[Offtopic] GLOBE at night

[Roland Gesthuizen]

How many stars can you see? It depends on whether you are living in the
bush, the suburbs of the heart of town. Light pollution is so bad in some
places, you can only see the brightest stars. Want to be involved in some
participatory amateur science? Then get involved in this sky survey that my
year 9 Research Science and Technology students are running as part of the
GLOBE project this month.

Learn, Observe, Report and Map! Globe at Night
<http://www.globe.gov/GaN/>has more details including a cool activity
pack that can be downloaded.

There is a world wide survey of star visibility going at the moment. Between
now and March 21, go outside at around an hour and a half after sunset,
possibly a bit later. Stand in a spot where street lights or neighbours
outdoor lights won't get in your eyes and let your eyes adjust for a few
minutes (or more, after looking at the computer screen it can take up to 5
minutes for my eyes to adjust).

Compare what you see of the constellation Orion to their
starcharts<http://www.globe.gov/GaN/observe_magnitude.html>,
(see map at Southern Sky
watch<http://home.mira.net/%7Ereynella/skywatch/ssky.htm#Stars>)
or print out the maps in the attached Family Activity pack) and submit your
observations to this link:
     http://www.globe.gov/GaN/report.html

If you are using a torch to read the Family Activity Pack maps, remember to
put some red cellophane over the end so as to not destroy your night vision.
Simple as that, and you are contributing to our understanding of light
pollution as well a doing a bit of amateur science.

(share me your location and finding, I hope to use it with my year 9
Research Science class to compare results, data quality and validation
etc..)

-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
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