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1. Why should the dark sky in Poland be protected ?
- because it’s a natural good, just like the native fauna and flora,
- bright sky makes it impossible to watch the stars,
- sky observations in Poland have a historic background (Copernicus),
- astronomy is a future science, that should be developed in Poland,
- proper lighting increases the comfort of travelling at night,
- properly designed lighting systems bring great savings !
2. What are the main problems with artificial lighting in Poland ?
- open street lamps with the light pointing upwards and sideways instead of only downwards,
- the light of halogen lamps used by supermarkets pointing only towards the sky,
- the lack of savings that could be generated by dimming of street lights at night,
- unnecessary merging of artificial light in one place,
- permanently leaving the lights on in front of the houses for the night, which is needless.
3. What are the ways of protecting the dark sky in Poland ?
- economical dimming of the street lamps e.g. between midnight and 3 a.m.
- installing side fittings (shields) in already existing street lamps and lamps in front of private houses,
- eliminating (in compliance with the law) redundant sources of artificial light,
- installing motion sensitive photo-cells in private outdoor lightings,
- educating the society about the advantages of the starry sky.
4. Where can you find help and advice in this matter ?
- International Dark Sky Association (IDA) www.darksky.org
- Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute www.lightpollution.it
- Ciemne Niebo (Dark Sky, Polish campaign) www.ciemneniebo.pl
- Stowarzyszenie POLARIS-OPP (POLARIS-OPP Association) www.polaris.org.pl
- Izerski Park Ciemnego Nieba (Izera Dark-Sky Park) www.izera-darksky.eu
5. What is the strategy of protecting the dark sky in Poland ?
- establishing a nationwide “Dark Sky” program,
- issuing brochures and educating the society,
- creating a stable “Dark Sky” fund and fund-raising,
- collecting proposals from groups and institutions that are interested in improving the condition of lighting,
- distributing grants and subsidies for dark sky protection in Poland.
before all stars disappear from sight !”