Hit the Lights! Millions of dollars are spent on lighting that shoots into the sky, obstructing astronomers' Earth-based views. The lights are so bright that they can be seen from space. Chicago, Illinois is shown here from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
The scoop: Light pollution is gradually choking out our view of the beautiful night sky. Astronomer Bob Millis gives his two cents on the growing problem across the planet. As a Midwestern farm boy growing up at the dawn of the space race, I'd often stretch out in the backyard on a warm summer night and gaze up at the night sky. Few people confronted by a truly dark sky fail to be moved by the breathtaking beauty of this spectacle. Seemingly countless stars, the haunting Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon, bright planets moving slowly through the background star field, and meteors zipping across the sky all conspired to fill my young mind with wonder -- and profoundly influence the course of my life. Unfortunately, during the half century since my backyard stargazing, fewer and fewer Americans (not to mention citizens of other developed or developing nations) have ever seen the night sky in all its glory. Growing light pollution has robbed most urban dwellers of this experience, and those outside the cities likewise are seeing the stars steadily erased by careless outdoor lighting. The situation is analogous to air pollution in many large cities that fades surrounding mountains or other scenery from view. Ordinarily, efforts are mounted to counteract the problem -- after all, air pollution can kill. But it's surprising to me how readily people have silently surrendered and deprived their children of an entire major dimension of our natural environment: the nighttime sky. Are we really content to huddle in puddles of light and completely forego one of the most spectacular attributes of this unique world we occupy? As an astronomer, the death of the night sky has been painfully evident to me. One by one, major observatories in the continental United States have been strangled by light spilling from cities growing nearby. Only in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas are a few areas left that can claim to be little-affected by light pollution. But, if nothing is done, their days are also numbered. World-class observational optical astronomy will have retreated to a couple of tall (hopefully extinct) volcanoes in Hawaii and the mountains of Chile -- itself a rapidly developing nation. What an unnecessary shame. All that's needed is for us to decide as a nation to henceforth design outdoor lighting with care, using only the amount of light needed and directing it to where it is needed. No longer should we allow the thoughtless spraying of light in all directions, nor permit businesses or cities (are you reading this Las Vegas?) to seek to distinguish themselves from the competition by illuminating their property to ridiculous levels. What are we -- moths? If you believe the kind of lighting practices advocated here are unsafe or impractical, I invite you to visit the first International Dark Sky City: Flagstaff, Arizona. Here an outdoor lighting ordinance has been in place for the past 50 years, and surrounding Coconino County passed a similar measure in 1989. Designed to protect the Lowell Observatory, where I work, and the Flagstaff Station of the U.S. Naval Observatory, these measures have resulted in a nighttime environment appreciated by the vast majority of residents and visitors. More information about appropriate outdoor lighting is available from the International Dark-Sky Association (http://www.darksky.org). Careful outdoor lighting benefits not just astronomers. In an increasingly energy-constrained world, better lighting practices mean energy savings for everyone. And that means money. If Arizona, for example, were to adopt statewide the lighting practices required by the ordinances in Flagstaff and Coconino County, a recent study shows the state would save $30,000,000 dollars per year and stop 14,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide from being annually pumped into the atmosphere. Imagine these savings if the entire United States were to follow suit. So, who stole the night sky? We all did. We tolerated the relentless growth of careless, wasteful, and inefficient exterior lighting of our homes, businesses, parking lots, sports arenas, etc. And, little by little, the stars went away. The good news is the process is reversible. All we need is the determination to take back the nighttime heavens for ourselves, our children, and generations to come. Bob Millis is a planetary astronomer, director of Lowell Observatory, and a member of the board of Science Foundation Arizona. The views expressed are the author's alone and do not represent the official position of the Discovery Channel. Got something to say? E-mail your questions, comments or concerns to discoveryspace@discovery.com. Your words may appear on Discovery Space. |
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