Counting the Stars

Project for Elementary Astronomy

We have become acutely aware of the scarcity of natural resources during recent decades, and efforts abound to preserve many aspects of the natural world around us. One aspect that is often overlooked, however, is our night sky. Urbanization and the continual lighting of our cities at night threatens our view of the Universe. People who live, work and grow up in urban areas of the world can't even see many of the constellations, let alone fainter wonders of the night sky such as the Milky Way. In this project, you will explore the impact of light pollution in our local area by counting how many stars you can see from different locations.

To conduct this observing project, follow this procedure:

For your report, complete the following analysis of your data: A great deal of useful information about light pollution can be found at the website for the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). Be sure to cite this and/or any other sources of information that you use in your report.