Astronomy award for Gloucester pub

The award was given after a recommendation by John Fletcher

A pub in Gloucester has been given an award for helping to reduce light pollution.

The Pike and Musket in Tuffley has been handed a Good Lighting award after they turned off their high-powered search lights that had been pointing directly into the night sky each evening.

In recognition of their efforts, pub bosses have now been given a certificate from The British Astronomical Association.

It is signed by TV astronomer Sir Patrick Moore and past president of The British Astronomical Association Dr John Mason.

Observational astronomy

It comes after local astronomer John Fletcher contacted the pub's owners Mitchells and Butlers and asked them to turn the lights off.

It was lighting up the night sky and nothing else John Fletcher

John, who runs Mount Tuffley Observatory, said: "I requested that [the lights] be removed as it was destroying my astronomical pro-am observational astrometry and photometric measures of near Earth objects and comets I send in to The Smithsonian Institute, at The Minor Planet center (MPC) at Harvard University in the USA."

He then contacted the pub's manager, Rob Coles, and he agreed to remove the search lights.

Waste

"Rob agreed it was an awful waste of energy and not cost effectively in the interest of the business, and also agreed it was lighting up the night sky and nothing else.

Managers at the Pike & Musket agreed to remove the offending search lights

"They were removed within a few days and all other lights are now pointing downwards to where the light is needed most.

"I contacted Mr. Bob Mizon who is deeply involved with The Dark Skies Campaign run by The British Astronomical Association and I recommended to him that The Pike and Musket receive the Good Lighting Award.

"It was granted without question."

The Good Lighting Award is now framed and on display inside the pub.