Monitoring of light pollution in the Transcarpath region

1Perig, VM, 1Kudak, VI, 1Guranich, PP, 1Susla, AI
1Space Research Laboratory of the Uzhgorod National University, Uzhgorod, Ukraine
Space Sci. & Technol. 2024, 30 ;(4):73-80
https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2024.04.073
Язык публикации: Ukrainian
Аннотация: 
Light pollution first gained attention when people realized they could no longer see the night sky as they once did due to excess visible and ultraviolet light from cities. However, in recent years, it has become clear that artificial night lighting worries not only astronomers. Studies have shown that artificial night lighting harms a variety of animals. To preserve the natural darkness of the sky in the world, parks of the dark (or starry) sky are created, which are the areas of a unique natural environment that protect the natural night darkness from pollution by artificial light. They are the equivalent of nature reserves - territories with exceptional natural value. They perform protective functions for the darkest corners of our planet, where the night environment is not disturbed by artificial light. These parks perform not only ecological but also educational functions. Darkness protection is slowly being incorporated into existing conservation areas such as national parks. Darkness is a natural resource that needs protection.
            In 2016, Transcarpathian Dark Sky Park was created. For its registration and entry into the International Association of Dark Sky Parks, the brightness of the night sky was measured in different places in this park to determine the state of light pollution in this area. The results of the measurements fully satisfied the requirements for dark sky parks. In all places of the Transcarpathian Dark Sky Park where we performed measurements, the average value of the background of the night sky was ~21.50 mag/arcsec2. In 2021, an application for registration of Transcarpathian Dark Sky Park in the International Association of Dark Sky Parks was accepted. Research into the state of light pollution on the outskirts of the Dark Sky Park is also ongoing, namely at two optical observation stations - Uzhhorod and Derenivka. The results of changes in the background of the night sky in these places over a 40-year time interval are presented.
Keywords: night sky background, light pollution, dark sky parks, artificial light, astroclimate, astrotourism.
Ключевые слова: artificial light, astroclimate, astrotourism, dark sky parks, light pollution, night sky background
References: 
1. Yepishev V. P., Isak I. I., Klimyk V. U. (2005). Light “contamination” of the night sky in point Uzhgorod. Scientific Herald of Uzhhorod University. Ser. Phys., № 18, 16—18 [In Ukrainian].
2. Nazarenko L. A., Chernets V. S. (2014). Problems of light pollution. Lighting and electrical engineering, № 2, 6-17 [In Ukrainian].
3. Semkiv Yu. M. (2009). Light pollution of the atmosphere: astronomical aspect. Ternopil, 38 p. [In Ukrainian].
4. Semkiv Yu. M., Andriichuk V. A. (2008). Light pollution of the atmosphere: state and prospects of solution. Light-LUX, No 3,74-77 [In Ukrainian].
5. Bará S., Tapia C. E., Zamorano J. (2019). Absolute radiometric calibration of TESS-W and SQM night sky brightness sensors. Sensors, 19, no 6, 1336.
6. Cinzano P., Falchi F., Elvidge C. D. (2001). The first world atlas of the artificial night sky brightness. Mon. Notic. Roy. Astron. Soc., 328, no 3, 689-707.
7. Kuffer M., Pfeffer K., Sliuzas R., Taubenböck H., Baud I., van Maarseveen M. (2018). Capturing the urban divide in nighttime light images from the International Space Station. IEEE J. selected topics in applied earth observations and remote sensing, 11, № 8, 2578-2586.
8. Labuda M., Koch R., Nagyová A. (2015). “Dark Sky Parks” as measure to support nature tourism in large protection areascase study in the Nature Park “Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heide”. Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung, 47, no 12, 380-388.
9. Levin N., Kyba C. C., Zhang Q. (2019). Remote sensing of night lights - beyond DMSP. Remote Sensing, 11, no 12, 1472.