An old friend, Carolyn Collins Petersen, sent me the link to a beautiful new film produced by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and Loch Ness Productions. (The latter is the planetarium production company owned by Carolyn and her husband, Mark.)

This is really a terrific new short film. It’s narrated by Carolyn and lasts 6.5 minutes, describing the challenges we now face with increased light pollution and the many problems for human beings caused by it. If you have not already seen the film, I urge you to see it.

I am also including the full IDA press release text below:

New Video Highlights Importance of Dark Skies
27 February 2013 – The International Dark-Sky Association in collaboration with Loch Ness Productions, a U.S.-based fulldome show production company, announces the availability of a new free-for-download video highlighting the issues regarding light pollution. It’s called “Losing the Dark.”

The 6.5-minute public service announcement is being distributed as a fulldome video for digital planetarium theaters, and as a high-definition video for use in traditional planetarium theaters, science centers, classrooms, and streaming from the Web.

The show illustrates problems caused by light pollution, with particular emphasis on how it affects night-sky visibility. Carolyn Collins Petersen, CEO of Loch Ness Productions, points out the domed theater is the ideal environment for the show’s message. “Planetariums champion the night sky already,” she said. “They tap into public awareness, so their audiences are a prime demographic for this message. The show gives planetarium professionals another tool to help educate the public about this critical issue. The HD version extends the message to more people through presentations by educators and dark-sky advocates.”

The simple solutions offered in the show for mitigating light pollution remind everyone it is not too late to save the starry sky. Bob Parks, IDA Executive Director said, “Everyone who views Losing the Dark can see how easy it is to make wise choices about outdoor lighting, and that together we can work to restore the night sky to its former glory.”

“Losing the Dark” is available on IDA’s YouTube channel, and can be downloaded from its website. Digital planetarium theater operators can preview and download the fulldome version from the Loch Ness Productions website. The show is produced in English, but translations are underway that will allow the program to reach a worldwide audience.

Major donations from Starmap and the Fred Maytag Family Foundation funded the “Losing the Dark” video. The project was launched with seed money from the International Planetarium Society and donations from IDA members.