura,
I enjoyed reading your post and I have to agree that, the map is a shocker alright. The effects of light pollution is something that I certainly had not considered and perhaps Una is right with her point that it could be ‘shifting baseline syndrome’. We definitely need to make pupils aware and encourage them to share this knowledge with others.
Brendan
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Question 3:
I had never heard of the Dark Sky Rising Star award before and I really liked that it essentially honours pupils and students from any education level who, through project work or otherwise, show great enthusiasm and commitment “to dark sky conservation and/or research into the nocturnal habitat, human health, safety, security, or other areas in the context of natural darkness and light pollution.” That is a broad range of options for a project of this nature and would require considerable planning.
After the series of lessons on Dark Sky, I would show examples of successful projects that have won the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme in the past, e.g. https://darksky.org/news/announcing-the-2023-darksky-award-winners/. We would then look at the criteria for winning the award and the benefits of participating in the programme.
Divide pupils into small groups and assign each group a specific topic related to light pollution and dark sky preservation (e.g. effects on wildlife, human health, energy consumption).
Have pupils research their assigned topic using Scoilnet/Symbaloo Learning Pathways that would be created for them. Encourage them to take notes and gather information to support their project proposal.
In their groups, have pupils brainstorm project ideas that address their assigned topic and align with the criteria for the “Rising Star” Awards Programme. Encourage creativity and innovation in their proposals.
Each group will create a Padlet or a Canva presentation outlining their project idea, including the goals, methods, and potential impact of their project on dark sky preservation. Groups will present their proposals to the rest of the class.
Given that our school is in Mayo, perhaps bring pupils to Wild Nephin National Park and after the visit have them reflect on how they can personally contribute to dark sky preservation in the local area. -
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Light pollution has a huge impact on the local area in which I live. I think it’s most obvious when you compare and contrast it with another area in which light pollution has little effect. I grew up in Dublin where streetlights and car lights are the norm. What I had experienced of ‘dark’ was never really darkness. On clear night we could see some stars but it was only when i was exposed to a truly dark night sky on a farm in west Cork that I was taken aback by the stars I could see. It was incredible and I was mesmerised. The school I work in is also located in Dublin and lots of the children have never been outside the city. Therefore I think it could be a great project to start looking at contrasting light polluted areas.
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I would begin a lesson based on how light is affecting your local area by questioning the children about light pollution to spark their interest.
I would use questions such as:
What is light pollution?
What are the main sources of light pollution?
How are we affected as humans and how is the environment affected?After some talk and discussion on light pollution, I would show the children the video from NSW ‘What is Light Pollution’ as a trigger to spark their interest in the topic. After this, we would discuss the impact on humans’ circadian rhythm, effects on nocturnal animals and on sea life as well as the cost of money regarding artificial lighting and the waste of fossil fuels.
I would ask the children to discuss in their groups ways in which our local area contributes to light pollution and ways in which we are doing well in this area. After they discuss this, I will hear their thoughts. I will then take out the tablets and introduce the children to the website ‘planning.nsw.gov.eu’. I will model on the IWB how I might research planning to reduce light pollution and help with the issue in your locality. I would tell the children we will be going on a field trip to our local town to investigate light pollution in the coming days. The children would then research in their groups ways in which they could reduce light pollution. After they have done that, they can present their findings in their groups. Before their field trip the children could do research on their tablets on the light pollution website measuring light pollution in their locality. After the fieldtrip the children could discuss their findings regarding light pollution from their town and discuss if their research on the light pollution in their locality coincides with the reality of what they saw on their field trip.
As a follow on from this lesson the children could be given an individual project based on light pollution for their homework. The children could be given recommendations for various websites and useful images to aid their research. Recommendations could include the wondering in the dark video for the older children, growth of light in Ireland slides, articles on dark skies for your locality and the light pollution map website, measuring light pollution affecting your area. This lesson could be integrated with history and a lesson on artificial light over time could be done and a timeline of artificial light could be created. -
I would engage the students with a reflective story about my past
Reflection of light pollution in my lifetime
I have lived in the same area for over 50 years. A childhood where it would be strange to hear a car pass in the night. We loved looking up at the night sky and could spot many of the constellations. Street lights were not part of the immediate locality. In our house we had one outdoor light that we would put on if we were going outside. Now it is an unrecognisable place. The hum of traffic is constant. Incandescent street lights have been replaced by Led white light bulbs and they are placed at regular intervals every couple of metres.
While LED lights have a massive 80% efficiency it is at a cost to the environment. It is estimated white LED lamps have a 5 times greater impact on Circadian sleep rhythms than their predecessors. The impact on our night shy’s is huge. No longer can I see the mesmerising constellations or star lit sky. Instead it has been replaced by the Starlink satellites passing through our night skies like Santa’s sleigh. The impact on our wildlife is also negative with birds and insects affected.
We would then count the number of lights in the classroom. We would add on to this the other items that create light in our classroom, e.g. Laptop, whiteboard, ipads
For homework students would survey how many lights they have on at at a particular time.
Compare results, develop discussion to now and then. Promote and enquire about sensor lights / timed lights advantages and disadvantages
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Hi Catherine
I love the idea of your reflective story. Just reading it here is a very powerful reminder of how much we have lost. Your point about the LED lights is well made. They are far more efficient but as with a lot of energy efficiency measures, the energy saving from the efficiency of the bulbs, is more than wiped out by the number of lights installed the vast majority of which are unnecessary. I think a survey at home of lights and a discussion on solutions would be a good follow up to your story as the children would be more aware of lighting after hearing you speak.
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Hi Marian,
Light pollution has definitely increased in recent years. I think getting the children to think what we can do as individuals and what we can do at home is definitely worth highlighting to the children in your class. I really like your list of questions which you plan to explore with the children.
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To engage my third-class students with this topic, I’d start with a simple, interactive lesson that helps them understand what light pollution is and how it impacts our ability to observe the night sky.
We’d begin by discussing what light pollution is and why it’s a problem—explaining how excessive artificial light from streetlights, buildings, and cars makes the night sky bright and obscures our view of stars and planets. I’d then show them before-and-after images of the night sky in areas with and without light pollution to illustrate the difference.
For a hands-on project, we could create a “Night Sky Observer’s Diary” where students track and record observations of the night sky from their homes or school, noting any visible stars and constellations. They’d use this diary to understand how light pollution affects their observations.
To deepen their understanding, we could participate in a “Globe at Night” citizen science program, where students report their local night sky visibility. This would not only teach them about light pollution but also involve them in a real-world science project, making their learning experience more engaging and meaningful.
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How light pollution is affecting my local area:
Light pollution is undoubtedly affecting my area and it is evident even without the contrasting maps shown in this module. Modern homes have sensor lights, decorative lights in the apex of rooves, driveway lights, lights at entrance walls…and most of it is unnecessary. Furthermore many homes now are built with a floor to ceiling glass feature wall which also may contribute to light pollution. Urban sprawl has meant that commercial light pollution has spread further and further into suburbs and satellite towns. Street lights in new housing estates also contribute to light pollution.
How I would engage learners to explore this: The children would conduct research by investigation potential sources of light pollution in the school environs and local area. The children would walk around these areas and record sources of light, shielding, timing and light colour. The children would examine each light source using the 5 principles for responsible outdoor lighting (useful, targeted, low levels, controlled, colour). Children could approach the local town council with suggestions to improve light pollution in their area e.g use of extra shielding. The children could also create an informative flyer for parents and local residents informing them of the 5 principles. The children could encourage a ‘day of action’ where every homeowner would make one improvement to the light quality on their property. Finally the children could conduct a survey of local residents to investigate if they changed one aspect in their home to lessen light pollution.
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Hi Kevin
You are so right about the numbers of unnecessary lights on houses now. I really can’t understand why people feel the need to have so many lights. I have also noticed in recent years the huge growing trend for garden lighting with garden centres having multiple shelves of solar garden lights. I love the idea of getting the children involved in awareness raising around this issue. The creation of a flyer and the day of action are both great ideas to encourage people to change something in their home. I really like the idee of the survey. Perhaps parents and others could be asked to complete a survey before or at the start of the day of action and then repeat it afterwards so the impact can be measured.
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Planning a project for your class to take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards Programme.
Project Overview
Objective:
Engage pupils in understanding light pollution, its effects, and ways to mitigate it by participating in the “Rising Star” Awards Program. The project will culminate in a submission that highlights pupils’ efforts and achievements in raising awareness and implementing solutions.Duration:
6-8 weeksClass Level:
5th classStep 1: Introduction and Research (Weeks 1-2)
1. Introduce Light Pollution:
Class Discussion: Begin with an interactive discussion about what light pollution is and why dark skies are important. Use videos or animations to illustrate the concept from ESERO/Curious Minds website.
Guest Speaker: Invite a local environmentalist to talk about their experience with light pollution and its effects on astronomy and wildlife in the local area.
2. Research and Exploration:Reading: Provide articles and resources about light pollution. Encourage students to explore the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) website for information.
Research Groups: Divide the class into small groups to research different aspects of light pollution, such as its impact on wildlife, human health, energy consumption, and astronomy.
3. Presentation:Group Presentations: Have each group present their findings to the class. Encourage them to use visuals and be creative in their presentations.
Set 2: Hands-On Activities and Community Engagement (Weeks 3-5)1. Night Sky Observation:
Field Trip: Organize a visit to a nearby area with low light pollution. Provide students with star charts and telescopes to observe the night sky. Use Stellarium website to observe the night sky.
Observation Log: Have students maintain a log of their observations, noting the visibility of stars and any challenges they face due to light pollution.
2. Light Pollution Audit: School and Neighbourhood Audit: Conduct a “light audit” around the school and students’ neighbourhoods. Have students identify sources of light pollution and document them using photos and notes.
Data Analysis: Analyse the data collected to identify patterns and discuss potential solutions for reducing light pollution.
3. Community Awareness Campaign: Poster and Flyer Design: Task students with creating posters and flyers to raise awareness about light pollution and its effects within the school and local community. Encourage them to include tips for reducing light pollution, such as using shielded lights and turning off unnecessary lights.
School Event: Host a “Dark Sky Night” event at the school, where students can present their projects to parents and community members. Include a stargazing session if possible.
Set 3: Solution Design and Implementation (Weeks 6-7)1. Engineering Solutions: Design Challenge: Challenge students to design a solution that reduces light pollution. This could be a prototype of a shielded light fixture, an app to promote dark sky-friendly practices, or a community action plan. Prototyping: Provide materials for students to create models or prototypes of their solutions.
2. Implementation: Choose one or more feasible solutions and implement them at school or in the community. This could involve installing shielded lights, creating educational materials, or organizing a community clean-up event to reduce unnecessary lighting on the school grounds.
Set 4: Documentation and Submission (Week 8)1. Project Documentation: Guide students in creating a project portfolio that includes their research, findings, solutions, and the impact of their efforts. This should include written reports, photos, drawings, and any other relevant materials. Ask students to write a reflection on what they learned and how their perception of light pollution and dark skies has changed.
2. Submission to “Rising Star” Awards: Compile the class’s work into a comprehensive submission for the IDA’s “Rising Star” Awards. Follow the program guidelines to ensure all necessary components are included. Organise a class celebration to recognize students’ hard work and dedication to the project. Acknowledge their contributions and emphasize the importance of continuing efforts to protect dark skies.
Conclusion By engaging in this project, students will gain a deeper understanding of light pollution and develop skills in research, collaboration, and problem-solving. Participating in the “Rising Star” Awards Program provides an opportunity for them to make a tangible impact in their community and contribute to global efforts to preserve dark skies.-
Hi Marie
That sounds like a well developed plan for class participation in the Rising Star awards. You have included so much in your plan with a detailed timeline to plan out when and how each action will take place. There is great progression in the first phase from having a speaker to spark interest in the topic to having groups explore the website and then research and present their findings to the class. The hands on aspects of exploring the night sky, conducting audits and creating materials to raise awareness and then the engineering design challenge are all activities that will contribute so much to the overall project and to the children’s enjoyment of it.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Introduction:
How is light polluting our local area?
How does it impact us?
Artificial light is polluting our area. It can cause drivers and pedestrians to have accidents.
Disturb our circadian rhythm.
Cause some cancers.Overuse of artificial light can waste money and cause waste from fossil fuels.Development:
Refer to the Dark Sky Planning Document by NSW.
