There are billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy, including our own Sun. To achieve not only the most detailed photographs but the most beautiful observations, we must all get as far away from light pollution as possible.
And it is that this obstacle, light pollution, not only deprives people of a wonderful view of the cosmos, but can also have serious consequences for health and the environment. In addition to wasting energy, widespread artificial lighting can lead to light-confused migratory birds crashing into walls, and baby sea turtles to become disoriented on their vital post-hatch journey to the ocean.
According to the International Dark Sky Association , less than a third of the world’s population lives under skies illuminated by natural light and the moon . That is why in this 2019 astronomical calendar we want to not only remember the astronomical events that are to come but also the importance of conserving our dark skies.
A night sky free from light pollution is important because it inspires people to tell stories. For almost all of human history, humanity has transmitted knowledge orally, and stories have become a way of remembering things about the world.
During the long winter nights, before there were electric lights, television or computers, people would sit by the fire and share their stories. Because these people could see the night sky while telling stories, when they recognized a constellation they could say: “That constellation reminds me of a story” …
When our ancestors gazed at the sky, they remembered stories, and those stories contained information that explained their traditions and collective knowledge.
If we lose contact with the night sky, little by little we will also lose contact with ourselves.
So, we review this 2019 astronomical calendar month by month, not forgetting that dark skies are a precious asset that we must maintain.
What will the next few months hold for us?
