Sky protection is one of the central issues on the agenda of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Advertised on

The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias is taking part in the workshop "Dark and Calm Skies for the present and future of Astronomy", which will be held in Brussels on Monday 10 July. The aim of the workshop is to present the current situation, needs and challenges of this area of science; to show the work carried out by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), part of the United Nations General Assembly; and to analyse the perspective of the EU's space policy.

The increase in light pollution and satellite constellations is one of the first issues to be discussed by Spain after receiving the Council of the European Union presidency.

Astronomical observations have provided humanity with invaluable knowledge. Today, dozens of state-of-the-art observatories around the world explore the electromagnetic spectrum, retrieving fundamental information to better understand the universe and our place in it. Accurate measurements from Earth are only possible under dark, calm skies. However, the current and future exploitation of space, mainly through satellite constellations, threatens the future of astronomy due to the intense light pollution and radio frequency interference they produce.

In order to control the exponential increase of satellites in orbit in the coming years and moderate its impact on Astronomy, the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union (REPER) is organising a workshop with the participation of the Deputy Director of the IAC, Casiana Muñoz Tuñón, who will speak on the need to regulate outer space. Francisco Colomer Sanmartín (Ministry of Science and Innovation), José Manuel Ramírez Arrazola (Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Delegation to the United Nations - Vienna) and Christoph Kautz (Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space of the European Commission) will also take part in this meeting, aimed at representatives of the countries in the research and space working groups of the Council of the European Union and, in general, agents of the space and astronomy sector.

Related news
Dark & Quiet Skies
Press release
Dark and quiet skies for science and society
Even though the conference planned by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) for celebration in La Palma has been postponed until mid-April 2021, the meeting is being held on-line from 5th to 9th October. In this workshop we will discuss a reference document for governments, city councils and companies so that they have a legal and technical basis to avoid the possible negative impact of the new technologies on the observation of the night sky and on biodiversity. Link to the programme: http://research.iac.es/congreso/quietdarksky2020/pages/program.php For thousands of years the
Advertised on
The Subcommission of Scientific and Technical Affairs of COPUOS visits the IAC
Photomontage
The Spanish Ambassador to the United Nations in Vienna, Esther Monterrubio, and the President of the COPUOS Subcommittee on Scientific and Technical Affairs, Juan Francisco Facetti, visit the IAC and the Canary Islands Observatories
This week the Ambassadors, permanent representatives at the International Organizations with headquarters in Vienna, of Spain, Esther Monterrubio, and of Paraguay, Juan Francisco Facetti, were shown the installations of the IAC. During their stay they visited some of the scientific infrastructures of the Canary Islands Observatories (OCAN) and showed interest in the projects being developed there. Among the various duties of these two permanent Ambassadors is that of representing their countries in the United Nations Commission on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and its two
Advertised on
Casiana Muñoz Tuñón, deputy director of the IAC
Interview
CASIANA MUÑOZ-TUÑÓN “ If they aren’t controlled, in only a few years the satellite constellations will have a serious impact on ground-based astronomy”
Between 3rd and 8th October the Conference “Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society” will be held in La Palma. It will convene a small group of specialists from throughout the world to suggest solutions to the problems facing Astronomy and citizens in general due to the increase of artificial lighting, the increase in radio signals produced by technological development, and the impact of the recent satellite constellations. Question: What is the objective of this Conference? Reply: In October 2020 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) together with the United Nations’ Office for
Advertised on
dark sky
Press release
World experts prepare the first report for the United Nations on regulation of light pollution and mitigating the impact of satellite constellations
After a week of intense work, with the participation of almost a thousand researchers from all over the world, the online workshop “Dark and quiet skies for science and society” has finished. For five days work has proceded on the preparation of a document which can offer governments, city councils, and companies the legal and technical basis for avoiding the possible negative impact of the newest technology on the observation of the night sky, and on biodiversity.
Advertised on
Milky way on the Gran Telescopio Canarias
Press release
In defence of Optical Astronomy
“Astronomical observations have to be protected against light pollution. Only in this way will we be able to see the Universe at at the very beginning”. This was the start of the talk by Casiana Muñoz-Tuñón, Deputy Director of the IAC and one of the organizers of the workshop “Dark and quiet skies for science and society” which is being celebrated on line from October 5th to 9th. Muñoz-Tuñón reminded us that the further back in time we want to reach, the further away we need to look. “For that reason the light which reaches us is very faint. We need dark skies to be able to detect and study
Advertised on
Conference
DQSkies
Conference
Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society
Since millennia the silent and ordered beauty of the night sky has inspired humankind in all its intellectual and emotional expressions: poetry, philosophy, religion and science. In particular, modern
Spain
Date
-
Past
News type
Photomontage
Scope
About us
Astrophysics
General public

It may interest you

  • Cartel donde se ve un reloj de arena con una luna y un sol junto a una paloma de la paz
    Photomontage
    On March 20 we celebrate Equal Day to promote peace through Astronomy
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias wants to join the international initiative Equal Day. For this purpose, we have organized an event open to all Spanish-speaking schools where two astrophysicists will explain what the equinoxes are, make a live astronomical observation and invite attendees to share a message of peace. March 20 is the day of the equinox, when day and night have the same duration in the entire globe. This reminds us that all human beings live on the same small planet and share the same fascination when observing the Cosmos. The Equal Day initiative aims to unite people
    Advertised on
  • Illustration of the UNDARK project
    Press release
    The IAC aims to illuminate the dark side of the universe with the UNDARK project
    UNDARK is a pioneering project led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) bringing together outstanding international institutions in the fields of astrophysics, cosmology, and particle physics. Funded for three years via the 'Widening' programme of the European Union, its objective is to tackle one of the major puzzles of contemporary physics: the dark universe. The major part of the Cosmos is composed by the so-called “dark universe”. Barely 18% of the total matter in the universe is made up of the elements in atoms with which we are familiar, while the remaining 82%, termed
    Advertised on
  • CAI
    Photomontage
    The IAC hosts the meeting of the Research Advisory Commission
    Today, Monday July 8th, at the Headquarters of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias the Research Advisory Commission (CAI) , which is the highest level advisory committee for research at the Institute, and which analysis its scientific and technological production, has started its annual meeting. During the meeting Rafael Rebolo, who was Director of the iAC until 1st July 2024, gave an account of the scientific and technological activities of the Institute during the past year, and the incoming Director, Valentín Martínez Pillet, presented his visión, and his mission for the Institute
    Advertised on