By IANS,
New Delhi: As millions turn off their lights for one hour Saturday evening for Earth Hour, astronomers will hook up their telescope to view the night sky which is normally faded by light pollution.
According to astronomers, the time between 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. is the best time to see stars as it will be relatively darker than other nights.
The Amateur Astronomers Association Delhi would set up four telescopes in the lawns of India Gate for people to come and watch the stars.
“It is an initiative to spread awareness about climate change and light pollution,” said Raghu Kalra of the association.
The SPACE (Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators) will also run Great Indian Star Count during the Earth Hour to “promote a sense of how much more we can see in the night sky at a time when the light pollution around us gets distinctly reduced”.
“Due to light pollution you can see only few stars. We urge people to watch the night sky during the Earth Hour and they will realise themselves how night lights hinder the visibility of stars,” said C.B. Devgun, president of SPACE.
The Earth Hour is a global initiative by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) to send out the message that people are concerned about climate change and that policy makers should make it their foremost priority.
India along with 92 other countries will observe “lights out” for one hour. All government buildings, private banks, the Akshardham temple, ITC hotels and the Inter-Continental Hotels Group besides individuals will turn off lights during this time.