Your Grandfather's Sky Looked Different

Did you know the stars you see when you look at the night sky are very different from the ones your grandparents once saw? That difference is the result of light pollution.

Light pollution refers to light that lights up the night time sky. It comes from light fixtures that are aimed in the wrong direction, too bright or "leak" light into the sky. When that happens, it's much harder to see the stars.

Try this experiment to show how too much light can make it difficult to see the stars.)

 

How To Tell If Your Community Has Light Pollution

How do you know if your community has light pollution? Take a look at the sky after the sun has set. Do the clouds glow pink? While that may look pretty – the pink clouds mean there's too much light in the sky.

What Is An Astronomer?

Astronomers are people who study the stars and planets. They are concerned that light pollution is making the sky more difficult to study. It's especially hard for amateur astronomers, or people who choose to follow the stars as a hobby, not a job.

100 Years of Light Pollution!

Light pollution started becoming a problem about 100 years ago, when cities began using more and more lights. Now there are so many lights you can see them from outer space. (Click here to see a view of the United Space taken from outer space: ~http://www.darksky.org/~ida/darksky/index.html )

Light Pollution: Enemy of Nature

But not being able to see all the stars is only one problem caused by light pollution. Norbert Vance is an astronomer, which means a person who studies the stars and planets. Mr. Vance is also the director of the Sherzer Observatory in Michigan. He says many birds can no longer see the stars that guide their journey when they migrate. Other birds become confused by the lights and fly into buildings.

"They said to turn left at the third star after the Big Dipper. I think we missed the Big Dipper. I can't see a thing up here!"

Sea turtles are also affected. Female sea turtles crawl up onto the beach and lay their eggs in the sand. They use light to help them find their way back to the water. Many times, both the adult sea turtles and the babies that hatch from the eggs become confused and turn toward the road instead of the ocean. Sea turtles are an endangered species, which means there are not very many of them.

Light pollution also wastes natural resources by burning fuel that isn't needed. When fossil fuels are burned, they add to pollution in the air.

What About People?

Too much light can be bad for people, too. We need darkness just as much as we need light. Darkness tells our brain it's time to rest. Without that signal, we can't rest properly.

What Can You Do About Light Pollution?

The most important thing anyone can do is to recognize the problem and make sure others know about it. Once people are aware of light pollution, they might decide to put up better lights.

The next time you hear someone say the pink clouds after the sunset are pretty, tell them the truth: Their beauty is the result of pollution. True beauty is in a dark sky twinkling with stars as far as the eye can see!

An Experiment for You To Try!

Try this short experiment with an adult's help to see how too much light can make seeing stars difficult. Take a flashlight outside after dark. Turn on the flashlight and shine it into the sky. What do you see? Count the stars. Are they easier or more difficult to see when the flashlight is on?

Now, turn off the flashlight Count the stars again. Are they easier or more difficult to see when the flashlight is off?

If you can, ask the adult to turn off the other outdoor lights. Look again. The darker it is around you, the more stars you will see.

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