Category Archives: light pollution

International Dark-Sky Association, light pollution, losing the dark

Light Pollution and Me… and YOU

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Keep our Skies Dark and our Outlook Good

Learn about Light Pollution in Losing the Dark
A poster about “Losing the Dark”, a show explaining the issues around light pollution.

A few years ago we were honored to be asked to create a short video called Losing the Dark — about light pollution for the International Dark-Sky Association. It was produced for use in both fulldome theaters and flat-screen venues. It’s available in 17 languages (plus English), and has been used around the world.

We just found out that it will be featured at the upcoming Starlight: Beyond Light Pollution leadership training forum in La Palma this July. It’s a great honor to be selected for this prestigious event. I was just looking over the schedule and it looks like a fabulous experience where you can learn a lot about all the issues, and participate in some cool excursions around the island and a trip to Roque de las Muchachos astronomy observatory.  If you’re at all interested in astronomy, dark skies, astrophotography, and want to visit a great place, this looks like a wonderful event!

If you do sign up, let them know I recommended it.  (How could I NOT?  They’re showing my movie!!) I might get a chance to go if enough people sign up under my recommendation. If I can’t get there, I’ll do my darnedest to Skype in and help spread the world about sensible lighting practices.

Light Pollution in a Community

Light pollution is something you really come to take for granted when you live in a city or town. A lot of people don’t realize just how murky the night skies get from wasteful lighting practices until they get out in the countryside away from all of it. Then, they marvel at the beauty of the sky.

But, as we point out in the video, light pollution takes a toll on more than just the stars. It can actually pose a danger to health and safety. Case in point: not far from where I live, there’s a school shining an incredibly, intensely bright light right into people’s faces as they drive around the corner of a mountain road at night. One second you’re in the dark, the next second, you’re hit with a beam that dazzles the eyes.  On a rainy, wet or icy  night, that moment’s incapacitation could be fatal.

I and others have written to the school about this issue, and I’ve heard they’re considering at least changing the angle of the light so it doesn’t pose such a problem. It also shines directly into nearby windows, which is actually against the light trespass law. One neighbor said it is so bright it lights up their bedroom, despite having curtains. Intrusive lighting can affect a person’s health, and there are a studies backing this up. So, a little gentle education in the direction of safety will still maintain the school’s security and let the neighbors sleep at night. And, they’re not wasting money pointing light to the sky instead of the building.

This is the kind of thing that can be done in many areas — promoting sensible use of light not just for astronomy, but safety and health as well.  In reading over the schedule for the conference, it looks like the organizers are not only teaching about those issues, but also acquainting attendees with the glory of the night sky!  A win-win all the way around.

Join the Fight Against Light Pollution

Whether you head to La Palma or not, if you’re interested in mitigating lighting issues in your community, please consider joining in with the folks at the International Dark-Sky Association. Their mission is simple: the safe and effective use of light without lighting up the sky or affecting the neighbors.  Visit their website to learn more about the organization. I’ve been a member and worked with them for years to help spread the word!

 

 

astronomy, International Dark-Sky Association, light pollution

Dark Skies: Do YOU Have Them?

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Would You Like to Have Them?

A couple of years ago, my partner and I produced a video called Losing the Dark to help the International Dark-Sky Association reach out to the public about light pollution through planetariums as well as online. The show has been a great hit, and it’s now in 14 languages. It talks about light pollution, its causes, effects, and—very important here—what we can all do to stop shining light into the sky. I invite you to watch it here, download it here (if you’re a planetarian), and support the International Dark-Sky Association in its work to help people use light safely and effectively.

Among IDA’s biggest outreach projects is International Dark Sky Week. They didn’t start this annual event, it was the brainchild of a high school student named Jennifer Barlow, who started it in 2003. It is now a world-wide event, and is a part of Global Astronomy Month (this month, in fact).

How dark are YOUR skies? Use this chart to figure out how much light pollution is affecting your view. Courtesy NASA.
How dark are YOUR skies? Use this chart to figure out how much light pollution is affecting your view. Courtesy http://wordlesstech.com/2014/04/07/dark-skies-interactive-map/ (Click image to get a bigger version.)

 

The idea behind this special week of dark skies is to remind people that the beauty of the night sky is slowly going missing due to light pollution. The night sky is something people around the world share in common, and if we all figure out ways to mitigate light pollution, that beauty will return to us. Another tenet of the celebration is to help people understand the negative aspects of light pollution: to our health, to the environment—and if that doesn’t convince you—to your pocketbook. It costs MONEY to get the fossil fuels to run the power plants that generate the electricity that powers the lights that wash out the sky—which is silly when you think about it. There are better ways to safely light the areas we need.

So, check out Losing the Dark and learn more about Dark Sky Week, and give a little thought to what you can do (even if it’s just your own back yard or front doorstep) to decrease the light we send upwards. Great beauty is worth the effort!

By the way, this month is full of things to celebrate space-wise, as well: Yuri’s Night is Sunday, April 12th, Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22, Astronomy Day is April 25th, and this entire year is the International Year of Light.