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“Species have been adapted to specific niches optimizing survival and reproduction; however, urbanization by humans has dramatically altered natural habitats. Artificial light at night (LAN), termed ‘light pollution’, is an often overlooked, yet increasing disruptor of habitats, which perturbs physiological processes that rely on precise light information. For example, LAN alters the timing of reproduction and activity in some species, which decreases the odds of successful breeding and increases the threat of predation for these individuals, leading to reduced fitness. LAN also suppresses immune function, an important proxy for survival.

[...]

Taken together, these data suggest that dim light, consistent with typical levels of light pollution from urban development, alters immune function and circadian activity patterns, which could potentially compromise survival. Our study emphasizes the ecological relevance of light pollution on immune function, an important proxy for survival. Under natural conditions, resource limitations and thermoregulatory demands can interact to compromise immune function. Further alterations in immune function by exposure to LAN could potentially reduce the odds of survival. Thus, night-time light exposure should be considered an important contributing factor in species decline. Future studies should address the mechanisms underlying these phenomena and the ultimate consequences of artificial light on ecosystem stability.”

Another interesting study revealing the negative health effects of light pollution.

Let there be night!

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“Poet Ezra Pound must have been very impressed by the electric lights in Manhattan in 1910: “Here is our poetry, for we have pulled down the stars to our will.” In 1943, Antoine de Saint-Exupery made a similar comparison about a street lamp and a lamp lighter in “The Little Prince”: “When he lights his lamp, it’s as if he’s bringing one more star to life, or one more flower.”

In the clear night sky of Seoul, you can see about 20 stars. It became rather awkward to use the expression “as many as stars” to describe countless quantity. Light pollution does not just interfere with visibility. Some observatories have shut down as the glow of artificial light make it impossible to study the stars. The Mount Wilson Observatory in California, where Edwin Hubble studied the expansion of universe, shut down its observation operation as the glare from nearby Los Angeles made the night sky six times brighter.

Light pollution has adverse effects on the ecosystem as well. The natural sleep cycle is disturbed, and the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer is increasing, studies show. Migrating birds mistake the artificial light as the moon and get disoriented. Cicadas are singing throughout the day as the night light confuses their sense of time. The artificial lights make creatures great and small go against the laws of nature.

The city of Seoul has recommended rules to prevent light pollution in order to reduce unnecessary lighting. Exterior lights on buildings would not be allowed until 11 p.m. and illumination from street lamps would not reach the windows of residential structures. However, the rules are not legally binding. Observing the stars in urban areas may be as difficult as reaching the stars in the sky.”

If only Ezra Pound and Antoine de Saint-Exupery could see how much light blankets our skies today.

According to a 2007 census report, The Seoul National Capital Area, by all accounts, is a megacity and Seoul proper itself, contains over 10 million residents. As with any megacity, economic, social, and environmental challenges exist. Though many would not consider this a problem, but rather a consequence or virtue of living in a city, light pollution continues to grow everyday around the world. Light pollution contributes to all three challenges listed above.

Economically, communities waste an exorbitant amount on adding new and performing regular maintenance on inefficient light fixtures. If cities continue to waste more money on supplying energy to these light fixtures, then you, the resident or taxpayer, ultimately feel the burden. Hence why many communities around the globe have recently begun to reevaluate their lighting purposes, as well as their lighting ordinances. Some have chose ‘shutting off redundant light fixtures’ as the solution, which is a fine solution, but there’s a better long-term solution. Shielded light fixtures direct the light downward, rather than upward. Directing the light downward concentrates the light, thus creating a more well illuminated area. Unshielded lights can accomplish this, though at the expense of a higher wattage bulb. Think of shielding as ‘more, for less.’ But it doesn’t stop there. To fully maximize the potential of a shielded light fixture, one can couple it with an energy efficient light bulb and a motion sensor. Overall, this ‘lighting trinity’ would save communities the most money due to requiring less energy, fewer light fixtures and light when you need it.