Refer to the website planning.nsw.gov.au/darksky
Light pollution is the inappropriate use of light.
It is the inappropriate use of light in the wrong place at the wrong time.Conclusion:
Research completed in groups to offer solutions in our local area and refer to the documents and website above.
Switch lights off.
Use lights only when necessary.
Use shielding lights to reduce upward light spill
Direct lights downwards away from reflective surfaces.
Use environmentally friendly lightbulbs with warm light.Create a poster in groups to create an awareness about this in our locality.
Members of the Green Schools Committee to promote their findings to the school. -
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I live in an urban area that definitely is impacted by light pollution. I found it interesting that as you become accustomed to street lights in urban areas you forget how much they are actually blocking your view of the night sky. I think for kids to become aware of how much light pollution blocks out the night sky they would need to do a survey of what light is used in public spaces in their local area and how munch modern blue lighting is used. I am lucky enough to live not too far from Ballycroy national park which is fantastic for dark skies. A friend of mine has some great photos of the night sky in Ballycroy on a clear night. I think it would be interesting to compare and contrast the images he has taken to pictures taken in an urban area. This would give children a very clear indication of the stark impact light pollution is having on what they can see.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this
Light pollution has has a very detrimental impact on the local environment in Dublin. Dublin has artificial light emissions close to seven times higher than any other county in Ireland. It is important that we make children aware of the impact that this has on the dark skies.
The children will be given a photo stimulus that depict Drumcondra 100 years ago and Drumcondra today. The children will compare and contrast the difference between the two photos and the negative impact of light pollution today in comparison with 100 years ago. The children will come up with the possible reasons for this.
The children will look at the useful video that describes light pollution and the four categories of light pollution. The children will study the map of Drumcondra using the pollution map resource https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=4.00&lat=45.8720&lon=14.5470&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ== to highlight the areas of Drumcondra that contribute to light pollution the most. This has very useful links with the Geography curriculum in terms of the children’s map skills using their local area. I really like the activity in this module that asks the pupils to consider where light is actually needed in their local area and where it is not as beneficial. The children could rank the most important uses of light in their area and the least important so help them to consider ways of diminishing its harmful effect on the dark skies.
To follow on from this, the children may construct a letter to Dublin City council outlining the negative impact that light pollution has on the dark sky and the children will outline effective ways of reducing light pollution in the local Drumcondra area. The children will also design posters that can be put up in the local area and schools to inform people and children about the detrimental effects of light pollution and the ways that light pollution can be decreased in the local area and at home in order to protect he night sky. In this way, the children can highlight the important of the night sky and use their initiate to make changes in their local community. This integrates with SPHE in terms of the children’s global citizenship and the importance of caring for the environment around them.
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Hi Cathy,
Thanks for your post. I really like your plan to engage learners in the topic of light pollution in their area, providing learners with a point of comparison from 100 years ago and building their understanding through watching the video resource on light pollution.It’s a wonderful idea to get the learners to act on their newfound understanding of the topic by reaching out to Dublin City Council. This is a way for learners to empower themselves by becoming activists and help them realise the power of their united stance. One letter may never get a response, but 30 or so will.
It’s wonderful to see so many great ideas for cross-curricular links outlined in your plan, including art, English, SPHE, and geography.
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I have created a resource that can be printed onto acetates to help measure light pollution in the night sky based on the Globe a nice citizen scientist program.
Here is the instruction page
<p style=”text-align: center;”>Measuring The Darkness Of The Night Sky.</p>
Choose the size that will best suit your age or ability group.Having a couple of copies of each may suit best.
Pages 2-6 are for larger booklets.
Pages 7-11 are for mini Booklet
- Step 1 Print out the Following pages onto printable Acetates.
- Pages 2-5 are for larger booklets.
- Pages 7-10 are for mini ones
- Step 2 Print the Cover pages, on white card, or paper. The plain white page ill be the back.
- Page 6 Cover for larger booklets.
- Page 11 are for mini ones
- Step 3 Cut along the Dotted Lines
- Step 4 Using a paper punch, punch holes in the left hand margin
- Step 5 Arrange the pages as follows (Front Cover, <7.5 mag, <6.5 mag, <5.5 mag, <4.5 mag, <3.5, <3.5, <1.5, <0.5, back cover)
- Step 6 Feed a key ring through each hole. The pages must move easily to enable them to flip over each other.
<p style=”text-align: center;”>To use the booklet</p>
Take a look at the night sky.Find Hercules. Using a Star wheel may help, or Stellarium in night mode on a tablet or smartphone, at https://stellarium-web.org/
Open the booklet at a page you think matches the pattern in you sky, keeping the white back cover behind the pages.
Now turn a page forward or backwards over your open page to see is it more like what you see in the sky.
Next keep your chosen page to the right and turn all other pages to the left hand side.
Hold the booklet up the the sky and see if you have reached an accurate choice of magnitude.
If you are not happy exchange this open page with one before or after it until you are satisfied.
To record your results as an international citizen scientist, open http://www.Globeatnight.org and in put your findings, along with other information on such as weather condition etc.
The following images are taken from Globe at Night https://app.globeatnight.org/?constellation=hercules with the intension of being used teach children how to recognise and record how dark their night sky is.
Please find an editable copy of this resource here
Or a PDF version here
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Our school is located in a relatively large town and light pollution impacts the visibility of the night sky. Street lights, residential lighting and businesses contribute to the skyglow, diminishing the view of the stars and celestial events.
Engagement activities:
Encourage students to observe their own areas after dark to see how many different types and colours of lights they can identify. Can they see moonlight or stars. Is their area rural or urban. Can they identify different types of light pollution.
Encourage parents to bring their children on a night sky walk to compare stargazing in different parts of the town and complete the same observations.
Have students create and test light shields for outdoor lights to reduce glare.
Facilitate opportunities for the students to present their findings to the rest of the school and local councillors, emphasising the need to combat light pollution in their community.
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I was lucky enough to grow up in rural Kerry and still spend a lot of my summer there. It is perfect for stargazing, identifying planets and constellations due to the lack of light pollution. I teach in a school in Dublin and notice a stark difference between the night sky, where much light pollution occurs from street lights, outdoor lights, residential and light from businesses and cars. This light pollution has an effects on astronomy in that stars and night sky cannot be fully seen and appreciated. I was shocked to discover that 50 percent of Ireland cannot see natural night sky. Light pollution also effects wildlife, nocturnal animals as well plants interfering with natural photosynthesis processes. Finally, light pollution can effect human natural circadian process in turn contributing to poor quality sleep and even mental health.
This is a topic I found very interesting and would definitely use it as a topic in the classroom. We would discuss the term light pollution and I think that ESERO activity 9 based on Light and Darkness could be used over 2 lessons to explore the topic. I think the Light Pollution map is a very useful tool in showing children where light pollution in most prominent in the country. Exploring what we can do as a community to limit the amount of light pollution could also be discussed.
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Hi Niamh,
Thanks for your post. Your experience as someone who could appreciate the night sky is tragically becoming rarer, and I think sharing your stargazing stories would be a wonderful prompt for this activity and for senior learners, perhaps even introducing the concept of shifting baselines.The light pollution map really shows the extent of our impact and where Dublin’s artificial light emissions are almost seven times higher than any other county in Ireland.
ESERO 9 is a fun and interactive way to think about darkness and light and explore in a dark setting. Not all learners may be comfortable being blindfolded for the obstacle course activity, but they can instead direct their partner in this activity and learn from their insights afterwards.
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The first step in engaging learners about how light pollution is impacting our local area would be to have a school based lesson on ‘what is light pollution’. Seeing as there is only so much you can do for a night time activity in school, I would link in with parents of the children in my class and organise and evening walk around our village. We could meet at 7pm outside the school and identify and record different sources of artificial lights (streetlights, cars, buildings, sports field) . We could then talk about which lights might be necessary and which might be excessive or misdirected. We would then perform a simple comparison, comparing the visibility of stars and celestial objects from two different localions, one with more light pollution and one with less. Discuss how light pollution affects our ability to see the night sky. When we return to school I would invite our local Green Party couoncillor to speak about light pollution. We would do some research into how animals are affected by light pollution. We would discuss ways to help protect our wildlife from light pollution. We would discuss how it is important to have darkness to get a good nights sleep. In conclusion we would create posters about the importance of dark skies and ways to reduce light pollution.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I teach in a very rural area where there are good quality dark skies. During Science Week the Sky Dome visited our school which was just a fantastic education tool for the children to recognise certain constellations and take that knowledge and search for them in the night sky. A good exercise might be to set a task for children to search for constellations from their own garden viewpoint at night and record their findings. Using Google maps each child could pinpoint the location of their home and highlight light pollution sources close to their home. Some of the children live in extremely rural areas with good dark sky quality while others live in estates in neighbouring larger villages. A comparison of visibility between different homes and locations would be a very interesting senior project. Another thing that occurs to me is that this topic of light pollution could tie in nicely to the Green Schools Programme. We are entering year 2 of our Transport flag for Green Schools and the children have started planning a ‘No idling’ campaign for the coming year encouraging parents to turn engines off in the car park while waiting to collect their children after school. This could be extended to encourage parents to turn off both engines and headlights when collecting children after evening training in local sports clubs with a view to reducing light pollution as well as emissions.
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HI Niamh,
I like your idea of comparing the visibility of night sky from the very rural homes to the homes of the children who live in estates. It’s very easy to blame the larger cities for light pollution, but it might be interesting for the children to learn that even small amounts of street lamps can affect the dark skies.
It would be a good follow up to ask the children what could be done in the estates to improve the light pollution.
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Hi Niamh, I like both of the ideas you mentioned in your answer. Even though our school is in a large suburban area some of our children do live in rural settings so this would be a good way of comparing light pollution locally. Linking light pollution with the green schools programme is also very practical.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
This module has so many great activities about light pollution and the curious minds model is very clearly demonstrated with lessons for each of the three sections; engage, explore and investigate.
I think a focus on the students own locality would bring huge awareness of light pollution to the wider community and thus their parents etc through conversations and surveys they would be conducting at home and in the community.
Engage:
The video from Fred the astronomer was a god tool and had a scientific focus especially talking about the telescopes used to view the sky at night. The Esero 09 lesson with the two comparison charts really showed the increase in Ireland and the stats about the costs of lighting would really shock children with such big numbers.
I think the students wold really go 0ut into the community afterwards and just look around at lights here and there and espeically how many are farmers they would be used to huge flood lights in sheds. They would probably be discussing it at home and they would know the difference between a wasted light source and one thats not as bright or blue like the three diagrams of lights that reduce light pollution. Ther was so many lessons suggested as triggers. Personally I sleep with no blinds or curtains and am very into going with my circadian rhythm. I notice that autistic children really adhere to their circadian rhythm.
Exploring:
I loved the lesson making the street scape and putting in adequate lighting. Children could have grat fun making a lego town (simple) and talk about what lights they would put in or even more simply depending on time, do it on a sheet of paper in groups or also I could print out different types of places for each to do a lighting plan. We could use google maps and bring ICT into it so easily using IPads.
Investigate:
Surveys all the way to engage as many people as they can to bring awareness.
Making surveys together or the one from the Irish times.
A school walk around the school grounds and up the village would be great.
Also children could draw their lighting plan at home that is there already. I’d be mindful so that their home lighting plan doesn’t get criticised too much in class though.
We could talk about the Dark Sky sites.
I would love to use the Sky Quality Meter and I’m thinking of asking the school to buy one and send it home with every student to record their night sky readings and do up a graph and see where we are on the scale and how close or far away are we to the criteria as a Dark Sky Site.
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Hi Aoife,
Thanks for your post, you have some great ideas to bring this topic to life for your learners. The streetscape activity is a lot of fun, and, as you said, it has some easy ICT integration activities.A school walk is a great idea, as most of us pay little attention to the amount of light and light sources around us. I think your own experience of following your circadian rhythm is a great story to share with learners. It’s the natural thing to do, but a challenge for many due to light pollution -these days, there are even alarm clocks that gradually increase light in the room.
If your school has the budget, the Sky Quality Meter would be a great way for learners to work with this instrument and observe and interpret data from its reading, with the added benefit of the personal aspect, based at home. It would be great to see how results would compare to Dark Sky results.
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Hi Aoife, I like your idea of asking the pupils to consider the lighting they use at home. It might encourage them to turn off lights that are not in use and be more mindful of turning on lights and lamps in the first place! I’m sure parents would appreciate this also, especially coming into the darker evenings!! And I agree that we have to be careful about judging families and being overly critical of practice that families have in their own homes.
