Free Astronomy Magazine March-April 2020

15 OUR EXPERIENCES C NY Observers hosting a solar observing ses- sion outside of the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology, Syracuse, NY. duced the largest public events I’ve ever attended, including the Venus Tran- sit of 2012 from down- town Syracuse (350 at- tendees), a multi-library session for the 2017 solar eclipse (300 attendees), and the close approach of Mars in 2003 (well over 500 in a six-hour period). Clubs not only provide a place to learn from estab- lished members, but are key to keeping the obser- vatory sky dark. This is not hyperbole. Strong paral- lels exist between light pollution and climate change – the effects of both are rapid in terms of human history, but the actual changes from “subtle” to “measurable” are ones that have received attention over just a few decades as, for astron- omy, observatories have seen their horizons glow brighter with urban development blending with subur- ban sprawl. For both, there is no quick fix – the changes are upon us and, for now, the immediate solu- tion is to adjust to the new normal, accept that things will get worse in the near-term, and hope the will ex- ists to keep matters from getting worse. True to both, nothing will change unless people take action. Astronomy clubs should be at the forefront – attending city council meetings where ordinances and ac- ceptable lighting standards are dis- cussed, making the community aware of studies linking excessive lighting to health issues, and even starting to organize against the un- necessary use of the nighttime sky for corporate promotion. A March- April 2019 article in this magazine is