By Starlight - a Dark Skies event

In this event guest speaker Marnie Ogg, of The Dark Sky Traveller, and the North Shore Astronomy Association will speak about the increasing challenge of light pollution in our urban landscape and why we should care about protecting our night skies. We will then have a gentle walk around the site to experience the night and observe some of the challenges around reducing light pollution. Participants will also be introduced to stargazing both by eye and through the use of telescopes in a relaxed session where we will get the chance to see the beauty of the cosmos.

Light pollution is one of the most overlooked forms of anthropogenic pollution. This event will highlight how our saturation of the urban night with light has not only robbed us of a cultural connection to the sky, but how our wildlife also suffers from the lack of true darkness.

The first 30 minutes will be talks about the night sky and light pollution. As the sun sets and the darkness takes over, groups will alternate between stargazing and a guided walk around the site. The rest of the event will be dedicated to appreciating the wonderful night sky. Participants can stay after the event to continue stargazing if they wish, as long as they sign out with Council staff first.

Bring: A blanket or throw to sit on and a picnic if you would like to eat during the event. The event will be in darkness by the end, so a torch (phone is fine) to get back to vehicles safely afterwards would be beneficial. The event will also contain a guided gentle walk in the dark, so sensible footwear and clothes for an evening outside on grass is a must.

Clear skies are essential for stargazing. Patchy cloud is fine. If very cloudy, the event will be postponed.

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