Its objective is to advise on issues of light pollution and associated regulations, as well as collaboration with outreach and education activities.
The City Council of Santiago del Teide and the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands have signed a four-year collaboration agreement between both entities that, among other objectives, seeks advice on issues of light pollution and associated regulations and collaboration in outreach activities and education in the municipality.
In this sense, the IAC will be in charge of carrying out free visits to the Teide Observatory for students from educational centers in the municipality, a talk by an astronomer from the IAC about the Canary Islands Observatories and associated research, and a talk by an engineer from the Technical Office for the Protection of the Sky of the IAC to the technicians of the City Council on light pollution (current regulations) and lights that prevent it.
For its part, the city council will adopt and approve in the form of an ordinance a regulation for the regulation of exterior lighting for the protection of the night sky, encompassed within the Law of the Sky (Law 31/1988) as well as the training of a municipal technician in the calculation and assessment of low-polluting facilities. To this end, the IAC is promoting courses for Sky Protection Technicians (TPC) that will be taught by its Sky Protection Technical Office (OTPC).
In any case, if necessary, the Cabildo will promote the temporary hiring of young engineers who have obtained the TPC degree, who help in the evaluation of lighting projects, in collaboration with the OTPC. In addition, the IAC will collaborate with the City Council with talks and information through the OTPC.
