The Moffat Observatory project and IDA Dark Sky / AGM
3 June 2022 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm BST
Talk by Jim Paterson
After the talk we will have our AGM.
“The mustard seed which grew into an observatory”
The talk will cover a little bit about the development of Moffat Dark Sky Award and a bit about the building of the observatory. Also included is a little about lighting technique and how, they managed to get into the situation of fighting light pollution in the late 1990’s.
James Hamilton Paterson, BA(Hons) OU, Chartered Engineer, Fellow ILP, Member CIBSE, former IES(UK) Lighting Diploma holder
James is a former Local Government lighting engineer who took the opportunity to retire early some 28 years ago to set up his own lighting design partnership in Coventry. With a total of 63 years of external lighting design and management service to the lighting industry he is the author of several computer calculation algorithms, the author of several pioneering papers, designer of a pseudo street lighting energy meter and is the joint author of LCADS publication “Understanding and Dealing with Obtrusive Light”. Additionally he tutored lighting techniques to new engineers on the Institution of Lighting Engineers residential training courses in the West Midlands for 30 years.
As the Senior Partner of LCADS he managed the design of varied complexities of external lighting design projects. He has been responsible for the lighting design on numerous major road contracts He has also successfully completed four shipping port lighting environmental statements for presentation at major public inquiries.
After his second “retirement” in 2008 his professional attention was engaged to write a lighting master plan for Galloway Forest Park and for 14 other dark sky places. An achievement unequalled by any other lighting engineer in Europe and possibly the World.
As the IDA rules and expectations adjust through time future sustainability may, regrettably, become more of a problem to maintain, rather than a tool, to mitigate light pollution.
Dark Sky Achievements
Galloway Forest and extension to boundary, Isle of Sark Community, Isle of Coll Community, National Parks of Exmoor, Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia, Northumberland, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Moffat Community, North Ronaldsay Community and currently pending the South Atlantic Island of Saint Helena Community. Additionally Loch Lomond National Park but the application never reached the IDA.