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Impact of Light Pollution in the Local Area
I live in a rural town and I believe that Light Pollution has a massive impact on these:
1. Disruption of Ecosystems:
– The wildlife of a local area can be significantly impacted e.g. nochturnal animals rely on darkness for foraging and mating.2. Human Health:
-Sleep Disorder: Increased exposure to artificial light, especially at night can reduce peoples sleep.
– Visibility and Safety: Excessive lighting can cause glare, reducing night-time visibility, which can lead to safety hazards on roads and in other public spaces.How to engage learners to explore Light Pollution:
1. Educational Activities:
– Field Trips: Observatories and Dark Sky Parks: Organise trips to local observatories or designated Dark Sky Parks where students can experience a truly dark night sky and understand the importance of preserving these areas.
– Light Pollution Mapping: Have students use light meters or smartphone apps to measure and map light pollution levels around the school and their homes. They can create visual maps and present their findings.
– Guest Speakers: Invite local astronomers, environmental scientists, or city planners to speak about the impacts of light pollution and ongoing efforts to mitigate it.
-Hands-On Projects:
Shielding Experiment: Students can design and create their own light shields to demonstrate how proper lighting can reduce light pollution. This can involve using materials to shield outdoor lights and measuring the difference in light spread.
– Public Awareness Campaigns: Have students create informational brochures, social media posts, or short videos to educate the public about the importance of reducing light pollution and practical steps that can be taken.-
Hi Emma,
Thanks for your comprehensive post! I really like the extensive list of educational activities that you have created to engage learners to explore light pollution, touching on a wealth of disciplines. From engaging with experts, site visits, using apps, creating media campaigns, to designing light shields, there are a lot of opportunities to engage learners.I really like the idea of a public awareness campaign after your learners have completed the other activities and deepened their understanding of the issues at hand. It is a great way to develop communication skills and literacy while empowering learners to be changemakers.
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I would be incorporating point 1 & 2 – to create a series of lessons, leading to the children directing some ‘Thoughtful Action’. Feeling a sense of advocacy, power & ‘being heard’ when dealing with their concerns re.: light pollution & local wildlife. It would be wonderful to see the children’s investigations bring some actual change to any school or local planning policies, particularly as the school is located in a area that is continuously adding housing estates, shopping centres and other resources. I would also link our light pollutions/ silent sky/ stars investigation to looking at the impact of unnatural lighting on local bat populations.
1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
2. Creating a teaching resource using the “Globe at Night” citizen science programme• Begin the sessions with the ‘Counting Stars In a Box’ class made planetarium experiment, and also view the stars with the construction of a ‘Street In A Box’
• Familiarise the children with terms such as: energy, sky glow, glare, light trespass, shielding, sensor activated smart lights
• Investigate our school premises and site to see how our outdoor lighting may be impacting human (star visibility) & animal environments (bat/moth populations) & discuss how this impact might be minimised based on what we have discovered during the learning process
• Arrange for targeted observation of lighting outside their home buildings and homes nearby (parental supervision required). Discuss environmental & human impacts, planning for shielding needs after. Compare different estates/areas, link to maths etc
• Make thoughtful actions – are there any parties we can write to with our concerns, suggestions – BOM, local Supervalu managers, county council, planning office, builders undertaking projects in the vicinity etcI would achieve the above using resources from Globe At Night – Dark Skies rangers Materials & Darksky.ie Investigating Light Pollution (toolkit lesson)The lessons provide great ideas suitable for a variety of learning needs. There is also an incentive for community based learning and parental cooperation.
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Hi Frances,
Thanks for your post.I see how your comprehensive plans are designed to engage learners with a series of activities that together give them an understanding of the extent of light pollution locally, build their understanding of key terms, and ultimately give them pause to reflect on how things could be improved for the better.
I really like your idea to write letters to those locally who may benefit from learning about light pollution, and the simple changes that can be made to improve this. As you said, there is an incentive for community-based learning and cooperation, and it would be wonderful if learners could present their work to others to spread this important message while developing communication skills.
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Module 3 – Light pollution. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution in Dublin is a significant issue that impacts our ability to observe the night sky clearly. The excessive artificial light not only obscures the stars but also disrupts ecosystems and human health.
To engage my students in exploring this concept, I would start by discussing the effects of light pollution on our environment and the importance of preserving the night sky. I would then use interactive activities like a simulation showing the difference between a light polluted sky and a dark, starry sky using Stellarium. Encouraging students to research light pollution’s impact on wildlife and human health to further deepen their understanding.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Firstly I would discuss the word pollution with the class, lots of the children I presume will discuss ocean pollution, litter etc. We will then discuss and draw prior knowledge of what the children think light pollution is. Open up the discussion with children as to what problems we may have due to light pollution? Will our sleep suffer? Can our mood be altered because of light pollution? Can the natural world be disturbed? Can there be an impact on certain tasks/jobs?
Children can then make a map of the local area. I think it would also be of interest to compare rural and urban areas and as to what difference we can see in regards to light pollution. Why would one area have more light pollution than another? What is there in urban areas that can impact light pollution? What steps can we take to lessen light pollution? Can it be irradicated once it has happened? Children can design a town plan with the concern of light pollution and what we can use to minimise the impact of light pollution on our locality.-
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Hi Mairead
That sounds like a lovely plan. A discussion on the differences between urban and rural areas is a good idea. I don’t know whether your school is urban or rural but if you have pupils living in both rural and urban areas, getting them to look for the same constellations in the night sky might be a way of contrasting what they can see or simply discussing the issue with their parents or family members living in a contrasting area would do the same. Doing some audits of lighting in their own local area and then designing a town plan to minimise light pollution is a nice practical idea
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Light pollution effects all kinds of wildlife. This is evident when I see nocturnal animals, such as foxes, walking around during the day. They are very confused about the differences between day and night, because it looks the same to them. This leads to them being run over on the roads because the road are busier in the day than in the night when they would normally be moving around.
In school, I would love to approach this topic, because it would be good for children (and potentially their families) to be aware of the dangers of light pollution.
I would play the NSW video about how to help to protect dark skies- it’s a very informative, but easy to understand video.
I would then show them the picture of the map of Ireland with the light. I teach in Dublin, and it is very obvious on the map that it is the worst offender for light pollution. I would ask the children why do they think this is and what could be done about it.I would ask them what they think are dark sky friendly lights and I would put them into some groups and ask to come up with a prototype using the junk art materials and torches. I would ask them to demonstrate their how their idea works and ask them to present why it would work to ease light pollution in the city.
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Light pollution significantly impacts suburban areas by disrupting ecosystems, harming wildlife, and interfering with human health. In these regions, excessive artificial lighting obscures natural night skies, affecting nocturnal animals’ behaviours, such as foraging and mating. Furthermore, it can lead to increased stress and sleep disorders in residents, as the disruption of circadian rhythms becomes more prevalent.
To engage learners in exploring light pollution, I would incorporate hands-on activities and discussions. We could conduct nighttime outdoor observations to compare light levels in different areas, encouraging students to document their findings visually through photography or sketches. Inviting local experts to discuss the effects of light pollution on wildlife and human health would provide valuable insights. To foster critical thinking, students could participate in project-based learning, proposing solutions to diminish light pollution in their community, such as creating a “light management plan” or developing awareness campaigns tailored for local residents.
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Hi Emma
Encouraging your students to conduct night time observations on light pollution and to document, photograph or sketch what they saw is a good idea. They could include observations of the different types of lights, their numbers and colours, any nocturnal wildlife they have seen or heard, and also what stars they may have seen. As your pupils may be living in different areas, some more urban and some rural, light pollution levels are likely to vary so they can compare notes in class the next day to see how their experiences vary. This could lead to great discussions on the effects of light pollution. After then learning a little more about the types of light pollution and discussing general solutions, they might repeat their surveys and see what solutions would be necessary in their homes or local areas, such as turning off unnecessary lights, changing the colour of bulbs, shielding etc.
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I grew up in Kerry where you could easily look up on a clear night and make out the stars, moon and constellations. I now teach in inner city Dublin where it is very difficult to see stars on a clear night and you see a lot less stars. This clearly shows me the impact of light pollution but may be difficult to comprehend for the students within my class. We would look at the idea of pollution first as a whole and then can focus more on light pollution and the impact of light pollution. We can look at our school to see what types of lights we have, if we leave lights on at nighttime and where the the lights are directed and why. Creating maps and perhaps drawing and recording the types of lights. We can also use the resources such as stellarium from the previous module to look at what our night sky should look like. The children can also record the light around their own homes using the same questions as school and bring their findings into school. This will be followed on by creating plans and posters to tackle and spread awareness of light pollution.
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Hi Meadhbh
I like the idea of discussing what the night sky should look like using stellarium as pupils might not have considered this before. I also love your idea of making recordings from each pupil as it can highlight any differences big or small within the local area and could tie into other lessons about rural v urban living.
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Light pollution affects our health first and foremost. We spend such a large percentage of our day asleep, it’s important to maximse the quality of that sleep and avoid disrupting our circadian rhythms. All other creatures in our ecosystems are also affected by light pollution. These creatures might change their natural evolutionary habits to avoid light exposure at night. Particularly nocturnal animals and insects attracted to light sources, Barn Owls being prevalent in Kilkenny
As outlined in the presentation, learners can be engaged to explore light pollution by raising awareness of the problem, this could be done with posters, surveys, videos and linked to green schools and energy conservation. Debates could get the learners thinking about the pros and cons of outdoor lighting from different perspectives in our local area. Children could explore how our area ranks to the neighbouring areas and the national average in terms of light pollution using the website for light pollution map provided. Children could research local wildlife and
using information on their natural habits, determine if any are affected by artificial light. -
We are lucky in Kerry to have a Gold standard Dark Sky Reserve near us. This provides a lot of opportunities to explore the night sky and the impact of light pollution for the students.
Light pollution is steadily encroaching on the night skies around the urban areas such as Tralee and Killarney, making it harder to experience the true beauty of a starlit night. As the town expands and more lights are added, the stars seem to fade away, hidden behind a curtain of artificial light.
Killarney National Park is nearby. Light pollution can affect the local wildlife. Nocturnal animals, like bats and owls, rely on the cover of darkness to hunt and navigate. When their environment is lit up by human activity, it disrupts their natural behaviours, making it harder for them to survive. The delicate balance of the ecosystem in places like Killarney National Park is being disturbed by something as seemingly harmless as light.
For humans, the loss of dark skies can have a more subtle but equally important effect. The ability to see the stars connects us to the broader universe, giving us a sense of wonder and perspective. It’s a reminder of our place in the cosmos, a connection that is becoming increasingly rare in our modern, light-filled world.
But light pollution isn’t an unsolvable problem. Teaching students some simple actions can make a big difference: using lighting that minimizes glare and reduces light spill, turning off unnecessary lights, and raising awareness about the importance of preserving our night skies.
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Light pollution in Wicklow, is increasingly affecting the ability to observe the night sky and disrupting local wildlife. The problem has gotten worse over the years due to continued building and population growth in the area. To engage students in exploring this issue, I would start with an introductory discussion about light pollution eliciting what has changed in the area to increase light pollution and the benefits to reducing light pollution. I would use the apps dark skies meter and loss of the night to record light pollution in the area. We would compare the data to other more rural areas of Ireland and then Europe. The students would then research the impact of light pollution on both astronomy and the local environment. This lesson could lead to letter writing to local building companies to advocate for better lighting practices in our community, such as using shielded fixtures and reducing unnecessary lighting.
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This module showed me how little I actually understood about light pollution before. I knew the term and how it might affect our own circadian rhythm but I had never thought about the effects on nature before. The maps showing the difference of light pollution over a relatively short period of time really made an impact.
As other participants have pointed out, many of our students have not, any may never, experience the night sky without light pollution.
I have taught 6th class for a number of years. During this module I began to think about how a lesson around light pollution could link into our history plans on World War II. The children are always fascinated by the idea of the ‘glimmer man’ whose job it was to check that lights were not burning outside of certain times, and the concept of black outs to prevent light being seen from the sky. I think this could be a good starting point for a discussion around how that job might be carried out today. Would it be in any way practical for one person to monitor an area’s use of light? What lights do we have today that were not there during WWII? Children could possibly talk to older people in the community and ask them what changes they have seen with light pollution during their lifetime.