Socially, megacities possess large populations. I think it’s fair to say that some, if not most megacities have a problem regarding crime. The common belief, regarding light and crime, has been to use more light to deter crime. Here’s the truth: more light, actually encourages more criminal activity. Here’s why: excessive light can cause glare. Glare is light that can obscure our vision while driving or walking. Criminals can actually use glare to their advantage, to thwart the authorities. If communities wish to increase safety and reduce crime, I would suggest utilizing motion sensors. Consider the following: if you walked into a dark area where you shouldn’t be and all of a sudden, a bright light illuminated your position, how would you react? The fear of being ‘caught’ in the dark, is enough for potential or real criminals to abandon their efforts. Certainly, crime will continue to occur, but utilizing motion sensors as a deterrent would yield better results than the ‘accepted’ light ordinance most communities utilize.

Environmentally, numerous studies have shown how our bodies, as well as pratically all life on Earth, are adversely affected by light pollution. Nearly all life on Earth functions on a day-night cycle aka circadian rhythm. When something upsets this natural balance, our brains have difficultly coping with the outcome. For example, insomnia, depression and cancer have been linked to light pollution. Certainly, other factors such as stress can affect insomnia, depression and cancer, but the fact remains: light pollution causes health problems. In fact, many animals migratory, feeding and reproducing patterns have been negatively affected. For example, sea turtles populations are on the brink of extinction.

Globally, light pollution is increasingly becoming more and more widespread. What needs to change is how we fundamentally perceive lighting. If all lights utilized proper shielding, then much, if not all of the world’s light pollution would be eradicated. I can not stress the importance of proper shielding enough. Without it, all attempts to curb light pollution will be in vain.

Let there be night!

The night sky over the Libyan desert. Jupiter is the brightest spot in the sky

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“If you live in a city it is easy to forget there is a stunning star-scape above your head, which is hidden by light pollution.

But out in the Libyan desert, there is little to obscure your view.

Amateur photographer and civil engineer Tunc Tezel captured the glorious night sky above Ras Lanuf camp in Libya.

The 33-year-old from Turkey is overseeing a coastal railway construction between Sirt and Benghazi and was keen to take advantage of his isolated location.

Although a glowing sky is often cloud reflecting sun or moonlight, the flight running diagonally up to the right is created by the combined light from billions of stars that make up our local Milky Way Galaxy.

Mr Tezel took the image on December 7 an hour after sunset and managed to unveil zodiacal light as well. This is the sunlight reflected off tiny dust particles ejected by comets that orbit our Solar System.

He told the Mail Online: ‘I took six pictures as a 3×2 panorama, which I later constructed with image processing software to get the final view.

‘The brightest celestial object below centre is the Moon. Mercury is also visible to the lower left of the Moon and just above the horizon.

‘After the sky got dark enough, the Milky Way became visible, rising to the upper right from the southwest horizon. Thanks to the clear and transparent skies that evening, Zodiacal Light was also easily seen rising from to the upper left from the southwestern horizon.’

Mr Tezel, who has been an amateur astronomer since 1992 said his location on the northern tip of Africa was the ideal spot for capturing the night sky’s beauty.

‘From my southern location of Libya (30 degrees North), the Milky Way and Zodiacal Light stood nicely symmetrical,’ he said.

‘From farther north, Milky way would stand more upright as Zodiacal Light would be nearly invisible as it would make a very shallow angle with the horizon.’

Mr Tezel is part of an organisation called The World At Night or TWAN. The group’s main aim of TWAN is to produce and present a collection of stunning photographs and time-lapse videos of the world’s landmarks against the celestial attractions.”

