NSF NOIRLab, SKAO and IAU Extend Dark Sky Centre Funding 5 Years
Updated
Updated · Newswise · May 9
NSF NOIRLab, SKAO and IAU Extend Dark Sky Centre Funding 5 Years
1 articles · Updated · Newswise · May 9
A September 2025 memorandum renewed funding for the Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky for another five years, keeping the joint NSF NOIRLab-SKAO-IAU effort running into the late 2020s.
The extension targets a growing threat from large low-orbit satellite constellations, with about 5,000 satellites expected above the local horizon at a typical dark-sky observatory at any given time by decade-end.
Since its 2022 launch, the CPS has characterized satellite interference, tested mitigation measures with satellite companies, reviewed policy and expanded public outreach on the changing use of outer space.
The renewal sits within a broader dark-sky campaign as NOIRLab also tracks terrestrial light pollution; a 2023 Science paper using Globe at Night data found global sky brightness rising 9.6% a year.
As thousands of new satellites launch, are astronomers fighting a losing battle to save the night sky?
With light pollution still rising, what radical solutions can actually reverse the global brightening trend?
Beyond stargazing, how is our artificially bright world secretly harming wildlife and human health?