Students could then compare the amount, and type, of light sources available in 1945 vs 2025, for example, and list the impact for the local area, including the ecological impact. They might include things such as the effect on nocturnal animals, plant life, mental health and well being.My school is situated in an industrial area with many factories. Lots of our students would have family who work shifts, including nights. I think any discussion around light pollution would have to include some discussion about the role lighting can play in keeping people safe and comfortable. We could talk about the different styles of lighting available which have the minimum impact on nature and human well being.
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Hi Olivia
I love your idea of linking the topic of light pollution to your history lessons around World War 2 and the Glimmer Man. It is a really great way to introduce the topic and discuss the different reasons for preserving dark skies and the differences in light levels between the 1940s and the 202os and various periods in between. Discussions with older family members would really add to their understanding around this issue as many of the children have possibly never experienced a truly dark sky. Of course, as you said with family members working shift work discussions around the safety aspect of providing lighting are important and these can then lead to exploration on striking a balance and the different types of measures that can allow for outdoor lighting with minimal impact.
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I like the connection you have made to WWII and the lights. I also like how you have mentioned about lighting being important for safety. When the winter nights pull in and it is dark going to school, and dark going home from school, lights are important, especially in an industrial area like you mentioned.
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Light pollution in town I live in, Co Kerry, is like an invisible glow that covers the night sky, hiding the stars and messing with nature. All the streetlights, building lights, and car headlights create a constant brightness that affects everything from nocturnal animals to our sleep. For a town known for its natural beauty, this never-ending light is a big deal.
To get students involved, I’d start with a stargazing night. We’d check out the sky from the middle of the town and then from a darker spot nearby. They’d see right away how light pollution hides the stars.
Then, we’d use simple tools like light meters or even phone apps to measure how bright different parts of town are. It’s a fun way to see just how much light is out there. We’d talk about how all this extra light affects local wildlife, especially animals like bats and owls that are active at night and important to the ecosystem.
Finally, we’d come up with ideas to fix the problem, like pushing for better-designed streetlights that don’t spill light everywhere. These activities would give students a real feel for light pollution and show them how they can help make a difference in their community.
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Living in Dublin but having grown up in rural Cork I’ve also noticed how the night sky isn’t as dark and clear as it used to be. With more houses and apartments being built in my area the glow from streetlights and businesses has taken from the wonderful clear night skies I would still see when in Cork or in other rural parts of Ireland. I happened to be in Cork for the recent Northern Light show in May. We had a clear visible view of them unlike the city which didn’t because of many street and house lights. Many of the children I teach were interested to see the difference in what they saw through the camera and the photos I showed them. This was a great example of light pollution and how it affects the night sky.
Some discussion/activities I would carry out with my class:
• I love the idea of creating a light map of the area with my class and comparing it with other areas using the LightPollutionMap.info.
• I agree with many points on the upset to nocturnal animals, and the human circadian rhythms and it’s awful how nocturnal animals such as badgers, foxes, bats etc struggle with artificial light.
• Sleep disruption affecting the circadian rhythm – investigating the use of light therapy in countries that have very little light as well as the impact on peoples sleep and overall wellbeing especially in the darker winter months.
• Economic costs leading to higher energy consumption – a big topic with rising energy costs.
• There are many opportunities for class discussions to small group project work on these topics and using the wonderful resources available on this module.
• The children could create posters to promote the safer use of lights in their environment, for example in their area what is causing the artificial light, is it coming from houses not drawing curtains/blinds, are lights left on outside houses all night etc
• The Magic of Light packs from the ESA PRO6 resource would also be useful.-
Hi Una,
Thanks for your post. You are fortunate to have seen the wonders of the Northern lights in Cork this year! What a great experience and relevant prompt for this activity, discussing and comparing experiences. We are losing the breathtaking beauty of the night sky to poorly managed and, in some instances, wholly unnecessary lighting. As someone who has seen firsthand this baseline shift in darkness levels your experiences are a great source of learning for your learners, along with their parents and more senior family members.
You have some wonderful activities listed for your class, and I like your proposal to explore the other end of the scale, where there is a lot of darkness and little light – investigating the use of light therapy in countries that have very little light, as well as the impact on peoples, sleep and overall wellbeing especially in the darker winter months. It would be great to explore how animals respond to these conditions, by hibernating, etc.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I have noticed a huge difference in the quality of visibility of the night skies in my hometown over the years. The town has grown considerably, especially in the last decade. As a child I loved looking up at the stars and finding constellations, and sadly there is much less to see now. Light pollution has definitely made a huge impact on what we can see, even from the outskirts Of my town and this makes me so sad. On a recent trip to Kerry i was reminded of what I could once see, the skies in all their glory! Children growing up with reduced visibility will know no different so I think it is more important than ever to teach children about light pollution, steps they can take to reduce it and also to encourage them to look to the skies when they go to more remote areas.
Luckily, the children I teach are in a more remote rural area so they have a much clearer view at night. I think it would be interesting for them to view the skies from the nearest town if possible and compare. It might help them be aware of the importance of conserve the clearer views they have at night.
The ‘what is light pollution’ video will be a good resource to have for beginning this topic with children.
I think it will also be important to explore the effects of these lights on the natural world and nocturnal animals in particular. Children in our school are growing up surrounded by nature and I find they have a great love for the animals and habitats around them. I’m sure they will be very interested to explore how light pollution can be reduced in order to help these animals and protect their habitats. Simple steps like shielding lights, using warmer artificial light and reducing light usage at nighttime are all great ways to do this and are easily done.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this
My school is in a suburban area in Limerick. The area has grown rapidly in the last 10 years. Therefore, light pollution is now having a big impact locally.
I would use a combination of hands-on activities, storytelling and community involvement to engage children to explore light pollution.
Activities:
-website: https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/ Use this website to show the impact of light pollution locally.
-Interactive Storytelling: Use storytelling to explain light pollution through a fun and engaging narrative. For example, a story about a group of animals whose lives are disrupted by light pollution and how they solve the problem.
-Light Pollution Experiment: Conduct a simple experiment where children use flashlights and different coverings (e.g., paper, cloth) to simulate light pollution and observe its effects on seeing objects in a dark room. This will help them to understand how light pollution affects visibility and why it is harder to see stars in a brightly lit area.
-Create a Dark Sky Campaign: Help the children create a campaign to reduce light pollution. This can include designing posters, writing letters to local authorities, and creating presentations for their school or community. This will help the children to learn about community involvement and the importance of taking action to protect the environment.
-Night Sky Journal: Provide each child with a “Night Sky Journal” where they can record their observations of the night sky over a period of weeks.
-Wildlife and Light: Have a guest speaker talk about how light pollution affects local wildlife. Follow up with an art activity where children create posters showing how to protect animals from light pollution.-
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Annette I love your ide of a night sky journal. It is a great resource that would help aid your teaching and activities on Light Pollution. I also believe it is a great idea to get pupils families involved in learning about Light Pollution. I will definitely be using this idea when teaching about Light Pollution, thank you!
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You have mentioned some brilliant activities here to aid in teaching about light pollution and the night sky.
I really like the interactive storytelling idea. Any chance to integrate subjects with Drama always goes down very well with the children and gives me a good indication of their learning at the same time.
I also like the idea of the night sky journal. It could be included as a small bit of their homework, a fun and engaging activity they would enjoy doing.
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A reflective piece on how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
• Thankfully we live on the west coast of the country and haven’t been affected as severely by light pollution as some areas. However in recent years, developments such as floodlighting, growth in population, increased housing developments have all added to the light pollution in our area. It seems it would be a good idea to address these issues now before they worsen.
• To engage the learners, I would first explore light sources, natural and man-made and discuss which are necessary and which are not. We would look at causes and consequences of light pollution and discuss why it is important to minimise it. We are currently working on the theme of Biodiversity again for our green flag renewal and I think this would be a very interesting topic to explore on a local and global level.
• Having had our discussions on light pollution we would look closely at our school first to see are there sources of light pollution there and what can we do to address them. Next we would look at our homes and do the same, are there issues we can address at home, switching off lights not in use, using energy efficient lights. Finally we could look at our locality and see are there issues that can be resolved locally, making sure pitch floodlights are only used when needed.
• This I feel would be a project we could run and monitor over the two years of the Green Schools programme. -
1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I recently moved from Dublin to a rural area in the West of Ireland. Before even doing this course, one of the first things I noticed was the difference in how many more stars I could see in the sky! I lived in a busy housing estate in Dublin, and at night I couldn’t see any stars which shows me how bad the light pollution was! Between many street lamps, headlights on cars, lights from inside houses as well as big lights on the outside of houses too, the estate was pretty bright at night time!
Where I live now, there isn’t much light pollution and recently they changed 2 of the street lamps on my road to have the direction of the light pointing downwards. I think it would be interesting to do a light survey with the children in my class and even compare the differences in light pollution between children who live in the town near the school, and children who live on the outskirts.
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1. Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I live in a town so light pollution is something that is constant. Even with the new eco bulbs that are supposed to be less polluting it is still a factor.
I am also lucky to live right beside a designated Dark Sky area which is amazing.
I would set some before and after homework with a Q and A sheet to complete when they get home in the day and then at night when dark.
I would ask them to turn off all lights in the house and then go into the back garden and see what constellations or other stellar objects they can see, then turn on the porch light for the garden and then record what they can see now. On the foot of this they could set a schedule where they make sure they turn off the lights at night when they are not in use. The slide with turning and angling the lights was very interesting and a simple thing for the kids to do. I liked the Dark Sky assessment guide for the older classes.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
My local area is in a city, so there is a lot of light pollution. Based on the 1997 and 2015 maps of Ireland, there was a huge increase in light pollution between those years, which is sad to see. There is a lot of unnecessary light being used and it would be an interesting topic to cover with children, particularly as it is affecting the night sky and biodiversity.
I would use the Curious Minds/ESERO Framework for Inquiry with the children, when covering this topic. I would begin with a trigger question and then I would get the children to come up with questions based on what they are wondering about. I would show them the video “What is Light Pollution?” to help them to learn about what light pollution is. Working in pairs, I would ask the children to come up example of natural light and artificial light. We would look at some photographs and videos of light being used in cities/towns, on streets, around houses. We could do an investigation into how we can reduce light pollution. Based on the findings of the investigation, we would come up with a plan on what we should do next.
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The globe at night is a great website and resource. There are maps of the constellations, information on light pollution etc., and my favourite – Dark Skies Rangers Programme https://globeatnight.org/dark-skies-rangers/ a light pollution awareness programme with lots of resources and a completion cert as well.
The class can partake in the Globe at Night programme on a monthly basis, 10 days after the full moon, when the moon is not up and more than 1 hour after sunset (so in Ireland, that won’t be too late for the pupils in the winter months especially). The information being looked for is:
1. When
2. Where
3. Current constellation of the month & then the pupils select the chart that matches the visible constellation
4. sky conditions at time of observation – clear/cloudy etc.
5. sky quality (optional)
6. submit (and your data will be visible on a data map along with worldwide data )This could be run alongside the moon charting in the morning as both are nicely linked.
It could either be run as a class observation activity – which would be interesting to see how their observations develop and refine throughout the activity, or a group each month could be responsible for entering the data. If it was too big an ask to observe every month, I think that an autumn, winter, spring and summer viewing would open up conversation nicely and lots of comparisons could be made. -
Light Pollution
Growing up, I often found myself gazing at the night sky, searching for constellations like The Plough, or as we called it, The Saucepan. Those seven stars—the four forming the pan and the three making up the handle—are a fond memory of mine.
These days, living in the city, I rarely look up at the night sky. When I first moved to Dublin, I was so caught up in the city’s hustle and bustle that I forgot to take a moment to appreciate the night sky. As Fred, the astronomer from the video, pointed out, the overwhelming amount of artificial light—whether from streetlights, homes, or sports fields—prevents us from truly experiencing the wonder of the stars.
I’d love to use Fred’s short video as a starting point in my class to get students thinking about light pollution. The tips he shares are relevant to everyone, and I think my students would be particularly moved by how light pollution disrupts nocturnal animals, affecting their breeding and migration patterns.
We could explore the Dark Sky Planning Guidelines together, which offer practical ways to combat light pollution—like turning off unnecessary lights, directing light downward, using light only when necessary, and opting for eco-friendly warm-colored bulbs. It’s crucial to emphasize to the students that even small changes in our habits can significantly improve our ability to see the night sky. I believe this lesson would resonate with them and inspire them to make a difference.
