Darkened Rhone Towns Embrace Natural Nightscapes, Replacing Artificial Lights with Starlit Skies
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The Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is gearing up for its annual "Lights out, stars on!" event, a coordinated effort to reduce light pollution and enhance stargazing under natural dark skies. This year, the event is scheduled from July 25th to August 17th, 2025, and will involve municipalities across the Rhön region in Bavaria, Hesse, and Thuringia.
During the event, participating municipalities will turn off their artificial lights for a night, showcasing the beauty of the night sky and promoting environmental education. The Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which was recognized as an International Dark Sky Park by the IDA in 2014, has a commitment to actively reduce light pollution and has lighting guidelines designed specifically for the area.
Homes and businesses can contribute to more night protection by using light only when necessary, choosing warm orange light, directing light downward, avoiding garden lighting, and using motion sensors or timers. Some communities will even turn off lighting for the entire weekend.
The "Lights out, stars on!" event in 2025 is a cross-border action, involving municipalities in Bavaria, Hesse, and Thuringia. Dr. Doris Pokorny represents the three administrative bodies in these states.
In addition to the "Lights out, stars on!" event, the Starlight Park Weeks offer exciting events, environmental education, and special culinary delights. The event aims to raise awareness about light pollution and preserve natural darkness.
For more information about the Starlight Park Weeks and the participating municipalities, please visit the official Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve website at https://www.rhoen.info/sternenparkwochen. With clear weather, the Perseid meteor shower might be visible during the event, making for an unforgettable night under the stars.
Simple measures can make a big difference in restoring the night for humans, garden inhabitants, the climate, and the stars above. So, let's join together in celebrating the beauty of the night sky and promoting environmental awareness during the Starlight Park Weeks and the "Lights out, stars on!" event in the Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
- The upcoming "Lights out, stars on!" event in the Rhön UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a cross-border action, will not only showcase the beauty of the night sky but also promote awareness about climate-change and environmental-science, with homes and businesses encouraged to use light only when necessary.
- As part of the Starlight Park Weeks, educational programs are scheduled to teach about the importance of reducing light pollution in environmental-science, emphasizing how such efforts can positively impact our lifestyle and home-and-garden ecosystems.
- By turning off artificial lights and adopting environmentally friendly lighting practices, we can help sustain the natural darkness essential for wildlife, climate-change research in environmental-science, and appreciation of the night sky in urban and rural settings alike.
