You might be wondering – how relevant is our local demand for the conservation of dark night skies? Even though Singapore does not have the luxury of land to designate large areas – such as national parks seen in other countries – specifically to dark sky conservation, our little red dot has seen other innovative methods in a bid to preserve our local astronomy sector.
A recent project organised by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2021 to revitalise and repurpose two areas in Changi surfaced an idea of converting the Old Changi Hospital into an aviation viewing deck by day and a stargazing observatory by night, which emerged as the champion of the project. The project showcased millennials’ aspirations for more of such facilities in developed Singapore to cater to the demand for astronomy and was eventually conceptualised into the revitalisation plan at Changi. Our Singapore Science Centre is also home to astronomical facilities such as the stargazing observatory, with basic astronomy guided tours and programmes organised to equip students with some knowledge on astronomy.
Locally, there are also astronomy-related interest groups such as the Astronomical Society of Singapore and the Singapore Astronomy Club, with an annual Singapore Astronomy Olympiad organised.
Although our local astronomy scene might not be as developed as in other countries, there is still significant value in preserving our dark skies. This goes beyond protecting our population from the harmful implications of light-polluted Singapore, but also to preserve it as it is a gift from Mother Nature – or our future generations may never see the stars.
In the next post, we will be exploring the implications of light pollution on biodiversity and our environment. See you then!
Sofia, I. (2021). Stargazing at Old Changi Hospital with your partner – spooky or romantic? [online] Time Out Singapore. Available at: https://www.timeout.com/singapore/news/old-changi-hospital-to-be-turned-into-a-stargazing-observatory-111321