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Light pollution.
As a person who has grown up in a very rural town in County Donegal I have experienced many clear skies at night growing up with visible stars to observe. This included numerous viewings of the northern lights growing up.
moving up to Dublin, I noticed a huge difference in the visibility of stars in a night sky. I have learned that this was because of the city light pollution such as lamps, cars and buildings.
I would create awareness about the impact of light pollution on the night skies, particularly in inner city Dublin.
I would show the children various photographs of night skies in Donegal and Ireland including the most recent northern lights viewing.
I would then do a science lesson using lamps and glow in the dark star stickers.
The lesson would involve turning off all the lights and observing the stars around the classroom. I would then turn on various lamps/ torches around the room to allow the classroom to observe the difference in the visibility and thus from the light pollution.
the children could use experiment templates to write up their experiments, reflections and conclusions.
we would engage in class discussion about how these lamps have the same impact that the city lights have on their city.-
Hi Alannah
Your experience of growing up in Donegal and being able to experience the stars and especially the Northern Lights is something you can share with the children ion your class as a great way of illustrating the problem of light pollution. I’m sure the children will connect with your personal story so that when you show them pictures of the night sky over Donegal, they will identify with them more than if you were just showing them pictures without the accompanying personal story. Some of the children may have seen darker skies while visiting relatives or have spent holidays in more rural parts of the country but some may not have experienced a truly dark sky at all so that connection is important. Getting them to observe the night sky from their own homes in the evening time will provide a good contrast and is a good way to introduce the topic and your classroom activities will help to reinforce the idea to children who may not be able to observe the stars on a regular basis.
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Light pollution in our locality, disrupts the natural beauty of the night sky, making it difficult to see stars and other objects. In the last number of years, our area has become quite built up, making it more difficult to enjoy the night sky.
Artificial light also affects local wildlife, especially nocturnal species, by interfering with their natural behaviours, such as hunting and migration. Sea life near the shore might be particularly impacted, as light pollution can disorient sea turtles and other marine animals.
To engage learners, I could organise a “Night Sky Watch,” where students observe the sky and compare it to images of an unpolluted night sky. Another activity could be a “Light Pollution Detective Walk,” where students identify sources of excessive lighting around the village. Creating simple experiments to show how light affects plants or nocturnal insects could also be educational. Encouraging children to design posters or campaigns to raise awareness about reducing unnecessary lighting in the community would empower them to make a positive change.
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In the last decade the area where I teach has changed from being a small village to being a commuter town. Light pollution has increased dramatically by flood lights at training grounds, large street lights and numerous new estates. I would use a History lesson to trigger interest in the children. We would look at old photos of the area and examine the type of lighting we can see etc. We would then go on a walk around the area noting and mapping the different types of lighting in the area. In the classroom we would discuss the impact this lighting might have on our view of the night sky and animals in the area. We would also dicuss ways this could be reduced. There are a few nature trails in the area with many nocturnal animals. At home I would ask the children to look up when it’s dark and note what they can see on the sky. Can they see many stars if any? Our local Tidy Towns committee and GAA are very involved and connected with our school. As a project the children could write letters to the committee and GAA club to see if there is anything they could do to reduce light pollution. The children could experiment with different types of lighting to come up with suggestions for them. Earth Hour is in March every year and is not linked directly to light pollution but climate change. However during Earth Hour people are encouraged to turn off lights and electrical items. In the lead up to Earth Hour the children could prepare to look at the sky during the hour and see what they can spot. We would look at constellation mapping to help them identify any constellations if they can see them.
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My students live and attend school in a built up area where light pollution is definitely impacting the local area. For example, in a local car park at night, I have often heard and seen a lonely robin chirping in the dark. It is quite upsetting because surely it is impacting the robins quality of life, being awake all the time and not getting any rest.
Lots of the students participate in GAA and the local club and pitches during the winter are lit up with flood lights. It will be an interesting investigation to document the different colours of lights and the different types of lights that are in the surrounding areas, determining which lights are necessary and if any could be removed or changed to motion sensors. Documenting the area and the lights during the day, and again in the evening during the winter is something that I feel would engage the children. It is something that we could present to the local club officials and see if they are prepared to consider any changes to the lighting going forward. I like the idea that being able to create change could help inspire the children to continue caring for their environment and locality as they get older.-
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your post!
It sounds like you already have a good level of awareness of this issue, having observed the robin you mention. This story in itself could make a great prompt to open this topic with your learners. You have some great ideas, especially surrounding flood lights-these have such a massive impact.
By making observations and a plan for better light management, your learners have an opportunity to improve light pollution levels by engaging with local club officials in an area they frequent, making it most relevant.
Its wonderful to make learners aware at a young age of their power to create positive change-we need more Greta’s!
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Create a teaching resource using the “Globe at Night” citizen science programme.
Globe at Night is a worldwide citizen science campaign to raise awareness of the impact of light pollution by inviting people to measure their night sky brightness and submit their observations. The campaign runs throughout the year, focusing on specific constellations each month.
Objectives:
Engage students in citizen science by participating in the “Globe at Night” program.
Teach students about light pollution, its effects, and how to measure it.
Encourage students to contribute to global scientific research by collecting and submitting data on night sky brightness.Materials Needed:
Internet access (for accessing the Globe at Night website and submitting data)
Printed star charts (available from the Globe at Night website)
Laptops or tablets (for using the Globe at Night web app or mobile site)
Flashlights (for safe navigation during night observations)
Notebooks and pencils (for recording observations)
Teaching materials on light pollution (can be accessed from the Globe at Night website)Teaching Plan:
Week 1: Introduction to Light Pollution and Globe at Night
Lesson 1: What is Light Pollution?Objective: Introduce students to the concept of light pollution.
Activity: Show images of the night sky from both urban and rural areas. Discuss the differences and what causes light pollution.
Discussion: Talk about the effects of light pollution on humans, wildlife, and astronomy.Lesson 2: Introduction to the Globe at Night Program
Objective: Explain the “Globe at Night” program and how students can participate.
Activity: Demonstrate how to use the Globe at Night website or app to report observations.
Hands-On: Distribute star charts and practice identifying the target constellations (e.g., Orion, Leo, Cygnus) indoors or using a planetarium app.
Week 2: Preparing for ObservationsLesson 3: Practice Observation
Objective: Familiarise students with the observation process.
Activity: Simulate a night sky observation in a darkened room or using an app. Practice finding the target constellation and comparing it to the star chart.
Discussion: Discuss how to choose an observation site and the best practices for recording data (e.g., selecting a location away from direct light sources).
Homework: Students are tasked with choosing an observation night within the week. Encourage them to bring family members along to increase awareness and participation.
Week 3: Observations and Data SubmissionLesson 4: Conducting Observations
Objective: Have students conduct real observations and submit their data.
Activity: Students go outside on their chosen night to observe the night sky, identify the constellation, and compare it to the Globe at Night star charts to determine the level of light pollution. They record their observations on paper.
Follow-Up: Back in class, students submit their data via the Globe at Night website or app, either individually or as a group.Lesson 5: Analysing Results and Reflection
Objective: Reflect on the collected data and the impact of light pollution.
Activity: Discuss the results from the class observations. Compare local results with data from other regions or countries, which can be accessed via the Globe at Night website.
Discussion: Talk about the importance of dark skies and brainstorm ideas for reducing light pollution locally.Extension Activities:
Research Project: Assign a project where students research how different communities are combating light pollution.
Local Advocacy: Encourage students to write letters or create posters to raise awareness about light pollution in their community.
Constellation Study: Dive deeper into the mythology and science behind the constellations featured in Globe at Night.-
Hi Claire,
Thanks for your post. I really like your thorough, well-rounded plan for this activity. Citizen science is a great way to empower learners and build their confidence as young scientists, making and recording observations for an international network.
I think your plan to simulate the night sky and practice with learners is an important way to clear up any confusion and uncertainty when carrying out this activity. The range of extension activities is wonderful for expanding on this topic, especially campaigning through letter writing. Learners will come to understand how we can all be activists for a better world and the importance of using our voices to instigate change.
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I work and teach in a suburb of Dublin, as it is a populated area it can be difficult to get a good view of the night sky. Recently the Northern lights being visible really brought to my attention the impact of light pollution in my area. Although visible, when I compared my photos of the northern lights with my friend who lives just outside Dunboyne the difference was huge. To spark a conversation around this I would display both photos side by side for my students. I would give a background for both images and then I would then ask my students ‘what factors do you think impacted the visibility of the Northern lights in each photos?’ Working in groups I would encourage the students to use google maps to look at the geographical differences in each area. When the students have explored the impacts on light pollution on the photos I would introduce them to term such as glare, skyglow, light trespass and clutter. We would also explore resources such as the light pollution map and darkskys.org. Building on this lesson we could engage in further lessons on how light pollution affects animals in our local area.
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I think that investigating the impact light pollution is having in our local area would be a very interesting project for my 5th class to look at. Our school is located in a rural area but where the school itself is located is more built up. This would provide a great opportunity for the children to observe light pollution as they can see the impact of a residential area compared to a less populated area without travelling too far. We can study and experiment within the classroom but the children could also study and record images from home also.
My class are very interested in wildlife so studying how light pollution is impacting wildlife behaviour and habits would prove to be very eye-opening and engaging for the class. I think that the video showing the bugs attracted to the bright lights would be a good trigger video here.
Encouraging the children to work together to brainstorm and investigate ways to improve light pollution in our locality would be incredibly empowering for the children and they could share their findings across the school. -
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this
I am from a very rural area in the west of Ireland. Growing up tit would have been very dark at night- the only light source being the sky! However, the population has increased and so has the light pollution. It is reducing the visibility of stars and planets, disrupting ecosystems, and affecting human health by interfering with sleep patterns. To involve students in learning about light pollution, It is important to begin by discussing its causes, such as excessive street lighting, brightly lit buildings, and outdoor advertisements.
In the classroom, light pollution can be explored in many ways. The children could perform experiments that demonstrate how light scatters and its effects on visibility. Students should be engaged in discussions about the ecological consequences for nocturnal animals and plants. They should be encouraged to brainstorm and present solutions to reduce light pollution, like advocating for shielded lighting or organizing community awareness campaigns. This comprehensive approach sparks curiosity and empowers students to advocate for darker, starry skies.
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The school I teach in is on Clare Island which luckily for us has very few negative impacts regarding light pollution. Indeed while not part of Mayo Dark Sky Park, the island has in the past hosted dark sky events and the community have an interest in promoting the island as a dark sky destination.
We have already had a dark sky information seminar in the school where the children learned about using a Sky quality meter and about how darkness is measured (magnitudes per square arc second). However that said there are still basic modifications that need to happen before the island can be a dark sky destination in its own right.
Unlike Wild Nephin National Park at Ballycroy, there is light pollution from domestic homes and farmyards, and while there is not a lot traffic, it is nonetheless a residential area. Street lighting and security lighting (yes there is a security light at the school) needs to be modified. There is also a lot of lighting around the pier area.
Having already visited Wild Nephin and engaged in really great activities such as pond dipping for newts and other water-life as well as exploring live trapping, I think the children would be naturally curious to learn more aboutanother aspect of the park, the Dark Skies Project. We could possibly organise a visit from a dark sky expert from Wild Nephin over the winter. This would be a really good stimulation for further exploration and would also add momentum to the dark sky project on the island.
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Light pollution definitely has an astronomical impact and is affecting animals and humans well being. It is causing a disruption to the natural patterns of the local wildlife and harms biodiversity. It has risks to human wellbeing causing sleep disruptions from the excessive lighting. This can lead to developing sleep disorders and increased risks of depression, anxiety and stress. Due to the excessive brightness from the lights it makes it more difficult to see the stars, planets and celestial events in my locality. When I look at the town, I see the use of lights constantly 24/7 which is a massive waste of money and energy. This over use of energy is contributing to climate change.
This is a very interesting topic that I cannot wait to teach this coming year.
The children will be given a set of the following questions:
– What is light pollution?
-What are the main sources of artificial lighting at night?
-How does light pollution affect animals, humans and the environment?Using the following videos ( What is pollution video and video from Siding Springs), children in groups will identify the key information for each question. Following this, we would have a whole class discussion on Light Pollution and create a concept map with the important points.