Another beautiful evening captured on camera. Such a sight is not a dream nor impossible to achieve. In fact, quite the contrary. How? Easy. We must change how we fundamentally approach lighting. We must abandon the notion, ‘more light deters more criminals.’ Simply put, it’s ineffective. Increased lighting actually encourages deviants, miscreants and criminals to commit vandalism, robbery or public disturbances. A solution to such a problem, would be to utilize preexisting motion sensor technology. If darkness surrounds an area and a light immediately turns on, the eye can identify the said area almost instantaneously, rather than being potentially blinded in over illuminated areas. Following the archaic notion of ‘more is better,’ we must utilize and follow proper light fixture shielding to eliminate unnecessary light sources. Properly shielded light fixtures directs the light where it is needed most, downward – effectively eliminating light pollution 100%. By eliminating light pollution, we retroactively improve the health of all creatures possessing circadian rhythms, rest easier and reclaim our night skies.

Let there be night!

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“The Hubble Space Telescope has once more turned its attention towards the magnificent Eagle Nebula (Messier 16). This picture shows the northwestern part of the region, well away from the centre, and features some very bright young stars that formed from the same cloud of material. These energetic toddlers are part of an open cluster and emit ultraviolet radiation that causes the surrounding nebula to glow.

The star cluster is very bright and was discovered in the mid-eighteenth century. The nebula, however, is much more elusive and it took almost a further two decades for it to be first noted by Charles Messier in 1764. Although it is commonly known as the Eagle Nebula, its official designation is Messier 16 and the cluster is also named NGC 6611. One spectacular area of the nebula (outside the field of view) has been nicknamed “The Pillars of Creation” ever since the Hubble Space Telescope captured an iconic image of dramatic pillars of star-forming gas and dust.

The cluster and nebula are fascinating targets for small and medium-sized telescopes, particularly from a dark site free from light pollution. Messier 16 can be found within the constellation of Serpens Cauda (the Tail of the Serpent), which is sandwiched between Aquila, Sagittarius, and Ophiuchus in the heart of one of the brightest parts of the Milky Way. Small telescopes with low power are useful for observing large, but faint, swathes of the nebula, whereas 30 cm telescopes and larger may reveal the dark pillars under good conditions. But a space telescope in orbit around the Earth, like Hubble — which boasts a 2.4-metre diameter mirror and state-of-the-art instruments — is required for an image as spectacular as this one.

This picture was created from images taken with the Wide Field Channel of Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys. Images through a near-infrared filter (F775W) are coloured red and images through a blue filter (F475W) are blue. The exposures times were one hour and 54 minutes respectively and the field of view is about 3.3 arcminutes across.”

That one’s a real beauty.

Imagine, being able to see such an astronomical wonder from the comfort of your own home. In remaining areas around the world, such an activity is a leisurely one, where one can simply look outside and see such cosmic comfort. Such a reality existed before the proliferation of streetlights across the globe. That in itself is not a bad thing, although the principles guiding the direction of the light warrant scrutiny. Why? The lack of proper shielding creates light pollution. An otherwise preventable form of pollution, light pollution continues to pollute our night skies around the globe. We have the technology and the knowledge to eradicate it, but yet we continue to lollygag around the issue:

Really, how important is light pollution?
Do we lack the finances to support such a retrofit?
What about our safety?

Here’s the skinny: light pollution is important. It’s detrimental to humans and animals alike, causing negative cognitive, diet and behavioral changes. Retrofitting existing lights posses a large initial cost, although over time it would not only pay for itself but actually pay you. Studies have shown that more light is not corollary to a reduction in crime. In fact, it’s quite the opposite and actually encourages crime. Since proper shielding concentrates and directs the light downward, there’s no need for additional light fixtures. Less light fixtures equals less electricity, which equals more savings.

So, there’s really no excuse as to why we haven’t done anything about light pollution. It’s an easy fix, compared to other global environmental problems. Let’s nip it in the butt and

Let there be night!

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“Biochemist Felisa Wolfe-Simon didn’t know exactly what she would find when she led an expedition to Mono Lake, a body of water near Yosemite National Park that is rich in arsenic that leaches from nearby rocks.

