Bath's Herschel Museum of Astronomy is pleased to support the “Dark Skies Campaign,” which seeks to raise awareness of the negative impact of light pollution, not just on astronomers but also on wildlife – and even on ordinary people living in urban areas.
"Dark Skies,” which is championed by the CPRE’s Star Count, forms a crucial part of parent charity Bath Preservation Trust’s wider “Conservation in Action” campaign running throughout 2023.
Astronomers and musicians William and Caroline Herschel lived and worked in Bath from 1766-1782, where they made many of their discoveries, including the detection of the planet Uranus by William. In the garden of the house where the siblings lived at 19 New King Street, one can look up into the sky from the very spot where William and Caroline Herschel once stood – and yet what we see today is a blanched and weakened version of the crisp and lustrous view the Herschel siblings would have enjoyed. Limited oil lamps in the streets have long been replaced by bright LED street-lighting, and other forms of industrial and domestic lighting the light from which light bleeds upwards, illuminating not just the streets below but also the night sky above.
Dark Skies will raise awareness of the impact of this growing problem and promote practical solutions that people can take into their own hands. The Herschel Museum will achieve these aims by partnering with Bath Astronomers and Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution to deliver a packed events schedule of themed stargazing sessions and talks throughout the year. Attendees will learn how they can effect change in their own communities, in order that they might one day enjoy a better view of the night sky from their own back gardens.
Alex Sherman, CEO of Bath Preservation Trust, believes that light pollution in and around the city of Bath is such that, were William and Caroline Herschel practicing astronomy today, they would not be able to detect many of their former sightings: “The Herschels’ discoveries would have been impossible had they stargazed under current light pollution levels as the night sky over Bath today looks very different to how it did in 1781, when William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus."
“Light pollution in Bath and its rural fringes continues to get worse, as our Green Belt is eroded and with the proliferation of cheap to run, blue spectrum LEDs. Simple solutions, such as late-night dimming or a reduction in the number of street lamps have worked in other areas and could easily be applied throughout the city. Blue spectrum LEDs used in street lighting are a real problem for many species of insects, causing populations to crash and upsetting the food chain. LED lights can also impact people and studies have shown higher night-time light levels impact sleep quality and even melatonin production.”
Claire Dixon, Director of Museums for Bath Preservation Trust says: “We hope that through the Dark Skies project we are able to raise awareness of the relatively little-publicised problem of light pollution, and help us all to take steps to improve the environment around us. Conservation underpins everything we do in our organisations, so Dark Skies is an important component of our wider “Conservation in Action” project. In addition to our programme of astronomy events and talks, we are also partnering with the University of Bath again this year to provide pop-up planetarium shows in and around Bath – a great, accessible introduction to astronomy for families from a range of backgrounds. There are also a range of conservation talks planned at our sister museum No.1 Royal Crescent.”
For more information about the Herschel Museum of Astronomy’s Dark Skies themed events, visit www.herschelmuseum.org.uk.
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