We would participate in the Globe Night Project where the children can submit observations about light pollution in their area. Over time, the children can in groups create maps of their observations and clearly see where the light pollutions hotspots are. The maps can then prompt a discussion on the best ways to reduce light pollution in the locality. A prompt video (Loosing the Dark) would be used for children to further identify how we can prevent light pollution. The images of what types of lights reduce light pollution would be discussed and give pupils more understanding. A poster on Reducing light pollution for Art would be created.
An experiment would be conducted on what is the best material to create shielded lights to reduce light pollution. Groups would choose their material, create their light design and conduct light tests with a torch and streetscape. Findings would be discussed.
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Hi Cora
I’m glad you found the topic so interesting and plan to teach it this year. You are so right. The excessive use of light makes no sense and is harming ourselves and nature in so many ways. The more awareness we can spread, the better it will be, because light pollution is much easier to fix than most of our environmental issues if we only have the will to do it. You have oputlined a great plan there which involves Citizen Science through the Globe at Night programme, mapping of light pollution sources, discussion on solutions and an engineering project to design shielded lights.
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Light pollution is an important topic and something that is very topical today. I personally live in a small village and grew up in the countryside with somewhat little light pollution. However, I teach in a town and the children I teach would be used to a lot of light pollution at night and would be very rare. They would see a dark night sky where they live.
I think the video is a great introduction to the topic of light pollution and would lend for much discussion in the classroom. As was mentioned in the module, light pollution is probably a lesser known pollution but is certainly something that is easy to fix. I would begin with my class by showing them the video as I mentioned above. Following that I would show a series of photographs and we would discuss if light pollution is or is not present, and if so how we could fix the problem. They would brainstorm in groups about ways to reduce light pollution, particularly in the area in which they live, where there is a lot of light pollution.
I would then discuss with the children about dark sky friendly lights and see if we could come up with ways to use these in our own homes/environments to help with the problem of light pollution.
I think the light pollution interactive map is a very effective way of showing how light pollution differs from place to place. I would use Ipad time to let children compare their area to other areas in Ireland and throughout the world.
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Creating a teaching resource using the “Globe at Night” citizen science program offers a unique opportunity to engage students in real-world scientific research while fostering environmental awareness. This program, which encourages participants to measure and report light pollution levels in their area, serves as an excellent tool for teaching students about the impact of artificial lighting on our environment and the visibility of the night sky.
In designing the resource, I focused on making the activity both educational and empowering. Students learn how to observe the night sky, identify constellations, and assess the brightness of stars, contributing their data to a global database. This hands-on experience helps them understand the importance of dark skies for ecological balance and scientific observation.
Moreover, by participating in a global initiative, students gain a sense of connection to the larger scientific community. They realize that their contributions, no matter how small, can have a significant impact. This resource not only teaches scientific concepts but also instills a sense of responsibility and stewardship for the environment, making science relevant and accessible to students. -
I teach in an urban area with a high level of light pollution. My pupils would often comment on the lack of stars in the sky and I would always say that growing up in rural Donegal we were always able to see the stars and very often shooting stars. My own children live in the city and love when we go to the country so they can star gaze. It would be beneficial to highlight the difference of light pollution by contrasting both city and country living and have the children who go on holidays to rural areas journal what they see on a given time of year versus those based in the city. Setting up a classroom situation with a dark room and various types of lamps and torches used to create different light sources. The glow in the dark constellations packs could be put on the class ceiling and children could record if they see them in a dark room or brighter room. Looking over the evolution of light with the children would bring in a lovely history lesson and they could bring in light sources from home to help create some light pollution in the class.
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Light Pollution Assignment
This was a really interesting module.
I live and work in the suburbs of Dublin. Therefore we are subjected to light pollution at night. I would use the light pollution map to open up discussion on this.
This is something we could discuss using this document below to explore further.
https://www.darksky.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/LIGHT-POLLUTION-TOOLKIT-2018.pdfI would show images comparing black skies with urban skies. As suggested I would use Stellarium to explore the night sky.
We would also discuss how we could reduce light pollution in our neighbourhood and design new lamp shades etc. using this for inspiration https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-principles/
There have been some excellent ideas in the forum and it certainly has opened my eyes to light pollution in my own suburban area. It reminds me of how visible the Northern Lights were back in May from some parts of the country – my home area in rural Ireland in particular compared to where I now live in Dublin suburbs.
There is lots of scope for further learning and investigation here.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this
Firstly, I would teach the children about light pollution, what it is, how it effects wild-life, humans and environments. The children will understand the effects and how we can try to reduce the light pollution in the local area of the school.
People all over the world are living under the nighttime glow of artificial light, and it is causing big problems for humans, wildlife, and the environment. There is a global movement to reduce light pollution, and everyone can help.
Children will explore which aspects are causing the most light pollution in the area such as local GAA stadium floodlights/astro-turf areas and how we can be most conscious about having the big lights on timers etc.
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Light pollution in my area.
I am currently living in a very built up suburb of cork city. As well as glow from shop fronts there are the constant glow from the heavy traffic and the constant glow from the very many streetlamps. Whilst I acknowledge the lamps are semi shield, and pointing down, the actual quantity of them combines to a force of light that makes you believe it is almost day. It is of course a necessity in the dark nights but such a shame that simple things such as shooting stars and bright starry nights are missed out on. The recent displays of the northern lights were no where to be seen- a mystical mystery that was not to be seen. The days of going to bed because it was ‘dark’ for kids is long gone, just a glance outside the window shows light and brightness, a confusion to our sleep system, betraying us, and denying us a regulated nights sleep at times. I remember as a child going on holidays to the coast, and sitting outside with my family on deckchairs looking up and finding the north star and competing to see who can see the first or the most shooting stars and making a wish. The beautiful starry nights are a feast not to be seen in our typical night skies anymore – in part due to the levels of night pollution – I suppose an ‘evil’ necessity these days.
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Hi Aisling
It is such a pity that we have lost so much because of light pollution. As you are living in Cork city, I assume that you are also teaching in the city and that many of your pupils may not have shared experiences like yours of looking up at the stars. I think the solution to the problems of light pollution is questioning how much of it is as you say a “necessary” evil. It is certainly not necessary for shops and businesses to be completely lit up at night or for private houses or gardens to be lit up with bright spotlights. Once businesses are closed, low level security lights on sensors should be enough to protect them and low level sensor lights are enough to provide security for houses and and gardens don’t need to be lit up all night. Also, while a certain amount of street lighting is necessary, it is not necessary for streetlights to be as numerous or as bright as they are.
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My school is in an urban area in Dublin and so the light pollution is about as bad as it can be in Ireland.
I also live in an urban area so I know all too well what this can be like. A great idea would be for the children to survey their own area and see what particular aspects of light pollution might be impacting them. Skyglow is obviously the first issue I can think of with so many stars not being visible. I often experience light trespass when a neighbours back garden light turns on and off at night due to motion outside. I also find that there are many iMessage street lamps. I live in a cul de sac and the light from numerous street lamps shines directly on the front of our house. This is concerning as it can disrupt a persons natural daily rhythm and possible effect sleep. I’m currently on a trip to an island in the west Ireland and the difference in the sky is incredible. To engage learners I would have children survey their own area and discuss ways to improve the area using some resources like the light pollution map and Esero 09 Light & Darkness activity sheet. -
Light pollution has increasingly dimmed the night sky in my local area of Killinick, Co. Wexford, obscuring the stars that once filled the sky. The excessive use of artificial light from streetlights, buildings, and homes has not only reduced our ability to stargaze but also disrupted local ecosystems and wildlife.
To engage my students in exploring this issue, I would begin with asking the children to observe the night sky at home to compare the visibility of stars in urban versus rural areas. We would then use light pollution maps to document our findings and discuss the environmental impacts. Students could also design creative solutions to this light pollution.
These activities would help students understand the significance of preserving our night skies and inspire them to take action, fostering a deeper connection to the environment and our place in the universe.
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Hi Donal,
Thanks for sharing your own thoughts on light pollution from this module. I like how you plan to explore both the urban and the rural areas with your pupils and compare their experiences. Perhaps they could share photos taken from their own homes at night to encourage discussion on the impact of light pollution in the area. Discussion and critical thinking will be important aspects of the lesson to allow for the pupils to decide on the impact of light pollution in their local area and action they could take to address this and preserve the night sky as you have mentioned.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution in my local area, can have various impacts. It can disrupt ecosystems, affecting wildlife behaviour, especially nocturnal animals. Additionally, excessive artificial light at night can interfere with human sleep patterns and overall health. It can also obscure views of the night sky, making it difficult to see stars and celestial bodies clearly.
How I would engage my pupils to explore this:
1. **Light Pollution Survey:** Students can conduct a survey in the school or local area to identify sources of light pollution. They can document the types of lights used, their brightness, and how they impact the surroundings.
2. **Model Making:** Pupils can create a model to demonstrate the effects of light pollution on stargazing.
3. **Light Pollution Art:** Encourage students to express their understanding of light pollution through art. They can create posters, drawings, or paintings that highlight the effects of excessive artificial light on the environment and wildlife.
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As my school is located in Dublin City centre, light pollution is a serious barrier to my students actually observing the night sky in all of its glory. I would use the video by Siding Springs Observatory in Australia as an introduction to the topic of light pollution for my students. This video will spark great conversation and questions about what light pollution is. They will also see how the lights created by humans not only affect our view of the stars but also affect nocturnal animals. Using this video my students will learn the different ways they can combat light pollution in our city by:
Switching off lights
Using lighting only when it’s needed
Shield lights to stop upward light fill
Aim lights downwards
Use warm light bulbsThere is also a link that provides a great resource kit on their website which I will use with my students to find our own ways we can reduce light pollution. I also liked the idea of showing different pictures of light pollution and simple questions that will make the children think about how light pollution differs from other pollution they have heard about. Sky Glow will be a great new term for them as the sky in Dublin never really gets dark. I think it will be eye opening for them as they may not even have realised that this is not how the sky should look at night. This will be a great activity and I think it will spark a wonderful debate among the students on how we can reduce light pollution and hopefully they will come up with some great ideas that we can then turn into a project and share their ideas with Dublin City Council and other organisations that may be able to help.
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I found this topic particularly interesting. I think that on reflection I had not noticed the amount of light pollution in my area and how it has changed over the years. When I was holidays this year in rural France I definitely noticed the night sky and how bright the stars were. It opened my eyes to how I cannot see the night sky as clearly at home due to light pollution. The local area around my school would have great differences in terms of light pollution. There are some children who will live out in more rural areas and others in much more urban areas. I think this will add to the discussion and learning of the children. I would explore the local area of the school with the children and see if they notice any light pollution. I would draw the children’s attention to stargazing. I would ask them to check every night to see if they can spot the stars. I will explain that light pollution has a huge effect on our ability to see the stars. I think that this would tie in nicely with the story of how the constellations got their names from the previous module. To further engage the children in the topic I would certainly use some of the resources from this module such as …
-Dark sky places finder tool
-Observations – The globe at night video
-Dark sky policy in IrelandI think it would be important to draw their attention to the types of light pollution, checking if the lights are shielded, the colour of the lights etc.
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Hi Hannah,
Thanks for sharing your own experience on the night sky in France and at home. From working on this course I am now very conscious of the lights in my own local area and light pollution. I was also travelling to the airport in the very early hours recently and was comparing the lights from one local area to another and into Cork city. In your own school it would be great for pupils to compare their own experience of the night sky depending on their area and this would open up a great discussion in the class on light pollution around them to increase awareness. There are many resources across this module such as those you have mentioned to further engage and support the learning.
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Creating a lesson plan using the “Globe at Night” program by citizen science initiative that helps raise awareness about light pollution. To start the students can begin to understand light pollution, by comparing the night sky in urban areas vs. rural areas and the concept of light pollution, including its sources and impacts on wildlife and human health. They can view video on light pollination by national geographic ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_A78zDBwYE ) . In groups the children can compare our location to different places they have been in Ireland and abroad, they could create a scale of these place raking them on the Bortle dark sky scale from Inner City Sky – Excellent night Sky , our village is classed as rural suburban transition Class 4. The groups could display finding to present to the other classes . Over the course of a month I would set homework once a week to record and describe the night sky in the childs home or they could a pick a location that they could visit with their parents , through seesaw the children and upload their observation video. After 4 weeks the class will have a discussion on what the data shows about light pollution in their area.What patterns did they see in the data?How does light pollution vary across different locations? What could be the reasons for these differences? Together they can brainstorm ideas on how to reduce light pollution in their community. This can include writing letters to local officials or creating awareness campaigns
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My school is in Dublin West which is quite a populated part of Dublin and is filled with excess street lighting which has definitely effected the beautiful nights sky that can be seen on clear nights. The children probably don’t even realise how much it is effecting their view of the stars and constellations which is a real shame. This has opened my eyes on ways to make them aware and learn the beauty of it.
