"Lights off, stars on!"

We can control and organise whatever we would like, however there is one factor that we simply cannot influence: the weather. That means that September 25^th is our target date, on which we hope there will be a clear night without any overcast. Should it be cloudy on that day, Seeing Stars Leiden will be to another date. That could be September 26th or 27th, but also at the end of October. Please keep a close eye on the website and the social media of Leiden, City of Discoveries,

In an area - that is still to be determined - surrouding the Leiden Observatory, the lights will be turned off. We will soon announce which areas that will be. People can see the stars from their backyards, the street or their balcony and in certain neighbourhoods, local stargazing events will be organised. Please keep a close eye on our website for the latest updates, or subscribe to the newsletter.

As soon as there are events that are organised in the city, we will announce them here. There will also be a possibility to organise your own neighbourhood event or school event. Subscribe to the newsletter to stay up-to-date, or send us an email.

In the run-up to the main event, numerous interesting scientific questions and themes will be researched. There will be educational material available for schools that would like to organise events in the classroom or on the school grounds. Subscribe to the email to stay up-to-date.

Leiden European City of Science 2022 all revolves around curiousity, sharing knowledge and participating in science. What could be a better inspiration for curiosity and scientific questions than turning off the lights and seeing the stars?! Everybody is welcome to ask questions around science and knowledge through the organisation of Leiden2022. This is possible through Postbus71. To ask your question, send it through email to info@postbus71.nl or tweet using @Postbus71, and Leiden2022 will ask a expert to answer your question!

There are several ways in which you can contribute to this project. One of these ways is to register as neighbourhood ambassador. We are looking for people who are interested in informing and inspiring their neighbours, in the street or in the entire neighbourhood about Seeing Stars Leiden. This is done by handing out flyers, but also going to the businesses and entrepreneurs in your neighbourhood to see if they are interested in participating as well. 

Besides this, there is an opportunity to join Citizen Science projects in the course of this year. These are projects that are organised around themes such as astronomy and light pollution. What can we discover on the effects of light pollution if we turn off the lights?

Are you interested in becoming a neighbourhood ambassador? Or would you like to stay up to date on Citizen Science projects? Subscribe to our news letter here.

Questions about science and knowledge can be sent to Postbus71. Send an email with your question to info@postbus71.nl or tweet using @Postbus71, and Leiden2022 will ask an expert to answer your question. If you have a suggestion for a 'Citizen Science Project', please get in touch with the Citizen Science Lab of Leiden University through info@citscilab.nl.

Light pollution is artificial light that ilghts up the sky which causes the stars to be less visible. You can find a great explanation on how this works here. Do you have more question? You can ask them at Postbus71. Send an email with your question to info@postbus71.nl or tweet using @Postbus71, and Leiden2022 will ask an expert to answer your question.

Light pollution can have great consequences for all kinds of animals. You can find a nice article about the effect of light pollution on biodiversity here. Do you have more questions? You can ask them at Postbus71. Send an email with your question to info@postbus71.nl or tweet using @Postbus71, and Leiden2022 will ask an expert to answer your question.

The exact time is not yet known as of now. The current expectation is between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., or between 10.30 p.m. and 11.30 p.m..

Unfortunately, audience will not be allowed to see the stars from the grounds of the Leiden Observatory, as it will be in use by the organisation themselves. Besides this, the telescopes of the Observatory will be in use by the astronomers of the University. You can, however, see the stars from the surrounding streets and area. The organisation is working on finding locations such as squares or rooftops where we could place telescopes for everyone to use. At present, the organisation is busy setting the perimeter of the terrain to provide as many people as possible with a great view over the stars. Please keep a close eye at our website.

 

To turn off the street lights in the area and to ensure inhabitants, companies and entrepeneurs are able to join in is a challenging task. This means that we are exclusively focused on the preset perimeters within Leiden.

 

Yes, of course! We would like to involve children to Seeing Stars Leiden as much as we can. At this time, we are working hard on creating several educational packages that schools can offer to students from all ages and levels. We hope there are many schools that are interested in participating, so that many children in Leiden can be amazed by the stars hanging above the city during Seeing Stars Leiden.

De ervaring is helemaal gratis. Als alle bewoners, ondernemers en bedrijven in het afgebakende gebied meedoen, kun je op iedere plek in dat gebied (vanuit je straat, vanuit je tuin of vanaf je balkon) naar de sterren kijken. Iedereen heeft het recht om sterren te zien. Gratis! 

The experience will be completely free of charge. If all inhabitants, companies and entrepeneurs in the preset perimeters join in, you can see the stars in every spot in this area (from your street, your garden or your balcony). Everyone has the right to see the stars. For free!