By Daniela González
Executive Director of Fundación Cielos de Chile
On November 30, an unprecedented event illuminated the importance of protecting dark skies. The Algarrobo Route turned off its lights for an hour, allowing to measure the impact of light and raise awareness about the preservation of this valuable scientific heritage of the regions of Atacama and Coquimbo, the reason why they concentrate part of the most important observatories worldwide.
This blackout was coordinated by the Commission for the care of the night skies of the Coquimbo Region, an instance that brings together various actors from the public sector as well as scientists, who seek to protect and conserve the dark skies of the region. But its success was the result of the joint and coordinated work of a number of people and institutions that made this scientific and citizen event possible.
Two scientific teams were divided between the observatory Las Campanas and La Silla, and from the night before, they set up their equipment to collect data that would serve as a baseline for the blackout the next day. Their stay was possible thanks to the staff of both observatories, who were committed to this activity. The following day -the day of the blackout- the day began with the visit of the regional authorities to the Las Campanas observatory, where they were received by Dave Osip and Guillermo Blanc.
The regional authorities of Science, Public Works, Mining, CORFO and Sernatur, together with the directors of the Office for the Protection of the Quality of the Skies (OPCC) and the Chilean Skies Foundation (FCC) learned about the history and milestones of Carnegie and the observatory in the development of science and astronomy. After touring the facilities and the Magellan telescopes, the delegation went to the La Silla observatory, where the Commission met, and then went to the road to observe the blackout, where the public gathered to witness this event.
During the blackout, which included the cessation of vehicle traffic, the scientific teams again took data to compare both scenarios with respect to changes in the natural brightness of the sky. The data collected will be processed, analyzed and presented to the commission, in addition to the graphic and audiovisual records that complement the study.
Beyond the results obtained, the experience of suspending an important source of artificial luminosity made it possible to observe the growing number of activities that have been installed on the edges of the road and that in many cases provide services to it. The identification and individualization of these sources is a significant input for the design and implementation of strategies that lead to sustainable lighting.
For us, as Fundación Cielos de Chile, the most important learning from the experience of this blackout is the demonstration that the care and protection of dark skies requires intersectoral work at different territorial scales. The articulation and will between public, academic and scientific institutions, together with civil society, proves to be the way forward to mitigate and reduce a complex and multi-systemic problem such as light pollution.
We hope that beyond the results obtained from the measurements of artificial brightness, this milestone in the care of dark skies is the starting point of a work that defines and adopts concrete measures to preserve and protect the important natural laboratory that means for Chile and the world our dark skies.