The community was invited to a Foothills observatory to learn about the importance of keeping the sky dark.
The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, located near Priddis, hosted Foothills County residents at the research facility for the annual "Howdy Neighbour BBQ," where guests were treated to "beef on a bun and astrophysics on the grill."
While the evening's gloomy weather prevented practical demonstrations of the views from the observatory's telescopes, University of Calgary students were on-hand to explain the science behind the devices in layman's terms.
Foothills County Coun. Suzanne Oel, a speaker at the event, highlighted the importance of the Dark Sky Initiative, which works to keep the night skies dark.
"We want to view the stars for many reasons...we want to mitigate the effect of light pollution," said Oel. "And it has a very great reach on a number of different areas, and that includes natural processes, human and animal health, our connected landscapes, the viewing of the stars as part of the enjoyment of country living or visiting, and of course, preserving the functioning of the world-class organizations of a facility like this observatory."
DarkSky International, which works to raise awareness on light pollution and conserve dark skies worldwide, defines light pollution as "the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally."
The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory serves as southern Alberta's representative for the international organization, which recognizes "dark sky places" that have preserved the natural beauty of their skies.
"Of course, this facility is not all on its own. It's tied to many other organizations," said Oel, who serves as chair of the Dark Sky Initiatives Stakeholders Working Group, which is a collective working together to spread information on the importance of keeping the night sky dark.
Besides Foothills County and the University of Calgary through the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, members of the working group include the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area, which in 2015 was designated Canada’s first Nocturnal Preserve for its success minimizing human impacts on the nocturnal environment and keeping the area light pollution-free.
Foothills residents are asked to help protect the night sky and do their part to prevent light pollution, including using outdoor light at night only when and where it is needed and at appropriate lighting levels, using fully shielded light efficient fixtures aimed directly at the ground, and using timers and sensors to shut off lights when not needed.
"One of the things that we can do is, of course, educate and share about Dark Sky Country, but we can also learn individually what to do with our lighting on our own property," said Oel.
Dr. Phil Langill, director of the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, says that Foothills residents should appreciate the beauty of the night sky.
"We've got this great gift of a starry sky at night," said Langill, a University of Calgary astrophysicist. "You know, it's a little sad that city dwellers don't take the time to look up, but it's not that they don't take the time, it's that they can't see the stars anymore.
"One of the great, great things about living in the country is the sun goes down and it gets dark and the stars come out, and people in big cities, they don't get that experience."
Outside of Foothills County, the working group successfully advocated for the City of Calgary to update its lighting, with West Calgary Ring Road switching to downward-pointing LED street lights that improve light quality and reduce light pollution.
There's still work to be done in both Calgary and Foothills County, continued Langill.
"The activity over time that people do, that they don't even really think about, slowly erodes the darkness of the sky at night and it gets brighter and brighter, and the next thing you know, the stars are disappearing," he added.
"And it's not any one person's fault. It's a societal thing."
Learn more about the Dark Sky Initiative in Foothills County, including its history and how residents can minimize light pollution, here.
The Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is closed to the public outside of special events. A list of upcoming events, including an astronomy lecture and telescope viewing on Oct. 5, is available here.
