CITY OF OZARK
Press Release
October 28, 2019
The City of Ozark is honored to announce it was selected by the Missouri Chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association to be a part of its Missouri Sky Quality Meter Program. The City received a meter that measures night sky brightness, a result of light pollution, which can affect our ability to see the stars at night. By placing the meter toward a fixed point in the sky, data will then be collected and sent to be scientifically analyzed by IDA Missouri’s project team.
The meter was installed on Friday, Oct. 25th, and was stationed on the roof of City Hall in Downtown Ozark. The City hopes to have the device for several months and in the meantime, move it around to multiple locations across Ozark to compare readings. The meter is currently running on a battery pack, and the data will be manually downloaded once a week.
The City of Ozark is hopeful the data brings an opportunity to learn something new. Director of Planning and Development Cameron Smith and Board of Alderman Nathan Posten, Ward I, were in attendance for the installation process on Oct. 25th.
“The City is excited to participate in this study and we are anxious to see the results. Dark Skies have been a topic of discussions for many years and this is another step in the right direction for putting things in place to reduce light pollution,” Smith said. “I am sure we all can agree, being able to see the stars at night is one of the greatest sceneries.”
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