Darkness is becoming rare nowadays – it no longer exists in cities and their surroundings, where it is now much harder to watch the stars. The observatory on Brno’s Kraví hora will therefore begin trials of biodynamic lights, which emit minimal amber-coloured light at night. Photo credit: TMA / Brno Daily.
Brno, Feb 20 (BD) – Four new biodynamic lights have been installed in the park on Kraví hora. “The lamps should shine primarily downwards, where and when they are needed. There is no point in illuminating the entire city at three in the morning, and today’s modern technologies allow us to use smart solutions,” Jiří Dušek, Director of the Brno Observatory and Planetarium, told Czech TV.
The lights significantly reduce light intensity in the evening. After 10pm they can change colour to amber, and in the morning to blue. The director of the observatory wants to install them throughout the park on Kraví hora. The aim is to inspire other cities and towns to take steps to reduce light pollution.
According to a map of light pollution in the Czech Republic, the worst light pollution is in big cities such as Prague, Brno and Ostrava. However, there are still places in the South Moravian Region to observe the night skies, such as the Podyjí National Park. Astronomers, along with the National Park Authority, would like Podyjí to be designated as a Dark-Sky Park, which would in the future be subject to stricter rules on light pollution in the area.
