Earth Hour 2010

Another Earth Hour is coming this weekend. That's when people around the world will turn off their lights for just one hour to call for action on global warming. The program has been sponsored for several years now by the World Wildlife Fund. The date for this year's event is March 27 and the time is 8:30 pm local time. So wherever you are , turn off the lights on Saturday night!

Of course, for me the event has double significance. As an amateur astronomer, I am all for turning off the city lights that make it impossible to see the stars in all their glory. In my own area, things have gotten worse over the years as Los Angeles has expanded the port facilities. As it is, I can no longer see Sagittarius in the summer but when I can no longer see Orion in the winter, I will cry. If you want to leave your lights off for more than an hour, that's fine with me.

So here again is the date and time:

MARCH 27, 8:30 pm local time

TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS!