Despite earlier initiatives to reduce light pollution on the Zernike Campus in Groningen, astronomy students are still hindered by its effects.
Efforts on campus to tackle light pollution have not really taken off, say astronomy professor Reynier Peletier and astronomer Theo Jurriëns. In fact, the situation has only worsened over the years.
Since 2008, astronomy students have been using the Gratama telescope in the Bernoulliborg, one of the largest telescopes in the Netherlands. But according to Peletier and Jurriëns, it is not in an ideal location.
‘There was already light pollution when the observatory was built’, says Peletier. ‘But twenty years ago, it wasn’t as big of an issue. The campus has become more crowded, and the light pollution has become worse. During construction periods, it’s especially awful because of all the construction lights at night.’
Brightest place
In 2024, the campus was even found to be one of the brightest places in the Netherlands. ‘Our measurements show that Zernike rivals Rijswijk, the epicentre of light pollution in the country’, says Jurriëns.
That means the potential of the Gratama telescope is not being fully realised. ‘Faint stars and some comets can’t even be seen’, Peletier explains. The smaller telescope in Lauwersoog, which has been remotely controlled since 2021, sometimes sees just as much. ‘The Zernike telescope is almost twice as big, but due to light pollution, that advantage is nullified.’
No coordination
There have been initiatives to tackle the problem, but according to Peletier and Jurriëns, there is a lack of coordination. ‘There are too many parties involved, and no one is taking the lead. And with the current budget cuts, there’s simply too little money. So nothing gets done.’
In March, Jurriëns and colleagues did a night-time tour of the campus. ‘We were quite shocked. The entire Feringa Building is lit up at night. There are lights on in empty rooms.’
Telescope on La Palma
Zernike will never really be suitable for astronomy, Peletier admits. ‘We’re working in various ways to get around that. Together with Denmark and Norway, we want to place a large remotely operated telescope on La Palma (in the Canary Islands). The project is underway, but progress is slow. The University of Groningen is eager, but it’s expensive. That’s why collaboration with partners is essential. Hopefully, it will succeed within two years.’
‘But even aside from astronomy, it would be better if it were darker at night—for nature, for example’, says Peletier. The University of Groningen ranked third in the world last year among the most sustainable universities. ‘With less light pollution, we could even aim for first place’, Jurriëns believes.