Washington, Sept 14 (ANI): Schoolchildren, families, and citizen scientists around the world will gaze skyward after dark from October 1 to 15, looking for specific constellations and then sharing their observations through the Internet.

The Great World Wide Star Count initiative aims to help scientists map light pollution globally while educating participants about the stars.

Dennis Ward of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research’s (UCAR's) Office of Education and Outreach, said, the main idea behind the event is to raise awareness about the impact of artificial lighting on the ability to see the stars.

“This is an important event that brings families together to enjoy the night skies and become involved in science. It also raises awareness about the impact of artificial lighting on our ability to see the stars,” said Ward.

“Without even being aware of it, many of us have lost the ability to see many stars at night. The Great World Wide Star Count will help raise awareness of the importance and the beauty of the night skies,” he said.

He said the event is free and open to all, and anyone can participate.

Under the plan, participants in the Northern Hemisphere will look for the constellation Cygnus, while those in the Southern Hemisphere will look for Sagittarius.

They will then match their observations with magnitude charts downloaded from the Great World Wide Star Count Web site.

The Web site contains more information about the event, including instructions for finding the constellations, and it links to background about astronomy on the Windows to the Universe Web site.

However, participants in overcast areas who cannot see stars will be able to input data about cloud conditions instead.

Ward said participants might make observations outside their homes or go to less developed areas where more stars are visible. (With Inputs from ANI)