April is half over and I've already been able to take the telescope out! It was under a light polluted sky which obscured some objects, but it was still a worthwhile experience. We were able to view many objects with the most notable being the Pleiades, Hyades, Orion Nebula, the Beehive Cluster, and the Double Cluster in Perseus. I was also able to briefly look at the Sun using a solar filter that I've owned for quite some time but have not had the chance to use. There were no visible sunspots, but our closest star did appear as a large orange disk in the field of view.
Still to come this month is the Full Moon on the 26th, which is also a Super Moon, meaning the Moon is slightly closer to the Earth than its average distance, which makes the Moon appear larger and brighter. However, this small difference will not be noticeable to the human eye unless a typical full moon and a super moon were placed side by side. Five days prior to the Full Moon, the Lyrid Meteor Shower will peak on the 21st. While this shower won't compare to larger showers, it will be nice to see some shooting stars after our two month meteor drought.
As mentioned in a comment left earlier this month, I failed to mention that April 5th marked the beginning of International Dark Sky Week. During this week, there should have been an attempt by everyone to limit their use of outdoor lighting to reduce light pollution. Several organizations, such as the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), found at darksky.org, taught interested viewers all about light pollution. This is the topic that I chose to do my senior research project on and something I am very passionate about. I thought about sharing my hour-long presentation here, but realized it would be better if it was condensed down a bit.
Pollution is an unwanted byproduct that is often harmful to the environment. We have heard of air pollution from cars and factories and water pollution from unwanted dumping of chemicals and garbage into rivers, lakes, and the oceans. Light pollution is the unwanted and often unneeded excess light from misdirected and incorrectly installed light sources.
From an early age, we've learned that air and water pollution are bad since we are breathing in the harmful particulates and possibly drinking water from contaminated sources. Since there are many different species on Earth that need to breathe the air and drink water to survive, humans are not the only inhabitants on Earth that suffer from these forms of pollution. For thousands of years, humans have thought that light was a source of security. Early humans used fire to ward off predators while more modern humans use light to deter potential criminals. Humans also use light to show off their property at night.
You might be asking yourself, "What makes light pollution bad?" For astronomers, the immediate answer is that the excess and misdirected light is obscuring the night sky! Wouldn't it be great if you could walk outside of your house and see the Milky Way band?! Personally, I need to drive about an hour away from home to be able to view this faint feature of the night sky. Many others would have to drive for several hours or even a few days to find a sky completely free of light pollution. Aside from this inconvenience, light pollution can cause many species, including humans, to not sleep at night. It also does not allow nocturnal species the chance to hunt at night. Many different types of birds use the stars to migrate at night. If they are unable to see the stars, they cannot migrate and often die. The blue light from cell phones, TV's, and computer screens cause a decrease in melatonin production, which is the hormone that aids in sleep, and can cause eye strain which may require the need for glasses as we age. Light pollution has also been linked to several forms of cancer. Aside from this, excess light uses more energy, meaning that fossil fuels are being used at a higher than necessary rate, causing harm to the environment.
There are four main types of light pollution: Skyglow, Glare, Clutter, and Trespass. Skyglow is typically found around large cities and is light that is projected upwards and reflected back by aerosols in the atmosphere or light that is not properly shielded. Glare is light that shines or is reflected directly into your eyes. Clutter is the unnecessary grouping of light in a relatively small area. Light trespass is light shining where it is not intended, such as a neighbors light into your house.
Light pollution can be prevented by turning off unnecessary lights, using fixtures that direct the light downwards instead of upwards, and using a color of light that is more natural and not as bright. A good color and brightness to use is that of a campfire and not the bright blue/white light from many modern light sources.
I challenge my readers to find ways to reduce light pollution in and around their own homes. Consider using only a front or back porch light instead of lighting the whole property, or better yet, turn off all outside lights! Encourage your friends, other family members that don't live with you, and even your neighbors to do the same. There are many National Parks and several cities that have been designated as dark sky areas. These places use less lighting, eye friendly lighting (campfire color and brightness), proper light fixtures that aim the light downward, or a combination of all three to earn the dark sky designation. I encourage my readers to visit these places to support dark skies, get ideas for what they can do at home, and most of all, to see what a dark sky looks like! If you are as passionate about the night sky as I am, then let's find ways to keep our skies light pollution free so that future generations can enjoy the wonders of the universe.
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| Now get outside and look up! |
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