Star Count 2020

Description: 
We think that dark and starry skies are a special part of our countryside. Nothing beats looking upwards to see velvety blackness, with twinkling constellations as far as the eye can see. Artificial light leaks from our buildings and roads, though, and this can affect our view of truly dark skies. We want to make sure that we can all enjoy starlit nights – and we need your help in measuring how what effect light is having on our views of the sky. The best way to see how many stars we can all see in the sky is… to count them! So we’re asking people from all across the country to become ‘citizen scientists’. Join in by choosing a clear night between 21 and 28 February 2020 and counting the number of stars you can see within the constellation of Orion. Pop the dates in your diary now! Once you’ve done your star-spotting, we’ll share a form with you where you can quickly and easily send us your count – and then we get busy with our number-crunching. Your results from Star Count will help us make a map of where star-spotters are enjoying deep, dark skies. By showing on a map where light pollution is most serious, we can work with local councils and others to decide what to do about it.
Originator: 
CPRE
Is this an existing or new approach to measuring landscape change?: 
Existing
Aspect of landscape: 
Spatial coverage: 
The whole Park depending on results submitted
Geographical unit: 
The sky!
Frequency of measure: 
Annual
Indicator: 
Light pollution and dark skies
Barriers: 
Lack of input in the local area
Resource requirements: 
CPRE potentially charging for details data?
Establishment cost: 
Low (existing resources)
Any other comments: 
A really useful resource for understanding the National Park and human habitation/impacts
Ongoing operational cost: 
Low
Ongoing reporting cost: 
Low
Data source: 
Voluntary input from members of the public
Submitted by: 
Jemma
Countryscape

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