Turn off the lights and See: Participants in the field trip measured light pollution, and lights were symbolically turned off in part of the BUT campus

A small experiment, a big topic. As part of the university event Turn off the lights and See, organized by the BUT Sustainability Office in collaboration with the team of Petr Baxant from the Department of Electrical Power Engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication BUT, students and staff explored the issue of light pollution and its impacts on both humans and nature.

The Turn Off the Lights and See event drew attention to the effects of artificial lighting. | Author: Adéla Wachtarzová

The program began with a visit to the lighting laboratory at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, where the group met with experts and learned about the basics of photometry, modern measurement techniques, and the principles of the ALANIS project (Artificial Light At Night Information System), which focuses on monitoring, analyzing, and reducing light pollution.

The ALANIS project responds to the increasingly significant problem of excessive and poorly directed artificial lighting, which disrupts the natural biological rhythms of humans, animals, and plants. Research confirms that light at night affects circadian rhythms, sleep, hormone production, and the immune system. The project is therefore developing the ALANIS web application for data collection and analysis, as well as the portable ALANISATOR measuring device, which can capture the melanopic component of light – the biologically most significant part of the light spectrum.

After the laboratory session, an expert discussion followed on the impact of artificial lighting on human health, plants, animals, and their biological processes. The discussion focused on how to manage artificial lighting in a smarter, more considerate, and sustainable way, and a key topic was also how cities, municipalities, and universities themselves can contribute to reducing light pollution through well-designed public lighting.

Light pollution expert Petr Baxant. | Author: Václav Koníček

Finally, the group moved to the Medlánky Hills, where a practical demonstration of measuring light pollution directly in the field took place. Participants were able to observe not only the measurement itself but also the symbolic switching off of part of the FME BUT campus. Public lighting at FEEC BUT and a parking garage was also turned off. Residents of the dormitories at Pod Palackého vrchem also joined the symbolic switch-off, creating an impressive experiment highlighting the importance of responsible use of artificial lighting.

A symbolic lights-out event on the BUT campus. | Author: Václav Koníček

The student team Drone Research Center also joined the event, documenting the entire lighting experiment using drones and capturing video footage of the nighttime switch-off of part of the campus. Special thanks go to Petr Baxant’s team for their expert guidance throughout the excursion and their long-term work in the field of light pollution research, as well as to all building managers and faculty leadership who made the symbolic switch-off possible and supported this important initiative.

Source: Sustainable University