A NASA astrobiology research fellow studying the evolution of life on Earth, she suspected that there might be an organism somewhere that could use arsenic instead of phosphorus in its cells — and it made sense that such a critter might be found in Mono Lake. Still, she was surprised to discover that the Mono Lake mud she carried back to the laboratory contained a microbe that seemed capable of the arsenic-phosphorus substitution.

Before this finding, reported online Thursday in the journal Science, scientists had believed that all life on Earth required phosphorus to thrive — and they assumed that life in outer space might need the element, as well.

Now, some say, they may have to adjust that thinking, and change the scope of their searches for life beyond Earth.

Incidentally, early reports about the Mono Lake microbe also set off a frenzy on the Web, where some speculated that NASA was poised to announce it had uncovered extraterrestrial life.”

Life exists outside the big six (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus) building blocks of life, for an arsenic life form has been discovered in Mono Lake, California. Arsenic, even in minute amounts, causes organic tissue failure in nearly all life forms, due to its highly toxic nature. Yet this life form in Mono Lake utilizes arsenic as part of its cellular structure. This is such a monumental discovery, as it crushes the preconceived notion of what constitutes the building blocks of life. To think, we’d find our first alien, here, on terrestrial Earth. Suddenly, our place in the universe became significantly smaller, as well as opening up nearly endless possibilities to finding other carbon and non carbon-based extraterrestrial life forms.

Let there be night!

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“The Geminid meteor shower is an annual meteor shower that is extremely regular in its timing and can potentially be visible for days in the December sky, depending on weather and location.
Named after the constellation Gemini, because the meteor shower appears to originate from the area of that constellation, you can view the spectacular light show looking straight up in the night sky.

The Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak on the nights of December 13 and 14, with a predicted peak just after midnight on December 14 on the US East Coast.

In North America, Canada and US East Coast residents will have the best viewing that night into the wee hours on the 14th, but as Geminids are a “long tail” event, expect additional views that are still impressive several days or nights after the peak.

The Geminids have grown more spectacular in the recent past and this year is no exception. Even with a quarter moon providing less than optimum viewing in 2011, watch for a clear view (weather depending) of up to 140 meteors an hour at its peak.

The best place to observe the Geminid meteor shower (or any meteor shower for that matter), is somewhere dark, away from light pollution, and with the moon out of the field of vision. The less light visible, the more brilliant the meteor shower will be.

Amateur astronomers might want to carry along a pair of binoculars or a camera with a telescopic lens. Even on clear nights, some kind of viewing aid may come in handy for catching sight of even the faintest of falling stars, aptly named “telescopic” meteors. On super clear nights, experts advise to forget the telescope and simply … look up!

For photographing the annual event, a digital camera mounted on a tripod helps to steady the images that swiftly move across the sky. A quick trigger finger also helps, but even random clicks during the height of Geminid “prime-time” will also guarantee that you’ll catch something. Be sure to have the camera focused on infinity and, if your camera permits, leave the shutter open for several minutes for the most spectacular photographic effects.”

This should be a spectacular event for all ages to enjoy. Grab a chair, a blanket, a warm beverage and a pair of eager eyes, to see one of the many natural phenomenons from space.

Let there be night!

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“MOUNT GILEAD — Visitors can enjoy stargazing at one of the last dark-sky locations in the Piedmont region at Astronomy Night at Town Creek Indian Mount in Mount Gilead on Dec. 4, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The highlight of the night will be the Orion Nebula, found in the constellation Orion.

It will be peak viewing time as the constellation dominates the winter sky, since cold nights usually mean less turbulence in the atmosphere and better viewing conditions. Bring your telescopes or binoculars, and dress appropriately. The site telescope will be available also.

Reservations are required for this event. For information and reservations call (910) 439-6802.

Town Creek Indian Mound is located at 509 Town Creek Mound Road, Mount Gilead. It is within the Division of State Historic Sites of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social , cultural and economic future. Information on Cultural Resources is available at www.ncculture.com.”

