Utah Skies » Light Pollution

Taking Back the Night: New Zealand

bjolley — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:40:54 +0000

The little town of Tekapo, New Zealand (pop. 830) is fighting to preserve the night sky.

In 1965, officials of this pristine lakeside town recognized the importance of protecting the skies around the nearby Mount John Observatory and began putting controls on outdoor illumination. According to an AP report, the ordinances require that, “low-energy sodium lamps are shielded from above, and household lights must face down, not up.”

Their goal? To obtain designation from UNESCO designation as the world’s first starlight reserve. Currently, none of UNESCO’s world heritage sites include the sky.

Tekapo’s efforts to preserve dark skies has begun to generate “astro tourists,” people in search of the experience of seeing stars under genuinely dark skies. Current estimates suggest that more than 2/3 of Americans are unable to see the Milky Way from their homes as a result of careless outdoor lighting and over-illumination - itself responsible for approximately two million barrels of oil per day in energy wasted. In Europe, there are almost no places left where the sky reaches its natural darkness.

Skies Over Utah National Parks Threatened!

anthonya — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:10:28 +0000

In yet another 11th hour attempt to plunder the natural wonders of this great nation, the Bush Administration is set to auction off some of the crown jewels for oil and natural gas exploration, lands in and around Utah’s famed national parks! Seen here is a nighttime image of Canyonlands National Park by National Park Service scientist Dan Duriscoe: this image overlooks parcels 201 to 208, which are scheduled to be leased for energy development.

Emergency Call to Action:

A national land auction on December 19th will determine the fate of over 300,000 acres of wilderness lands in Utah, USA. At stake are the vistas near Canyonlands and Arches National Parks and Dinosaur National Monument, areas of outstanding scenic quality and home to some of the most pristine skies in the continental United States.

The auction will open these 300,000 acres to lease for the purpose of natural gas and oil exploration. Anyone who has seen the map of the Earth at night has seen the light created by natural gas burn-off operations. Imagine how this ceaseless glow would dilute the pristine skies of the Utah parks! A vital piece of our natural heritage is as stake.

We urge you to write your Senators, Representative, and the Bureau of Land Management to alert them to your concerns. For your convenience, we have provided links to determine your Senator and Representatives, and included an address for the BLM Administrator. A sample letter that can be copied and pasted to an email is provided on the IDA Web site.

Find your Senator

Find your Representative

Contact the Bureau of Land Management Administrator James Caswell
United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
James Caswell, Director
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20240

A complete list of suggested contacts is available on the IDA Web site.

Read the sample letter for elected and appointed officials.
Take Action

As always, thank you for your support, and your sense of urgency in protecting our night sky.
Want to do even more? Join International Dark-Sky Association Now

Globe At Night

donb — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 19:00:40 +0000

The annual Globe at Night star count begins tonight and runs through March 21st. The purpose of the exercise is to get a global view of the problem of light pollution. By comparing the night sky that a person sees to a number of pre-defined images, researchers can get a better perspective on this truly global problem. Last years event saw over 18,000 people from 96 countries on all continents (except Antarctica) report more than 45000 nighttime observations. Event planners are hoping to exceed those totals this year. That’s where you come in. Your participation is critical to the success of this effort. Participation is free and no special equipment is required. All you need to do is step outside on a clear night during the two weeks that the event runs, compare what you see to the models displayed on the Globe At Night website, and then submit your results. What could be easier. This is your chance to help fight light pollution.

GLOBE AT NIGHT - Study Begins Tonight

donb — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 14:02:19 +0000

Skywatchers from around the world will be making observations relating to the magnitude of

stars visible in the sky where they live. Their observations will be recorded as part of the GLOBE at

Night program. There are no special skills or equipment required and there is no cost to participate in the program. GLOBE at Night organizers have set a target of 5000

observations worldwide in an effort to gauge the extent of light pollution. All it takes is a little of your time and clear skies between 7:00pm and 9:00pm between 3/22 and 3/29. Simply head outside and compare your view of The Constellation Orion with those presented on the GLOBE at Night website. Once you’ve made that determination, you simply fill out an online form and you’re done. At this point though, you might as well take a moment and survey the night sky a bit further. Binoculars or a small telescope can really come in handy from this point onward. While you’re out there, remember to have fun!

Quantifying Light Pollution

donb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 06:35:12 +0000

The National Park Services Night Sky Team recently released the results of a groundbreaking study of our nation’s national parks. What they discovered will shock many. In even the wildest and most remote of our national parks, the night sky is negatively impacted by artificial light at night… light pollution. Physical scientists Chad Moore and Dan Duriscoe of the National Park Service sampled dozens of parks throughout the west and found virtually all suffered measurably. The ecological effects of all this artificial lighting are only now beginning to be understood. Recent studies have even shown this to be a mounting threat to our own health. These studies are stark examples of the incredible scope of the problem. Fully 2/3 of all Americans are now unable to see the Milky Way from their own backyards and 99% live under night skies tainted by light pollution. Checkout Science News for more on this story… and the Night Sky Team’s Natural Lightscapes website.

GLOBE at Night

donb — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 16:01:15 +0000

(NASA) Viewed from above, the Earth at night is a vast sea of darkness interrupted by bright areas of artificial light. From a more familiar perspective — looking up from the Earth’s surface — the amount of light in the night sky impacts our ability to see stars and other objects in space. How much artificial light, from streetlights and other man-made sources, is polluting the night sky and where? To answer that question, the GLOBE program is having a party — a star-hunting party, that is — and you’re invited. During March 22-29, 2006, students, teachers and families across the globe are invited to observe, record and report online the magnitude, or brightness, of visible stars. These measurements will help students and scientists determine how much light pollutes the night sky in various locations around the world. Through this activity, students will learn about the usefulness of latitude and longitude in mapping and analyzing data. They will also have the opportunity to locate the Orion constellation using stellar maps. Observations will be mapped at the GLOBE at Night Web site. This site includes detailed instructions on how to participate, tutorials on light pollution and finding Orion, and a list of national science, geography and math education standards addressed by the activity. The Web site will also provide access to all of the data collected to allow for further analysis. GLOBE is an international student observation campaign sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation. Participants record measurements of the atmosphere, land, water, and plant and animal life for use by students and scientists worldwide.

Light - Cancer Link Explored

donb — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000

Researchers are currently studying the link between light at night and certain forms of cancer. The January 2006 issue of Prevention Magazine contained an article documenting several ongoing studies that had shown strong links between bright sleeping conditions and (among other things) increased risk of breast cancer. While not specifically calling out light pollution, the studies lend strong support to the cries of light pollution prevention activists who have long advocated that outdoor lights shine where they’re needed and not up nor into people’s bedroom windows. The editorial director of Prevention, Rosemary Ellis, was interviewed on the Today Show where she explained the study’s findings and suggested that people who have street lights shining into their bedrooms ought to take measures to darken their rooms. While that might work, we feel that a more appropriate solution has responsible parties replacing the poorly aimed street lights with night sky friendly fixtures that put the light on the ground only. Click here for more information on the effects of light pollution on human health.