10A - Introducing Campus SHINE: Resources and Strategies for Addressing Light Pollution on Your Campus

Abstract: In this workshop, we introduce participants to tools and resources to guide their campus community toward a Safe and Healthy Illumination for the Nighttime Environment (Campus SHINE). The Campus SHINE initiative was created by members of the American Astronomical Society's Committee for the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment (COMPASSE) Light Pollution Subcommittee.

Light pollution is a threat to the future of astronomy. From a ground-based perspective, the scatter of artificial light at night through Earth’s atmosphere obscures the view of the stars. Students learning astronomy experience increasing difficulties conducting night sky observations. However, when students, faculty, and employees work together, they can motivate important changes to lighting on their own campus community, improving views of the night sky near where they live and study.

During our workshop, we will begin by introducing the characteristics of dark sky friendly lighting, and benefits of following the Five Principles of Responsible Outdoor Lighting. During this segment, we will use Zoom polls to engage with and check participant understanding.
Next, we will provide two examples of successful efforts by the presenters to address light pollution on their campuses. We will offer a five-minute question and answer session after these two presentations.

Finally, we will share the Campus SHINE document which includes an organized set of links to resources and teaching materials we developed over the past year. To engage with these materials, each presenter will lead a small group Zoom breakout brainstorming session on how to address light pollution in participants' campus community contexts.