The Royal Astronomical Society is sorry to hear of the recent death of leading light pollution campaigner Bob Mizon. A talented amateur astronomer, he helped to establish the Commission for Dark Skies and his work received global recognition.
Mizon was born in Dagenham in London and was educated at East Ham Grammar School (London) and Adams Grammar School (Newport, Shropshire). He studied French and German at King’s College London and worked for 26 years as a French teacher. He ran a school astronomy club, translating astronomy books from French, and becoming an active member of the Wessex Astronomical Society.
In 1996 Mizon bought a mobile planetarium, travelling all over Britain and showing the skies to a total of nearly 150,000 children and adults. In 2010, his work was officially recognised when he was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
He helped set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dark Skies (the RAS now provides the secretariat for this group), bringing together MPs and peers to discuss light pollution in Parliament. The International Dark-Sky Association recognised Mizon’s work with its Galileo Award in 2006 and the David L. Crawford Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
Professor Mike Edmunds, the President of the Royal Astronomical Society said: “Bob Mizon was a great believer and practical advocate that all of us should have the opportunity to enjoy and learn from seeing the night sky free from light pollution. As rather aptly phrased on the International Dark Skies Association website - “The stars have lost one of their greatest friends on Earth” - the loss is ours too.”