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SUMMARY:O43 - Star-Counting Grid Frame: A Low-Cost Educational and Citizen
 -Science Tool for Monitoring Light Pollution and Night Sky Visibility in C
 ebu\, Philippines
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20261125T060000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20261125T061500Z
DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20261112T140651Z
UID:indico-contribution-849@indico.narit.or.th
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: John Roy Roblon (Cebu Technological University)\nLig
 ht pollution is an increasing environmental concern that diminishes night 
 sky visibility\, limits opportunities for astronomical observation\, and r
 educes public engagement with the natural night sky. This study developed 
 and evaluated a Star-Counting Grid Frame\, a low-cost and standardized obs
 ervational tool designed to support astronomy education\, citizen science\
 , and community-based monitoring of night sky conditions in Cebu\, Philipp
 ines. The instrument consists of a 4-by-4 grid frame that provides a fixed
  field of view for systematic naked-eye star counting. Observations were c
 onducted across three environments representing varying levels of artifici
 al illumination: an urban site in Cebu City\, a peri-urban site in Banawa\
 , and a rural site in Barili. Visible stars were recorded over multiple ob
 servation sessions and analyzed to examine differences in night sky visibi
 lity among locations. Results revealed a clear gradient in observable star
 s\, with the lowest counts recorded in the urban environment\, moderate co
 unts in the peri-urban area\, and the highest counts in the rural location
 . Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences among sites\, dem
 onstrating the measurable impact of artificial lighting on night sky visib
 ility. The findings highlight the effectiveness of simple observational me
 thods for documenting local light pollution conditions and raising awarene
 ss of dark-sky preservation. Beyond its research application\, the Star-Co
 unting Grid Frame offers an accessible platform for hands-on astronomy lea
 rning\, public engagement\, and citizen-science participation. Because it 
 can be constructed from inexpensive and locally available materials\, the 
 instrument provides schools\, communities\, and astronomy outreach program
 s with a practical tool for promoting scientific inquiry and environmental
  awareness. The study demonstrates how low-cost observational approaches c
 an contribute to astronomy education\, public communication of science\, a
 nd efforts to protect dark and quiet skies in developing regions.\n\nKeywo
 rds: light pollution\, dark and quiet sky\, astronomy education\, citizen 
 science\, night sky visibility\, observational astronomy\n\nhttps://indico
 .narit.or.th/event/238/contributions/849/
LOCATION:Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort Ballroom II
URL:https://indico.narit.or.th/event/238/contributions/849/
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