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The World At Night
The World At Night (TWAN) is a new program to create and exhibit a collection of stunning photographs and time-lapse videos of the world’s most beautiful and historic sites against a nighttime backdrop of stars, planets and celestial events. The eternally peaceful sky looks the same above all the landmarks and symbols of different nations and regions, attesting to the truly unified nature of Earth as a planet rather than an amalgam of human-designated territories. Those involved in global programs learn to see humanity as a family living together on a single planet amidst the vast ocean of our Universe. This global perspective motivates us to work for a better, more peaceful planet for all the world’s inhabitants. Astronomers Without Borders was created to work toward this goal. TWAN is an innovative new approach to expanding this global perspective.
TWAN photographs are being taken by the best night sky photographers around the world. The resulting collection will be presented in an international traveling exhibition and in a virtual exhibition on the TWAN web site. A book and a DVD of the images will also be published. Time-lapse digital photographs of the night sky that are being created at particular locations will be used in a high-quality documentary film of celestial motion over the planet's most important sites. TWAN is bringing together photographers, astronomers and organizations worldwide to create a new international team. That team will fulfill TWAN's primary goal of bringing to the public a new way of seeing the wonders of our planet by portraying Earth’s people as one family and our world as a living planet we must care for.
Wars are fought over boundaries that have been created in the name of politics, religion, race or beliefs. But the view from space reveals the true nature of our cosmic home – a border-less planet divided only into land and sea. While few will experience that view first-hand, the same is also true in reverse; the night sky above us – a view that is accessible to everyone on the planet – also has no visible borders. This common view is a bridge that connects us, creating understanding and friendship. When borders vanish, political and cultural differences become irrelevant. The beauty of brilliant Venus might be seen in Texas just hours after it is seen by sky gazers in Tehran. The famous stars of the Big Dipper might be viewed over the Vatican while Buddhists in China share the same celestial view over their temples. The magnificent Milky Way might be viewed over the Grand Canyon while people in Nepal are awed by the same celestial view over the Himalaya. We all live under the same eternally peaceful sky. And the Earth we inhabit under it belongs to us all.
Material released by TWAN will include photographs, descriptions of the subject sites, the site’s historical, cultural or environmental significance, how TWAN was conducted, how TWAN affected participating photographers and any further relevant issues of global importance such as peace, ecology and light pollution.
TWAN material will be distributed by the following methods:
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Photo exhibitions, slide shows and seminars in many different countries, with initial emphasis on countries that contributed to the collection.
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A virtual exhibition on an interactive web site with links from the web sites of hundreds of Affiliates of Astronomers Without Borders.
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A documentary film of time-lapse digital photographs from selected sites suitable for large screen presentation.
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A book of photographs and information titled "The World At Night."
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A multimedia DVD of photographs and information titled "The World At Night."
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Post cards and posters based on project photographs.
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Television programs based on time-lapse and video images transmitted via local networks and satellite.
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TWAN tours in conjunction with the AWB astro-tours program taking photographers, astronomers and others involved in TWAN to the sites pictured in the photographic collection. Tours will be lead by TWAN project leaders and local TWAN photographers.
TWAN began in the autumn of 2007 with the creation of the web site, site selection, photographer selection and the creation of an image database. Acquisition of new images began in late 2007. Imaging and compilation of existing images is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. Planning and preparation for the first major exhibition will begin in mid-2008 as image acquisition continues. The first exhibition will take place in 2009, which has been designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations in cooperation with the International Astronomical Union. Publication of a TWAN book and DVD will be completed in time for the first exhibitions of 2009. Pending future funding of TWAN, further recruitment of photographers will continue in order to create additional TWAN publications.
Support TWAN
The World at Night is a volunteer effort operating under Astronomers Without Borders, a US not for profit corporation. The success of TWAN depends on contributions by photographers, volunteer coordinators and financial sponsors. If you or your organization would like to sponsor the activities of TWAN please contact us.
TWAN team:
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Babak A. Tafreshi,
TWAN founder, is a science journalist and a professional photographer
who has specialized in landscape astrophotography of the type that TWAN
will use. His work has been exhibited in Middle East and Europe and he
has made many presentations to fellow astronomers during trips to solar
eclipse sites around the world. His web site (www.dreamview.net)
has also generated contacts with astrophotographers worldwide.
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Mike Simmons
is an author, photographer, amateur astronomer and the founder and
president of Astronomers Without Borders. He is a past president
of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society and was the founding president
of the Mount Wilson Observatory Association. He has extensive
experience in international astronomy and has many contacts throughout
the world.
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● Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) will be the coordinating organization for TWAN. AWB has a growing network of affiliate organizations worldwide that will participate in developing the TWAN project. Potential collaborating organizations will be drawn from the fields of astronomy, photography, nature and peace-building.
● The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a worldwide organization based in Arizona that advocates and promotes night sky preservation through reduction of light pollution. TWAN will be promoted and photographers will be recruited through IDA’s network of more than 10,000 members in 80 countries.
● The Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is a NASA web site (http://apod.nasa.gov) that posts an astronomy or space science image daily along with information on the image and its subject, along with relevant links. Established in 1995, the site now has the largest archive of annotated astronomical images on the Internet, including many TWAN-style photos. Dr. Jerry Bonnell, astrophysicist at Goddard Space Flight Center and co-director of APOD is a consultant to TWAN project.
Potential future collaborators:
● UNESCO has designated many of the sites to be photographed by TWAN as World Heritage Sites. It is hoped that UNESCO will be interested in cooperating in development of the TWAN book and exhibition. UNESCO is also a sponsoring organization of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
● International Astronomical Union (IYA), a sponsoring organization of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, has world-wide plans for that program in 2009 including public and educational programs such as exhibitions. Discussion about collaboration of between the IAU and Astronomers Without Borders and TWAN are underway.
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