Star parties are an integral part of viewing the night sky for experienced and inexperienced star gazers alike. Not only do star parties encourage community, but they’re a wonderful opportunity to interact with other passionate individuals, relax with your family, and enjoy the terrestrial and extraterrestrial sights. If you haven’t been to one, I’d highly recommend you try to go to at least one. Whether in an open field, at a science observatory or a backyard, knowledgeable individuals can offer insights regarding the infinite heavens above and help make sense as to what you are viewing. If you’d want to experience the night sky with a professional, then I’d suggest to attend your local university astronomy department. There, you can expect to hear and receive guidance from academic professionals. In addition, you’ll most likely have the opportunity to utilize University astronomy equipment, otherwise difficult or impossible for the public to use. But then again, that is the great thing about stargazing. Anyone around the world can simply look up and watch. Although, there is a more sinister force out there, causing the night sky to vanish, called light pollution. Light pollution, simply put, is light escaping into the sky. Without proper shielding, light continues to freely pollute our skies worldwide. There is some good news though: light pollution is 100% reversible. We have the technology to eliminate light pollution, once and for all, but we continue to use outdated and ineffective lighting principles. Here at Starry Night Lights, we are committed to eradicating light pollution and educating the public around the world about its effects.

Let there be night!

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“Star gazing at the world’s clearest skies: Atacama, CHILE

Online PR News – 22-November-2010 – Star gazing at the world’s clearest skies: Atacama, CHILE

The Atacama Desert of northern Chile is a dream destination for stargazers, with high altitude, a virtually cloudless climate, and sparse settlements that minimize distracting light pollution and radio interference. Light years above the desert, the night sky burns with the astronomical highlights of the Southern Hemisphere, including the Southern Cross, the southern Milky Way, and even points in the North.

Explora en Atacama, has a brand new observatory located in the hotel property, just 100 meters from main building. Inside, guests can now gather beneath an observation dome measuring five meters in diameter. The new Meade LX200R is a first-class telescope, generously accessorized with Premium-grade optical glass, a Super Wide Angle Eyepiece, and a “piggyback bracket” enabling the mounting of digital cameras for spectacular astrophotography. If all that weren’t enough, the Meade 16” also ranks as one of the largest “aficionado-level” telescopes to be found in Chile. For day time adventurers there is plenty to do under the sun at explora en Atacama, including climbing high mountains, horseback riding, and hiking and walking through the stunning lunar landscape of the Atacama Desert. For the night time adventurers, the moon, stars, clear sky, constellations and galaxies are now among the many exciting possibilities”.

This is the real deal folks: pristine skies located in picturesque Atacama, Chile. Much of the Atacama desert remains sparsely populated, so one can enjoy the grandeur of the night sky. Light pollution is a serious though 100% preventable form of pollution. Every night around the globe, the majority of towns and cities still strictly adhere to anachronistic light fixture philosophy of ‘more is better’. Well here is the solution: shield it. By shield it, make sure the light is directed downward and can not escape upward. When light is shielded properly, it concentrates the light, thereby increasing its effectiveness of illuminating the surrounding area. Ergo, lower wattage light bulbs combined with proper shielding elements can illuminate the same or better than a standard, unshielded light fixture. We can do it. I know we can. Starry Night Lights is committed 100% to eradicating light pollution once and for all. We have the tools and knowledge to fix this problem, yet choose to idly sit by and watch our night skies disappear.

Let there be night!

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“The Leonid meteor shower — a yearly event that in the past has produced some spectacular displays — will peak Wednesday night, with about 15 meteors per hour expected.

To get a good look, Bay Area skywatchers will have to contend with an unhelpful moon, encroaching clouds and the usual light pollution.

Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the debris produced by a comet — in this case, the comet Tempel-Tuttle. The Leonids appear to radiate from their namesake constellation, Leo, toward the north.

Occasionally Leonids reach the status of meteor storm, say the experts at NASA, with thousands of meteors per hour. A burst of Leonid activity produced spectacular displays from 1998 to 2002, but these events generally recur in cycles of about 33 years.

