Dark Skies Podcast From NOAO

It’s almost time for our annual GLOBE at Night campaign which begins on February 21st, 2011 (and will be the subject of an upcoming blog post).  In preparation for the campaign, NOAO had produced another podcast for the 365 Days of Astronomy focusing on light pollution and it’s effects on human health.

Many people dismiss light pollution as only important to astronomy.  However, light pollution affects many types of animals including humans.  Excess night time lighting has been linked to sleep disorders and some types of cancer.  The American Medical Association has released a statement advocating for the reduction of excess night time lighting due to its effects on human health.

The 365 Days of Astronomy podcast features a short show each day on a different topic in astronomy.  Each day is produced by a different person or group ranging from high school students (think I even heard a couple done by middle school students), college students, and both amateur and professional astronomers from around the world..  It is free to subscribe to on iTunes and if you haven’t already subscribed, you should (and I don’t just say that because I am doing a LOT of podcasts for them this year!)  Better yet, if you like astronomy (or know someone who does) that would want to contribute, they are still looking for people to fill open dates in 2011.