Tonight I will be presenting my chapter, 'The Transparency of Night' in Dark Skies: Places, Practices, Communities, and my project, 'Earth, a Cosmic Spectacle' to an audience of astronomers, other scientists, lighting engineers, policy makers, writers and more. I wish I could be there in person but I am so pleased to be able to present my work online. The location of the conference is Takapō, one of the most incredible places that I have ever been. John Hooper and I did a research trip there in 2022, where we stayed at Ōtehīwai Mount John Observatory in Takapō for a week - see the second image.
The main theme of the Starlight Conference 2024 is Dark Skies for All: a Call for Action!
My session is below:
Astrophotography and astroaesthetics; astrotourism
Chairperson: John Hearnshaw
- Steve Chadwick, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Beauty in the Stars: a journey through the cosmos
- Jianfeng (Jeff) Dai, Chongqing, China Capture the Wonder of the sky
- Hidehiko Agata, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan The emotion “Awe” and the effect of the starry sky
- Amie Young, Destination Development Manager, Great South, Invercargill, NZ Dark skies in Murihiku, Southland
- Louise Beer, writer, curator and artist, Margate, UK
The Transparency of Night
The conference is jointly hosted by the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve (AMIDSR) in Takapō, Aotearoa New Zealand and by the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand. AMIDSR was awarded the Dark Sky International (formerly IDA) Dark Sky Place of the Year in 2018. Dark Sky International is a supporting organization for the 2024 Starlight Conference.
Find the programme book here.