March 2021 News

I hope you all are ready for the warm weather that we will soon have.

The next meeting is Wednesday, March 24th at 7pm. At the meeting we will discuss ongoing projects and International Dark Sky Week.


Zoom invites will be sent out on Monday, March 22nd via the newsletter group. On to the news!

Projects

The city has finished the inventory of the streetlights owned by the city. They are now in the process of deciding the vendor for the lights. While it sounds like it can move fast, there is still months ahead in this project. We expect some public outreach events in the fall before work begins to replace them.

IDA PA News

Mike Lincoln is looking for IDA members in Pennsylvania to join the board of directors. If you are a paying member of the IDA, keep an eye out for an email from him if you are willing to participate.

Speaking of IDA PA, no news yet as to whether or not we will be attending Cherry Springs Star party. They DO want IDA PA there, it is just based on whether or not the event happens.

Events

Dark sky week is April 5-12th.

We will be working on putting together an event for the week during the meeting, as the livestream will not be happening this year.

On March 22nd, Diane will be showing off her tiny home and talking about light pollution while doing so. You can check it out here:

https://doorsopenpgh.org/2021/02/14/pittsburgh-astonomers-tiny-abode/

Earth Hour is on March 27th.

Find out how you can help here: https://www.earthhour.org

Diane is speaking again at the Frick!

April 8, 2021
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location:

Online (Zoom)

Cost:

This program is offered free to all participants through the generous support of Frick Societies donors; advance registration required on this page.

Description:

The night sky, whether full of stars or forebodingly dark, has been an inspiration for artists and writers for centuries. At the same time, illuminating the darkness has been a challenge taken on by humans as part of our attempts to master our environments and create new ones. In this program, we explore the historical and inspirational facets of the night sky through paintings, stories, and the history of Pittsburgh’s illumination in the 19th century. Featuring: Dr. Elisabeth Roark, art history professor at Chatham University; Diane Turnshek, astronomy lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University and author of Triangulation: Dark Skies; and Dr. Joel Tarr, history professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

That is all for this month, stay safe!