Patron and Ambassadors

Together,

we are preserving the night environment

PATRON

Fred Watson

Australia's

Astronomer at Large

Australia has a major international role in Astronomy. The fact we can see the southern hemisphere means that we have access to some of the most interesting and exciting objects in the night sky. Where we are is right next to the Warrumbungle National Park, which in 2016 was declared as Australia's first international dark sky park. This giant piece of machinery behind me is the largest visible-light telescope in Australia.

A pristine night sky is a part of our heritage that has largely been lost due to light pollution. Until the widespread introduction of street lighting a century or so ago, we all had direct connection with the nightly display of stars and planets, and its loss is detrimental to our wellbeing in many different ways. It’s not too late to recover that connectedness, though. Education and advocacy about good lighting are the pathways towards darker night skies and a greater appreciation of the nocturnal world.