Neon signs, streetlights and electronic billboards may not be thought of as pollution by most people. But when the plethora of lights cutting through the darkness every night harm people and wildlife, it constitutes pollution

In 1988, the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) was formed to raise awareness and combat light pollution. The IDA’s position is that light pollution interrupts sleep, is costly, negatively effects animals, and seeing starts and planets. The world was free of human-caused light until the last hundred years. Our night sky is getting brighter every year.

The Western Colorado Astronomy Club, as IDA member, will host a free public screening of the film, “The City Dark” on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Saccomanno Lecture Hall, room 141 in Wubben Science Building.

The Astronomy club in Grand Junction addresses a number of these issues and holds events for participants to experience changes in the night sky first hand.

“It is just a bunch of guys from all different walks of life that are drawn together by the love of backyard astronomy,” President Hank Schoch said.

“[The screening is to] raise awareness of the issue and make people realize there are consequences to having so much light. The more illumination in the night sky the less you are going to see up there.”

The event is underwritten by the Colorado National Monument Association, which is concerned with the protection of the monument.

Last year, filmmaker Ian Cheney released his film “The City Dark,” which delves into the battle for darkness. An increase in cancer and generations that go without ever seeing the sky are topics discussed by scientists, historians and ecologists who question: “What do we lose when we lose the night?”

The club also hosts many other outings each year in the warmer months with stargazing near the Colorado National Monument, Highline Lake and other areas. The club is open to anyone that has an interest in astronomy. To find out more visit www.wcacastronomy.org or show up to the movie on March 29.