Light Pollution

[Boyd]

Credit: P. Cinzano, F. Falchi (University of Padova), C. D. Elvidge (NOAA
National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder). Copyright Royal Astronomical
Society. Reproduced from the Monthly Notices of the RAS by permission of
Blackwell Science.


Here's an interesting article on a topic we've discussed before: http://www.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB121692767218982013.html

About two-thirds of the world's population, including almost everyone in the continental U.S. and Europe, no longer see a starry sky where they live. For much of the world, it never even gets dark enough for human eyes to adjust to night vision, reported an international team that mapped the geography of night lighting.

As I've grown older I definitely feel the need to be in complete darkness for a number of hours each night. I always thought this was a psychological need, but perhaps there's more to it?

Last month, Harvard Medical School epidemiologist Eva Schernhammer and her colleagues reported that nurses who regularly worked the night shift had a higher incidence of colorectal cancer than women who only worked daylight hours. Writing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Schernhammer concluded that working a night shift in rotation at least three nights a month for 15 years or more may increase a woman's risk of colorectal cancer.

In January, Itai Kloog at Haifa University in Israel and researchers at the University of Connecticut reported in Chronobiology International that the incidence of breast cancer among women living in brightly lit neighborhoods was as much as 73% higher than among women in areas where night-time darkness was the norm.

Many researchers believe exposure to artificial light disrupts our nighttime production of the hormone melatonin that, among other things, suppresses tumor development. Even two weeks of intermittent nightly light exposure can seriously curtail melatonin production, studies show.

Such research isn't sufficient proof that darkness keeps us healthy. The findings are persuasive enough, however, that the International Agency for Research on Cancer at the World Health Organization last December added the night shift to its formal list of probable human carcinogens.

There's a nice high res map of night sky brightness here (see low res version above): http://www.lightpollution.it/worldatlas/pages/index.htm

 

[MarkBNJ]

The night has never been a friend to our species. It's natural to want to drive it off with light, now that we can. Personally, I miss seeing millions of stars. I've experienced that camping back in the 60's with my family, and I have experienced it at sea.

 

[LARGO]

Light pollution is a real factor today and proof of a growing need to be aware of the environment. I am no special interest wacko, but am reasonably well informed up as a member of the "Green" effort for our company, vendors, and customers in my place of work. Without being extreme, there are little things that add up to big things we should be aware of.
That said, I am comforted by the light Mark mentions just like any other when required but I've no driven interest in it. I am very happy with very little. I like the evening and solitude that darkness brings and I am not unnerved by it at all.
While I certainly am not miles from anywhere, I have a unique placement of my little home and yard in a reasonably big empty on my road save for a handful of homes spaced fairly well apart, hundreds of feet. Not a single one of my neighbors to any side front or behind on a large open span and up to the surrounding woods is real high on overlit areas. Most homes are rather subdued in their evening light levels to the point of wonder if some are occupied. Behind me a horse ranch and waning hay field, to the front another big empty field and not much to either side.
The surrounding woods keep out the "pollution" of other homes local.
Now, with all that B/S said, I can on most nights sit out in the front or back and enjoy open skies and great moons and stars or just a big black empty with very little light annoyance. All seasons offer different treasures. Good stuff. Many visitors have been blown away by it whether they are from a choked urban area or even rural just not with the openness that I by dumb luck have. Give me a pond or river and I'd be livin'.
Looking out over the sea with your back to any illumination man needs to keep the boogeyman away with is always a treat as well. I agree with Mark on that note too.

g.

 

[MarkBNJ]

That said, I am comforted by the light Mark mentions just like any other when required but I've no driven interest in it. I am very happy with very little. I like the evening and solitude that darkness brings and I am not unnerved by it at all.

I feel exactly the same way. I find darkness comforting, and I feel like I move around very well in the dark. I often keep just a low light in my office at night, and I absolutely _hate_ fluorescents.

 

[mike242424]

I'll never forget the time I went to Nova Scotia 3 years ago when a meteor shower was taking place. I never knew so many stars could be seen at one time. And i thought you could see alot in the pines and at my house

 

[Boyd]

I'm pretty much "in the middle of nowhere" myself, about 5 miles South of Mays Landing. Two sides of my property border on a WMA, and there's a house on each of the other sides, but about 400 feet from mine. When I first moved here I thought it was really dark at night and the stars seemed very vivid. But after I started spending more time outside at night, I realized that the sky is actually very bright. Kind of disappointing actually.

I spend a lot of time wandering around the woods at night and it's quite amazing what your eyes can see after you get accustomed. I can walk around my trails on a moonless night with no flashlight. There's really a lot of light reflected back from the sky, especially this time of year. Clear, cold winter nights often seem to be darker.

Inside, I gradually reduce light levels as the even passes. I find the dimly lit interior comforting. But some people - like my daughter - instinctively turn on every light as soon as they enter a room.

 

[whippoorbill]

About 25 years ago, I saw the night sky unaffected by light pollution. This was during a trip to the desert southwest. It was a very cold winter day and night, and I had just seen a sunset over the Grand Canyon. During this, I said to myself, "I'll never see anything more beautiful." Life is surreal. Hours later, I was driving back toward New Mexico and realized I was miles from any city, any light. I pulled over and walked up a small hill, letting my eyes adjust before looking up. I'd always had a lifelong love for the skies, the stars.

When I looked up, knowing, the Grand Canyon had been trumped.

Belleplain State Forest does the sky best in New Jersey. IMO. West Virginia (probably) in the east. But I've seen some incredible skies in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, too.

The South Jersey Astronomy Club is very active in battling light pollution. There are smart ways to light our surroundings without sending whiteness into space.

Bill

 

[andy1015]

just got back from Cape Cod and Maine and it is amazing how many stars you can see. Cape you can see a good amount but nothing compared to Maine. I counted 11 shooting stars in a an hour or two time. Only place i saw more was on a small island i visited when i was young. But truly amazing

 

[Ben Ruset]

When NYC had their big blackouts a few years ago, many of my friends were telling me how amazing it was to see the night sky from the five boroughs.

Me, I'm happy to see stars in Brick.