“Now therefore, we, the Board of Trustees and its President, do hereby proclaim the dark sky over the village of Barrington Hills a fitting attribute for the celebration of the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.”

So states the proclamation dated December 15, 2008, and originating from Village Hall, Barrington Hills, Illinois. Just before the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) began, the village’s board of trustees took up the cause against light pollution. In so doing, they pledged to conserve energy, reduce glare, maintain desirable community character, safeguard wildlife in its natural environment, and restore the view of the starry sky.

In an interview with the Barrington Courier-Review, Village Administrator Bob Kosin said the village will look into legislation to preserve the “celestial landscape” by limiting artificial light and using lights in more effective and energy-efficient ways.

“It’s not like the Milky Way is going away or the Moon is going away; they’re just becoming more obscured,” he said in the same interview. Sarah Kenney, planning and zoning coordinator, added, “One of the village’s missions is to preserve the environment, and the sky is part of that.”

In a letter dated December 23, 2008, and addressed to Robert G. Abboud, president of the Barrington Hills board of trustees, Illinois Governor (then Lieutenant Governor) Pat Quinn commended the board for its work in minimizing outdoor light pollution. In so doing, he said that Barrington Hills had distinguished itself as a role model for communities across Illinois.

IYA2009 celebrates the 400th anniversary of Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei pointing a telescope skyward. Astronomy magazine’s May 2009 issue was a special collector’s edition honoring Galileo, the history of the telescope, the telescope’s greatest discoveries, and great current telescopes for observers. For more information about IYA2009, visit www.astronomy2009.org.