As most planetarium visitors know, stargazing can be one of the most amazing experiences of a lifetime. It’s fun to go out at night and find the constellations you’ve only seen on a screen. Connection to the larger universe is vital for humans, and stargazing provides that connection. I always have a wonderful time looking out at the universe and imagining life on other planets around other stars.
Unfortunately, stargazing experiences are getting harder and harder to find due to light pollution. Light pollution is the effect of artificial lights on the nighttime sky. It lightens the whole background of the sky, drowning out the dimmest stars and making it more difficult to see brighter ones. The image below shows the difference light pollution makes.
Image Credit: James Madison University
In order to preserve stargazing opportunities, we need to work together to cut down on light pollution. West Virginia is already one of the least light polluted areas on the East Coast. We all need to do our best to keep it that way.
The easiest and most obvious first step is to turn off your lights. When you aren’t using a light fixture, turn it off. Many outdoor lights are left on all night, even when no one is moving in the area. If possible, turn off those lights! It’ll make your backyard a bit darker (and maybe help you stargaze there). Plus, it’s better for your electricity bill!
If outdoor lights need to be (or inside lights that shine through windows), the next step is to shield those lights. If most of the light is pointing downward, the sky can stay a little bit darker. Most sky brightness comes from light directly from bulbs, not the light reflected off the ground. If you can keep your lights pointed downward, you’re doing your part to eliminate light pollution!
Furthermore, if your community is discussing a dark sky ordinance, do your best to support it. Those ordinances often include regulations on individuals’ light fixtures like those discussed above, but they can also include rules about publicly owned lighting, like street lights, park lighting, and flood lights.
I hope this inspires you to do your part to keep West Virginia’s skies dark and its stargazing wonderful!
For more information:
Types of light pollution by James Madison University
FAQs for information about good light fixtures from DarkSky.org