world record light | 21 june 2020

On the darkest day of the year….

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT LIGHT POLLUTION?

Don’t like that light shining in your bedroom window? Want to do something about it?

Join us to preserve the night by being part of a Guinness World Records ™ Official Attempt for Most users to take an online environmental sustainability lesson in 24 hours

What you’ll need:

30 minutes to do the online lesson
Internet access
Access to the Globe at Night webpage – desirable
Email address

How to be involved:

Sign up. As a Guinness Record requirement, each participant must take part in the online lesson on a separate device. Registrants login using an individual account, set up for them by ADSA and linked to their email address.
Register here : https://worldrecordlight.thinkific.com/
Discuss Night Sky Observation: The Globe At Night website allows anyone in the world to enter data about how they see a constellation by comparing it to 7 images (magnitude 1 – 7) on their website. You need to go to https://www.globeatnight.org/webapp/ and add in their address, and weather conditions, then chose how they see Bootes/Hercules.
Observe the night sky from home: Using the Globe at Night website, go out at night, look for the southern cross and compare the way you see the constellation with the onsite pictures. This can be done any time prior to 21 June, but the closer to that date the better.
May use Stellarium/Sky Safari to find your constellation on your smartphone app.
This video will assist you with the Globe at Night webpages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmliP8lyxxE
Report Observation: If you have the internet at home, they can add the ‘data’ into the Globe at Night website immediately. Noting your Globe at Night Citizen Science Number will mean they can add this to the online lesson the next day. This is provided at the end of the submission to Globe at Night
Lesson time: Before 10 am 22 June MYT you can log into the online lesson and complete the online lesson, watching the videos and answering questions. If they have a Globe at Night observation they can add this in, or just write “unable to collect”.

Key points:
• The lesson MUST take 30minutes. If they take 28 minutes it does not comply with Guinness World Record
requirements.
• A registrant is deemed by the IP address.
• Participant who comply by answering all questions, watching the videos in the allocated time, will be sent an e-certificate as an Official Record Breaker
• Participant details will only be used to send the certificate and verify participation.
• Guinness World Record Challenge starts at 11 am 21 June and finishes 11 am 22 June, MYT. Lessons completed outside of this time will not qualify for the record.

FAQs

Is there a fee to participate?
There are two options. Participate for free or pay the small fee of $3.00 AUD to participate, receive an official certificate, and go in the draw to win prizes. You will need to be a resident of Australia or New Zealand to be eligible as a prize winner.
I already know about light pollution – why would I do this?
Because you care about light pollution. There are two parts to the event: An online test AND a night sky measurement. The test is not to show how much you know but to demonstrate to those who are making decisions that there are large numbers of people who care! The globe at night web app is used for science and has very very few measurements/observations from the southern hemisphere. Ecologists want to know if what is happening on the ground up, is what satellites are showing down… ie… is light pollution worse on the ground? Ecologists are particularly keen on knowing this, as whilst we have shielded lights it isn’t stopping the surge of on the ground lighting that is impacting pollination etc
Can I enter more than once?
No. Qualification for the GWR specify one entry only per person. Registering twice will nullify your entry. If you have more than one device in your house, and additional email addresses, we encourage you to sign up as different participants and make your night sky observation from different parts of your backyard, or street.
I live in the city and don’t see the stars. Can I still enter?
YES! This is exactly what we want to know. You are helping scientists around the world map the dark and light patches of our planet at night. We want people from all environments urban, city, country, marine, parks… everyone is encouraged to record their night sky conditions.
When does the challenge start?
The World Record challenge will commence at 11am/MYT 21 JUNE – to the whole world. You can go online and start the lesson, but you must do you light pollution measurement with GLOBE AT NIGHT after dark.
What happens if it’s cloudy on the night?
Scientists record all conditions, and as a citizen scientist, we want you to do that too. Rain, cloud, or clear skies, your observation is valid. Your observation on 21 June is the one that counts for the GBWR, but you may go back to the Globe at Night web app, and do observations at any time.
Do I have to live in Australia or New Zealand?
No! Light pollution is a global issue and this is a global challenge. Share this with your friends, family, colleague and cohorts all around the world. If you are in the northern hemisphere you will be asked to look for the constellation of Bootes. You will need to be a resident of Australia or New Zealand to be eligible as a prize winner.
When will I get my certificate?
GWR may take several weeks to confirm the status of our attempt. We’ll let you know as soon as we can and send an e-certificate out to share the news
Do I need any special equipment?
You will need a computer, smartphone or tablet with an internet connection to participate in the lesson. The observation is recorded on the Globe at Night Web page which is built into the lesson. NO NEED FOR YOU TO DO Anything. For those in astronomical societies or the like, and have an SQM and can take some significant readings of the night sky, that will be very useful, but not required