International Dark Sky Week
Happy first day of our International Dark Sky Week virtual celebration! The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is using this week to bring awareness to light pollution and the various effects that it has on humans and the natural world. Each day of this week we will be uploading a new blog post with different activities, story times, or infographics that explore a different aspect of light pollution. Some of the topics we will be covering include impact on natural ecosystems, health and safety, and astronomical research. Join us on social media and on our website all week long to learn more about light pollution and ways that we can all help to make a difference.
Disappearing Darkness
Picture yourself in the middle of Times Square at night. You hear the sounds of cars going by and the chatter of people from all over the world. You smell the aromas wafting from the food carts and exhaust from taxis. But what do you see? Is it the busy crowded streets? The New Year’s Eve ball drop? Marquee lights? Broadway show signs? Embracing the term “bright lights, big city,” Times Square along uses about as much energy every year as it takes to power 161 thousand homes.
If you were to look up past the lights and skyscrapers though, somethings that you wouldn’t be able to see are stars. Almost every star is hidden in the sky because those bright lights produce a lot of light pollution, or excessive or invasive use of man-made outdoor lighting. Thanks to the SKYGLOW Project, you can see what the night sky would look like in Times Square if there was no light pollution. The glow of the Milkyway and more stars than you can count make the view even more dazzling.
Big cities aren't the only places that are affected by light pollution though. 99% of the United States population and 80% of the world’s population has never seen a naturally dark night sky. There are three main types of light pollution that can be found in most places: glare, skyglow, and light trespass. How many have you seen or experienced before?
Glare comes from bright unshielded lights, including car headlights or flood lights, that can be blinding and uncomfortable for the eyes.
Skyglow can be seen above populated areas, especially urban and suburban areas, that make the sky appear as if its glowing. If you look at images of city sky lines at night, you can see this aura of light around the buildings.
Light Trespass is the unwanted light that goes into spaces where it is not needed or intended. This includes streetlights or building fixtures shining into bedroom windows.
Effects of Light Pollution
Even here in New Hampshire, glare, skyglow, and light trespass have an impact on us and the natural world. This 6.5-minute video from the International Dark Sky Association will introduce these effects, some of which we may not realize are happening all around us.
While these effects may seem daunting to address, there is so much that we can all do to improve outdoor lighting and reduce light pollution. Every day this week we will be talking about a different aspect of light pollution and what we can all do to make a difference. If you are interested in reading more about light pollution today, check out these resources below!
www.globeatnight.org/light-pollution.php
www.nationalgeographic.org/article/light-pollution/
Sources:
https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/
https://www.globeatnight.org/light-pollution.php
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/light-pollution/ (Good source for kids)
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/nelpag/nelpag.html
By Amanda Leith
