This Saturday Belgium will be plunged into darkness

The twelfth "night of darkness" will plunge nearly a hundred places in the dark this Saturday in Belgium, an initiative that aims to raise public awareness of light pollution, an obstacle to the contemplation of the Milky Way for 60% Europeans.

"In Belgium, artificial lighting, whether they come from public, commercial, industrial or residential lighting, is increasing every year," observes the association for the preservation of the night sky and environment ASCEN origin of the event. Synonymous with progress and safety over time, artificial lighting has become a nuisance for the environment, fauna and flora. Excessive light during the night can confuse migratory birds, dazzle owls and other nocturnal birds along roadsides and make them more vulnerable to accidents, or disrupt the rhythm of bats, "an emblematic example in our regions, "commented ASCEN President Francis Venter. The natural cycle of plants is also affected. But light pollution also impacts humans "if only by disrupting the quality of our sleep," says ASCEN. For astronomy enthusiasts, the disappearance of complete darkness also affects the quality of observations.

"The black sky has not existed in Belgium for a long time, and wherever you are, even in the deepest part of the Ardennes, you will not escape the vision of orange halos on the horizon", adds the association, composed essentially astronomers and naturalists. "In town, the polar star is almost invisible and few children can still say 'I know the Milky Way because I saw it!' In fact, according to the latest "World Atlas of artificial brightness of the night sky" published in 2016, some 60% of Europeans and 80% of North Americans can no longer contemplate the luminescent silhouette of our galaxy. Globally, the Milky Way is only visible to one third of humanity. In the United States, this culminated in the late eighties at the International Dark-Sky Association, which fights to preserve the dark night and delivers the international label protecting the "starry sky reserves", free of any light pollution.

Europe has a dozen, the largest of which is the Cévennes National Park in France. In Belgium, if ASCEN advocates the moderation of artificial lighting, it does not require in any case its suppression. "We ask for a more reasonable and reasoned attitude: to enlighten what is necessary, when it is necessary and right," claims its president Francis Venter. Organized since 1995 in Flanders and 2008 in the south of the country, the night of darkness aims to raise awareness of the general public about the consequences of light pollution. This Saturday, nearly a hundred activities are organized in Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders, including sky observations, night walks in nature, exhibitions and conferences on the nightlife, etc. All the information is available on the ASCEN website: http://www.ascen.be/no/index.htm