Gdańsk University of Technology joined the international network for measuring sky glow | Gdańsk University of Technology

The success of this endeavor lies the involvement of ILLUME  - an interdisciplinary research group operating within the EkoTech Center. The initiator of the idea who also instigated preliminary talks, was Karolina Zielińska-Dąbkowska, PhD, Eng., Arch. from the Faculty of Architecture. While Katarzyna Bobkowska, PhD, Eng. from the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering supervised the process of further activities which have enabled the installation of the sensor as well as connection to the GaN-MN network.

The SQM-LE sensor was placed on the roof of Building B. It allows for measuring the brightness of the sky from the campus of Gdańsk University of Technology in a continuous mode. Joining the network enables access to data from all sensors in the GaN-MN network and thus increases the quality of research about artificial light pollution at night conducted by the ILLUME group. It also allows researchers around the globe to draw attention to the phenomenon of artificial light pollution and its negative impact on human health and the natural environment.

Changes in the brightness of the sky over time are also one of the aspects of the research carried out under the grant: “An innovative method of monitoring artificial light pollution in the natural and urbanized environments using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones)”, financed under the Argentum Triggering Research Grants, under the leadership of Katarzyna Bobkowska, PhD, Eng.