Firstly, the children could record the nights sky through photos and videos sent into the classroom throughout the week. Afterwards, the children should look at the effects of light in their local area by creating a survey like the one in the Irish times and rate the issue on a scale of one to 5.
-Street lamps
-shop windows
-traffic lights
-sports grounds
-security lighting
Compare and contrast with one another in the classroom and then look into the changes that could be done or improved in their area. This could even help to shed light to their parents at home or write a class letter to their local politicians to help improve. They could also make posters to hang in their local area. -
Looking at how light pollution is impacting my local area and how to engage the learners in my classroom is a very relevant and interesting area to reflect upon. Living and working in west Dublin light pollution is a definite area of concern. It is a built-up urban area with light pollution coming from street lights, houses and businesses. Light pollution not only affects star-gazing but also impacts greatly on local wildlife and human health. Stars and constellations that were previously visible are no longer so due to sky glow from artificial lights. Wildlife in particular nocturnal animals are impacted greatly. These animals rely on the dark sky for hunting and unnatural light is having a negative affect on this and impacting their breeding. Birds and insects are flying into buildings and lights. Light pollution also disrupts human’s circadian rhythms, impacting sleep patterns and negatively impacting health.
To engage the learners in my classroom, I would use many of the resources mentioned in this module. Important to start with the obvious question of ‘What is light pollution’ a brainstorm on this would be interesting, to get an idea on prior knowledge. The video ‘What is light pollution’ would be useful to watch after the brainstorm, to compare class ideas on the topic to it and engage discussion. The video ‘exploring colour’ would also be useful. Looking at and exploring the different types of light pollution, how to measure light pollution. Then once children had a good understanding of what it is, they could look at investigating light pollution in the local area, maybe focusing on the school and school grounds. The children could complete surveys, looking at lights around the grounds, are they shaded? Is there wildlife nearby that might be affected? After they compile their data, they could analyze the results integrating data and graphs from the maths curriculum. They can brainstorm and problem solve solutions – e.g. use shielded lights outdoors, use warm bulbs, use timers etc.
Perhaps engage with a rural school and compare findings. Solutions could be brought forward to the student union and some of the suggestions implemented.-
I think your idea of engaging with a rural school is fantastic. You could take photos of your local areas and compare them by looking at them on the interactive whiteboard. Students from both areas could collect data by doing questionnaires about light pollution in their areas and also compare the findings.
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My school is a mix of rural and urban with the majority of the school population living in a built up town. However, there is a percentage of the school that lives in the country side. The night skies seen here ar very different at times due to the excess street lighting in the town. This is a shame because I genuinely feel they are missing out on some real natural beauty. A nice project could involve the children recording the night sky either using report writing or pictures and then compare this in the classroom the following day. This could provide a nice insight into the difference of natural light and excess light that can be in a built up area. This in turn could spark debate for change in the local area to help improve light pollution in towns.
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I have grown up and now teach in the rural Cooley Penninsula. over the past few decades I myself can see more and more light pollution impacting our skies. With more and more builds and businesses being set up there are more street lights, or blinding lights lighting up yards or farms as security measures.
To get the attention of my students I would show them the too images, one form 1997 and the other 2015 to show the huge increase in light pollution. We would then identity our own locality on the map.
We would do a survey of our school and also the children would do one for homework regarding their home and outdoor lighting situation.
We would then look at places such as our local GAA pitch and club, golf club, the port, and local shop.
Once all our information is gathered we would examine results and see what the most common causes are and if they could be amended to be friendlier on our environment. A follow on activity could be to write a persuasive piece and send it into our local council office or to a local councillor highlighting our concerns of light pollution in the area.-
Hi Katie Jo,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on light pollution in your own local area. I like how you plan to explore aspects of the local area and identify any issues with light pollution in these areas. By writing letters to the council you are also encouraging the pupils to take action and identify what changes that could be made and they can also transfer this knowledge to their own homes and local area.
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Fortunately, I live in a rural area but despite this light pollution affects my locality greatly. The position of my home is that the front is out onto a main rural road with street lights and a playing pitch positioned behind my house (fully lighted). The difference between when the lights are on and when they are off is quite stark. I enjoy the ability to look out and stargaze when I happen to be out at night and this is impossible to do when the pitch lights are on. They are fully unshielded and change the lighting levels in the local area quite drastically.
To challenge the children in my class I would encourage them to try and stargaze for a night during the winter. Speaking to children about where they live and the light sources around them that may be causing light pollution. I would then encourage them to write a letter to a local councillor discussing the harmful levels of light in the area.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
To start this lesson we would look at different things and objects that give us light and where we can find them in our areas and school environment as light pollution is now a growing issue. The use of artificial lighting in cities, towns and villages is playing a part in environmental and health issues and energy waste. Living in a small village light pollution has reduced the visibility of the stars at night. Many people spend a lot of hours a day looking at screens which can be harmful to their eyesight. Many forms of outdoor lighting also causes energy waste when left on during the night. In order to engage my learners we would take a walk/drive in our local community to identify various light sources e.g. street lighting, lighting in shops or cafes and various types of screens (supermarket till, bank ATM machines). We would take pictures of these to explore further when we return to class.
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Hi Mairead
I’m not sure if you plan to bring the children on a walk during the day to identify light sources or to set them the task for homework of walking or driving with their families at night. Both would work well. You could walk as a class to identify where lights are and photograph them or even add them to a street map and then some of the children could revisit the areas at night to assess the amount of light pollution caused by the lights.
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I think it is really important to teach the children about light pollution. I doubt they are even are of such a thing and the many impacts of light pollution. I would begin by showing the pupils some images of the night sky, including pictures of the Milky Way from the Kerry night reserve website and the mayo dark sky park website. We would discuss why we cannot see this from our urban setting and would introduce the term light pollution to the class. What do they think this means? We would discuss factors that contribute to light pollution. At this point, I would show them the video from Loch Ness productions called Losing the Dark. I thought this was a really excellent video on the impact of light pollution. Moving on from this, we would look at ways that we can reduce light pollution. The Light Pollution resource pack from space week had some excellent ideas for investigations on how to create shields that I think would work really well in class. Our school is in an urban setting and so there are opportunities for the pupils to do an audit of the artificial lighting in there area. They could go for a walk around the neighborhood, accompanied by an adult of course, and look at examples of lighting that creates light pollution and think about ways this could be reduced. Finally, we could integrate this topic with other strands in science and look at how insects and nocturnal animals are impacted by light pollution.
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Hi Eva
Yes most people probably aren’t aware of light pollution. Lights are so prevalent now that we are just used to them and don’t think about the problems that excess lighting causes. Using pictures taken from a dark sky reserve is a good idea to illustrate the difference between an urban setting with a lot of lights and a place where there is minimal lighting and the stars are really visible. Getting the children to do a light pollution audit should be easy enough for children in an urban setting to do with their families. They could also talk to their parents about their experiences of the night sky growing up.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
This is a very interesting and topical theme to explore in the classroom. My school is located in Dublin and as with all city areas, there is a lot of light pollution. In particular with street light, cars, building being lit up at night time and domestically too. This module provided lots of wonderful websites for introducing this topic to your students.The dark sky planning tool is a lovely tool to use in the classroom, as is the video ‘what is light pollution/ from planning.nsw.gov.au. I spent some time in Australia and I remember one of myost precious and awe inspiring memories was the time I spent at Fraser Island off the coast of eastern Australia. I lay on the beach and the stars looked so close to my face that I felt you could almost reach out and touch them. I had never seen a night sky like this in my life and I was amazed. I think I would engage my learners by showing them the video mentioned above, then putting the question to them ‘what does our night sky look like?’ We would discuss this and chat about what it looks like and possible reasons why. I would assign an activity for when they are at home after dark. I would create a questionnaire with questions such as :’How many types of colours of lights can you see? Can you see the moon/stars? Is your area urban or rural? Can you identify different types of light pollution in your area. From here we would discuss our findings and come up with ways to reduce light pollution in our area. There are many activities we could do from here, such as design a shade for street lights, design an awareness poster. You could even try and get the whole school community involved in trying to cut down on our imprint on light pollution.
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Hi Laura
I think that story of your trip to Fraser Island would be a lovely one to share with the children in your class when talking about light pollution. You could ask them if any of them have had any experience of looking at the stars when visiting another part of Ireland or another country. Those stories could be used as a way to illustrate the difference between light pollution levels in Dublin City and other areas. Creating a questionnaire for homework is a great idea as it would be suited to your own area and as all the children would be answering the same questions it would be a great way to compare light pollution levels in the different areas where the children live.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would start this module of work by exploring the fundamentals of light, lights in our classroom, sunlight, moonlight, starlight etc. We would discuss the aesthetic quality of these and maybe do some poems in English and Irish that capture the beauty that light brings into our lives and how this can be even better at nighttime.
From here I would take about the street the school is on and how that looks at night. I would take some photos which capture glare and unncecessary light sources to prove the point. I would ask pupils to go home and consider the lights in their area and possibly take some photos and get their parents to put them on Aladdin. FInally I would use the website http://www.lightpollutionmap.info to see how our area is particullarly bad. I would use this as a springboard for action, possibly a letter to the council which contains suggestions and alternatives.
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Hi Christopher
Taking photos of the street outside the school is a good idea. You could first get the children to assess the street during daylight and see what they think of the amount and direction of the lights and then show them the photographs you took. Getting them to assess the lighting in their own area and take photos is a great idea as is using what you find to come up with solutions and take action.
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Light pollution in my area.
I live in Gorey but regularly travel back from family visits to Dungarvan. In the wintertime when the children are getting tired of the journey, I welcome the skyglow of the town ahead as a reminder to them that we are almost home! Its in some way comforting! It is about the only advantage I can think of for light pollution.
We recently moved from an urban housing estate where it was near impossible to get a view of the sky between building obstructions and the lights from the town. We now live on the outskirts of the same town but are amazed at the difference in our view of the sky at night where constellations can be easily identified from our back garden.
With the recent move we have noticed that we sleep better…Previously there was street light entering into every room of the house and now once lights are out, it is completely dark. My parents also live in an urban setting flooded by streetlight and just yesterday after a trip to west cork and being used to frequent sleep interruptions through the night, they were stunned with how well they slept while there. We wondered was it due to the darkness & stillness of the light.
Other participants have mentioned about how light pollution can have an on ones circadian rhythm and I think there is some merit in that.I think security plays a big role too in how businesses keep instore lighting on in some big stores/car parks through the night. It seems like such an ineffective use of energy. Yet on certain roads/parks around the town the use of lighting can be very welcome if you are walking on dark evenings. We compromise so much from nature for our safety/convenience.
I have also noted about the effect of light pollution on wildlife….My brother who lives at the foot of the dublin mountains but in a housing estate recently sent me a picture of a deer walking through his estate at dawn. I met a fox myself a few nights ago at a camp ground, comfortably walking around in the lit up area. We have rabbits in our garden at all times of the day where I would have expected them in the late evening or early dawn. We frequently have birds who fly straight into our windows ending up hurt or worse. One has to wonder, are they all confused with all the disturbances on their habitats and responses to light?
Learning about the different types of lighting in this module, I hadnt realised that there are lights being used to reflect the light downwards, having less of an impact on the night sky. This is something I will look out for, as I hadnt ever paid much attention to the types of lighting in my area. I was also stunned to learn that rural electric
This is also an interesting concept to explore in the classroom and a good way to connect with the local environment. Using the globe at night resources would open up so much discussion about what it would be like to live in areas dense with light versus places in total darkness. Explore that idea in relationship to animals, plants, human life etc
As others mentioned in their posts, some children have never experienced total darkness at night. Even exploring how our eyes adjust or how living in areas of darkness may require adjustments to how we do things.-
Hi Aisling
Thank you for your comprehensive post about light pollution, especially your personal anecdotes about the effects of light pollution on your own sleep and that of your parents. If your pupils too are living in a mixture of town centre housing estates and darker areas this would be a great way to explore light pollution by getting them to observe the night sky at home and do a survey of lighting and compare their experiences. I think you are right about so many animals being confused, not just by light pollution but by the constant destruction of habitats that are pushing them into more urban environments. Security is something that is often used as an excuse for excess lighting and while this is true in some cases, there is no reason why a shop or office building or a private garden needs to be completely lit up all night long and better lighting design can ensure the safety of people walking on the streets at night without causing excess light trespass or skyglow.