Wednesday night, the waxing gibbous moon, three days away from full, will interfere with viewing, and it won’t set until around 4 a.m. And at that point, predicted increasing cloudiness could hamper predawn skywatching.

(Weather note: The partly cloudy Thursday is a precursor to a wet weekend, with rain likely Friday night through Saturday nights, the National Weather Service says. The chance of precipitation will diminish Sunday and Monday, but cooler temperatures those nights — lows will dip into the 30s at higher elevations — mean the local mountaintops could get the season’s first dusting of snow.)

Even if the Leonids are a disappointment, meteor satisfaction might be just a few weeks away: The Geminids, which generally are among the best showers of the year, will peak on the night of Dec. 13, with about 50 meteors per hour predicted by the meteor-watching guide of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Time of optimal viewing is 2 a.m.”

This should be an exciting event for Bay Area sky gazers. The Leonid meteor showers are an annual, natural phenomenon that has been occuring for many, many years. Even if you can not witness this particular meteor shower, there are other meteor showers which occur throughout the year. The significance of viewing this event is simple: you are an advocate for darker skies. Sure, there is natural phenomenon which can obscure our view of the stars, but consider the human phenomenon, light pollution. Light pollution is 100% reversible. We have the tools to reverse this process, yet fumble to build a more sustainable dark sky. Inform your local and national representatives about the virtues of a darker sky: reduced energy consumption, improved circadian rhythm cycles, reduced risk of breast cancer and increased wildlife protection.

Let there be night!

“LOOK AT THE OPTIONS

Consider alternatives to clear glass. Textured glass, such as seeded, etched or rippled, along with opaque and coloured glass, are becoming more popular, says Bob Wilson of Wilson Lighting. “Texture adds to the look and feel of the fixture,” he says, and helps camouflage energy-efficient CFL bulbs and reduces glare, while amber light gives a warm glow.

Older eyes become more sensitive, and instead of providing safety, glare from a porch light can be detrimental when trying to navigate steps, says Jeff Dross, senior product manager at Kichler Lighting.

Go for energy efficiency. Easiest to do? Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps. “CFLs are generally very good until extreme cold hits with temperatures consistently at zero,” Dross says.

He finds exterior lighting a great place to use fluorescents, which offer the most light for your buck.

Keep the skies dark. The dark sky movement started a decade ago in western states to fight light pollution. “There’s a whole shift in how we light the out of doors,” says Tom Patterson, director of product development at Hinkley Lighting.

Instead of light leaking up and horizontally, the light from porch lights shines down, illuminating where you’re walking. The International Dark Sky Association even gives its seal of approval to lights that pass muster.

“You can do with one-third of wattage used,” Patterson says. “Tie it in with fluorescent, and the fixture is even more efficient while still safe and effective.”

Look for different metals. Porch lights were once polished brass, but that finish fails to weather well in some climates.

Aluminum has become a popular choice, and it can be painted different colours. Dross says he’s seeing more neutral-tone grays. Other popular metals are nickel and brushed nickel, stainless steel and dark bronze.

SIZE IT UP

The scale of the fixture is so important, says Shirley Allen, owner of the Light Shop in Kansas City, Mo. “Don’t under size. You need a grown-up fixture.”

Here are the rules of thumb:

For a single lantern, choose one that’s one-third the door height.

For two lanterns, choose fixtures that are around one-fourth the height of the door.

Mount the lanterns about 1.6 metres (66 inches) above the door’s threshold.

Your lanterns will look about half of their size when viewed from 15 metres (50 feet) away, so what may seem enormous in the showroom will appear just right from the street.

Remember, too, that although house size peaked in 2007, interior ceiling heights have increased, adding to the height of the home. Coupled with an oversized front door, that additional height calls for proportionately larger porch lights, says Jeff Dross, senior product manager at Kichler Lighting.”

Let there be night!