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A resolution recognizing April 15 through 22 as International Dark Sky Week.
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WHEREAS, every year, the International Dark-Sky Association hosts International Dark Sky Week (IDSW) to raise awareness about light pollution’s many negative effects. It is always held the week of the new moon in April when the sky is darkest and the stars most visible; and
WHEREAS, this annual event was created in 2003 by then high-school student, Jennifer Barlow, and since then, International Dark Sky Week has grown to become a worldwide event and a key component of Global Astronomy Month; and
WHEREAS, during the week, dark sky enthusiasts worldwide connect over a shared goal to bring back the night sky, participating in person in their own back yard or virtually on websites from India to France to California; and
WHEREAS, International Dark Sky Week activities can include star parties, night hikes, night sky activities, and home lighting assessments, that all increase appreciation of the importance of astronomy and the negative effects of light pollution on astronomical research, human health, energy consumption, and the environment; and
WHEREAS, the goals of the events are to temporarily reduce light pollution and raise awareness about its effects on the night sky; encourage the use of better lighting systems that direct light downward instead of into the sky; and promote the study of astronomy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the week of April 15 through April 22, 2023 be recognized as International Dark Sky Week in Nashville, TN.
Section 2. That this resolution shall go into effect from and after its adoption, the public welfare requiring it.