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ASSIGNMENT 3
Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I reside in the urban area of Bray (a large town) in Co Wicklow. According to the map: Growth of light in Ireland 2015, Bray is 2-4 times natural which means it wouldn’t be possible to see the Milky Way at night. Now with population growth and industry in the area and in accordance with the light pollution website: LightPollutionMap.info, Bray is higher now looking at the light pollution in the area.
Most of Bray is a bright area at night with its clutter of lights at parks, schools, sport areas, factories, DART station, streetlights in the town and in many estates. Then there are many homes with outside lights and the use of smartphones and televisions increases the use the lights for recreational and entertainment. I believe there is excessive groupings of light sources.
Bray centre does transmit a lot of light, far more than the suburban or forest, coastal and mountain areas nearby. Obviously, there is a contrast between these different areas of Bray – the Irish sea being much darker than town centre.
I would engage the children by using slides 30 to 39 from module 3 on how to do a Science /Geography project on light pollution in the Bray area. The slides cover predicting, investigation, recording, with sharing and interpreting the data which would give structure and information to the students on how and what to do for their project. Other slides from module 3 such as 51 would give students websites to use for research and understanding. The students would complete a survey to record their findings. The survey would be like the one given by the Irish Times in Slide 50 in Module 3 with changes made to the survey considering lighted areas in Bray such as shopping centres and supermarkets. -
Light pollution is an increasingly significant issue in Dublin, as the city’s rapid urbanization and expansion have led to a proliferation of artificial lights. This excessive illumination disrupts the natural night environment, affecting not only the visibility of the night sky but also the health and behavior of both humans and wildlife. In Dublin, light pollution has dimmed the view of stars and celestial bodies, making it challenging to experience the beauty of the night sky. Moreover, the constant glare from streetlights, billboards, and buildings can interfere with ecosystems, disrupting the circadian rhythms of animals and even contributing to sleep disorders in people.
To engage learners in exploring this issue, I would start by discussing the concept of light pollution and its effects on the environment, health, and astronomy. A nighttime field trip could be organized to observe the difference between the sky in the city and in a less urbanized area. I would encourage students to participate in a citizen science project, such as measuring light pollution levels in different parts of Dublin using smartphone apps. Additionally, learners could engage in a project to design solutions, such as proposing the use of shielded lighting or advocating for “dark sky” policies in their communities. This hands-on approach will help students grasp the significance of light pollution and inspire them to think critically about how to mitigate its impact.
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Light pollution is a growing problem in my local area. Light pollution makes it harder to see stars and planets, disrupts our wildlife, and affects people’s health by wreaking havoc on our circadian rhythm. To enable students to learn about light pollution, I would begin by discussing what causes it, like too many streetlights, and bright buildings etc.
In class, we would do simple experiments to show how light spreads out and affects what we can see. We would have discussions about how this pollution impacts animals and plants that are active at night. Encourage students to develop and share ideas for reducing light pollution, such as using better-designed lights or starting community awareness projects. This approach sparks curiosity and encourages students to work towards bringing back dark, starry nights.
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Light pollution is when too much artificial light brightens the night, affecting the natural environment. In Killarney, this extra light is causing problems for animals in the National Park. For example, nocturnal animals like bats and birds that are active at night can get confused by the lights, making it hard for them to find food or navigate. Plants can also be affected because they rely on natural light cycles to grow properly. Additionally, light pollution makes it harder to see the stars in the night sky, which is a big loss in a place like Killarney, known for its beautiful dark skies.
To help the children understand light pollution in Killarney, I would start by talking about what it is and why it matters. Then, we would go on a nighttime walk in Killarney to see the effects of light pollution for ourselves. The children could observe how the lights from the town affect the visibility of stars and the behavior of any animals we might see.
We could also talk to local wildlife rangers to learn about how light pollution is affecting animals in the National Park. Back in the classroom, we would do simple experiments to see how different types of light affect plants and animals. For instance, we could shine lights on plants overnight and see if it changes how they grow.
To make the project more hands-on, the children could work together to design and build models of light shields using LEGO or other materials. These light shields could show how we can reduce light pollution in our community. We might also create posters or plan an event to raise awareness about the importance of keeping our skies dark. Through these activities, the children would learn how light pollution impacts Killarney and what we can do to help protect the environment.
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Hi Catherine,
Thanks for sharing your own thoughts on light pollution in Killarney. People can underestimate the effects of light pollution from an area and how this could impact animals in the national park. I think that getting the rangers in to talk to the pupils would be a great idea and allow the children the opportunity to ask their own questions to guide their learning and understanding of light pollution. I also really like your plan to use different materials to make light shields to further support their learning and apply it on a design and make task.
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Plan a project for your class to take part in the International Dark Sky Association’s “Rising Star” Awards programme:
Planning a project for the “Rising Star” Awards supports enquiry-based learning and provides many rich opportunities for meaningful integration across the curriculum.1. Introduction to Dark Skies: I would introduce the idea by discussing the importance if dark skies with the children. We would also discuss the impact of light pollution on the environment and wildlife.
2. Light pollution survey: This is an opportunity for integration with the maths curriculum. The children would conduct a light pollution survey around the school area. They will then map out areas with high and low light pollution areas. This activity ties in with maps in the geography curriculum.
3. Community awareness campaign: The children would create posters, presentations or videos to raise awareness about the importance of preserving dark skies and reducing light pollution.
4. Starry Night Event: The class could host a “Starry Night” event at the school where staff, pupils and their families can come together to stargaze and to participate in dark skies related activities.
5. Rising Star Awards application: I would support the children in preparing an application for the “Rising Star” awards programme, ensuring that they highlight their efforts in promoting dark skies and raising awareness about light pollution.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution in the Maynooth area affects both the environment and the local community by obscuring the night sky, disrupting ecosystems, and impacting human health. Excessive artificial lighting reduces the visibility of stars and planets, making it difficult for students, and residents in general, to appreciate natural celestial events. Wildlife, particularly nocturnal species, can suffer from disorientation and behavioral changes due to the unnatural brightness, which also contributes to energy waste.
To engage my 4th class students, I would start with a night-time stargazing activity, I would ask students living in Maynooth (local built-up area) and Kilcloon (local rural area) to observe how many stars they can see and compare their findings with each other to see what the night sky looks like with more/less light pollution. I would incorporate a hands-on experiment where they create simple “sky quality meters” to measure light levels around Maynooth and Kilcloon. Students can then map light pollution from Maynooth to Kilcloon using their observations to discuss its causes and effects. Finally, I would have them brainstorm solutions to reduce light pollution, such as advocating for shielded streetlights or participating in a local “lights-out” event. This approach combines scientific exploration with civic responsibility, making the topic relevant and engaging.
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Light pollution in my area has become an issue since the construction of the motorway. I wasn’t around before it was built but family members have pictures and videos, the light pollution mainly comes from the street lights and petrol stations down the road. The school I teach in is very rural so there isn’t much light pollution for them and they are able to see the stars quite clearly.
One way to spark a conversation about light pollution with students is by comparing photos of urban areas and dark sky areas. Students could discuss the differences that they see and how this might affect humans and wildlife. We could then have a class discussion about ways to reduce light pollution like using motion sensing lights, reducing the use of unnecessary lights at night, and drawing the blinds at night. I think it’s important to teach students about light pollution because it helps them consider the impact that humans have on the natural environment around them. -
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My locality of Dublin 24, like many urban regions, faces the detrimental effects of light pollution. The excessive artificial light not only disrupts animals’ ability to hunt, navigate and communicate thus making them more vulnerable to predators, starving, unable to mate etc. Yet light pollutions also have impacts human health and well-being for example fatigue or insomnia due to light trespassing. Lack of sleep can be damaging to a person’s health. The Dunsink Observatory in North Dublin reported that in 2019, Dublin was 7 times brighter than any other area in Ireland. As an educator, engaging young learners in understanding this issue is crucial.
To explore light pollution with students, I would start by introducing the concept of light pollution and its effects on the environment both in humans and animals. Following that lesson, I would encourage student to go on a night-time nature walks with an adult in a safe space, I would encourage students can observe how light pollution is damaging, then in the following lesson we would discuss how light pollution reduces the visibility of the stars and constellations along with disrupting nocturnal animals.
Furthermore, lessons on energy conservation in homes (switch off light if not needed, using warm light bulbs etc.) and responsible use of outdoor lighting (sensor outside light, garden lighting etc) this can empower students to become more sensible with lighting.
A follow up activity to further their knowledge could be to encourage them to conduct research projects and create posters about light pollution can deepen their understanding and foster a sense of respect of the environment. -
3 Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this Dark Sky Ireland – Promoting & Preserving Ireland’s Dark Skies
I grew up in a rural area where the light quality throughout the night was excellent and at times magical. I teach in an urban area and genuinely don’t think that pupils are aware of light pollution and the impact of it. To be honest I wasn’t fully informed before completing the course. Dark Sky Ireland – Promoting & Preserving Ireland’s Dark Skies is an excellent resource. I also found this power point very interesting and informative. Light Pollution in Ireland (mayo.ie).I feel it would be important to raise awareness of such an issue in class and really start at the beginning- I think a visual representation of how light pollution has increased would help pupils see that it is an issue that needs to be addressed . The other areas I would teach information on are: What is light pollution? What causes it? Why has it increased? What impact has it had on the environment and on ourselves? Other question and maybe further research will answer questions such as: what is our local authorities’ policy on controlling light pollution?, Is this being implemented ? What can we do at school and at home. I feel this is a very information heavy topic but still an important one for our young people to take into consideration and learn about.
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Hi Patricia
As you say, children who have grown up in an urban area are often not aware of light pollution at all as for them it is what they have always known. Even for adults, although most of us have grown up being able to see the stars clearly at night, we have gradually got used to brighter lights and forget that excess lighting is neither normal nor desirable. There are, of course, advantages to having some outdoor lighting but the levels of artificial light are far in excess of what is needed. Visual representations of the differences in light levels would really help to get the point across and so would sharing your personal experience of growing up being able to see the stars. You could also ask the children if they have any experience of being in darker places in other parts of Ireland or in other countries where they were able to see the stars. Asking about your local authorities plans to tackle light pollution is a great idea as is looking at solutions. Many things could be done in school and the children’s homes to reduce the problem and spreading awareness to others is also key.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
Light pollution has many negative impacts on our locality including:
Disruptions to ecology: Nocturnal animals may find it more difficult to hunt at night and find sufficient food to survive. Migratory birds may also be disrupted by light pollution.
Human health: Light pollution can impact quality of sleep and in turn lead to increased stress levels for people, negatively affecting their mental health.
Night sky: light pollution reduces our ability to observe celestial events and stars, diminishing the community’s connection to the natural night sky and the opportunity for astronomical education. The beauty of a star filled night sky and the peace and calmness associated with this are also lost in the case of light pollution.
Energy waste: Excessive and wastefully directed night time lighting can have a negative effect on our carbon footprint. It is worth analysing the necessity of constant lighting at night in certain locations.
This can be explored with students by introducing them to the topic using their own observations from home at night by asking them to observe the sky and compare with their classmates. We would then use the Globe at Night resource to contrast our locality with different areas around the world.
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Detail how light pollution is impacting your local area and how you would engage your learners to explore this.
I would start by exploring the children’s understanding of light pollution in our local area. Using videos, pictures and local walks to gain a better understanding of the types of light sources that creates pollution into our system. The children will log their findings by doing a survey of their area and light usage. As we are based in a large town, the children will have many sources of light to experience from street lights, security lights, flood lights, outdoor advertising and buildings. I would examine the difference between a rural area and our town to compare the levels of pollution. I would examine how light pollution has changed through the years in our area, from a small rural area to a large town. I would discuss artificial light awareness with the students and how it creates havoc with our natural body rhythms in humans and animals in our environment. I would make them aware of the overall difficulties it creates for people living in towns and cities to experience the beautiful detail of our night sky.
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