SAAO observing station protection regulations

Ramotholo Sefako; Sinethemba Taaibos; Jean Bernado; Nhlavutelo Macebele; Avhapfani C. Mulaudzi; Petri Vaisanen

doi:10.1117/12.2562521

29 April 2021 SAAO observing station protection regulations

Ramotholo Sefako, Sinethemba Taaibos, Jean Bernado, Nhlavutelo Macebele, Avhapfani C. Mulaudzi, Petri Vaisanen

Proceedings Volume 11450, Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy IX; 1145012 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562521
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2020, Online Only

Abstract

The SAAO observing station near Sutherland, Northern Cape Province (NCP), South Africa, is among observatories with the darkest skies in the world. It is home to many national and international optical and IR telescopes, including SALT. The NCP is declared as Astronomy Advantage Area, and therefore regulated under the Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act of 2007, which empowers the Department of Science and Innovation minister to regulate activities that pose a threat to optical and/or radio astronomy within the declared areas. In May 2019, the Sutherland Central Astronomy Advantage Area (SCAAA) protection regulations aimed at protecting optical astronomy and related endeavours at SAAO against activities negatively impacting on astronomy within the SCAAA (75 km radius from SALT in the NCP), were promulgated. We discuss these regulations, including monitoring of light pollution and other activities that may have negative impact on astronomy at SAAO, regulatory implementation and compliance, as well as current and potential challenges, and lessons learned so far. The night sky brightness measurements collected over the past five years with the All Sky Transmission MONitors (ASTMONs) at Sutherland are presented for the first time, and they indicate that the quality of the night sky at SAAO has not changed for the worst going as far back as the 1980s. The current average sky brightness measurements from the ASTMONs are consistent with historical night sky brightness measurements collected with the SAAO telescopes over the past 40 years. The results also confirm that Sutherland is globally a very dark observatory site.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Ramotholo Sefako, Sinethemba Taaibos, Jean Bernado, Nhlavutelo Macebele, Avhapfani C. Mulaudzi, and Petri Vaisanen "SAAO observing station protection regulations", Proc. SPIE 11450, Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy IX, 1145012 (29 April 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2562521

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