About

Jaroslav Merc - head of Košice Astronomy Club, member of Section of protection against light pollution of the Slovak Astronomical Society and of the Slovak Union of Astronomers. Member of European Astronomical Society. For several years, he has been dedicated to popularizing the topic of light pollution and other astronomical topics during many events for children, students, and the general public. Since 2018, he is an assistant of the IAU National Outreach Coordinator in Slovakia. As a professional astronomer, his research focuses on stellar astrophysics, especially on symbiotic binaries.

Past Activities

- Administrator of the Slovak website about light pollution (http://svetelneznecistenie.sk/)
- Coordinator of the international campaign Globe at Night in Slovakia (since 2011)
- Coordinator of the international project Earth Hour in Slovakia (since 2010)
- Organizer or co-organizer of numerous activities for schools and the general public (talks, observations of the night sky, etc.) (since 2008)
- Lecturer on various conferences, seminars, and workshops focusing on the topic of light pollution, dark sky parks, and astronomy (since 2009)
- Author or co-author of various articles in newspapers and magazines, radio and TV shows about light pollution and astronomy (since 2009)
- Translator and tester of the Loss of the Night App (in 2014)