There’s a lot to see in our night sky, every month has something special. The night can be especially majestic when there are no artificial lights shining into the night sky. These outdoor lights cause light pollution which appears as a strong heavy glow in the night sky. However, when the sky is dark the night is practically filled with beautiful things to behold. Every season has different special qualities, and every year as well. This year the summer should have some beautiful things in store.
June 2008:
In June, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter are predicted to be especially bright this month. Mars and Saturn can be found along the western evening sky. Mars or the small ‘red planet’ will compare nicely with the giant planet Saturn and its many rings. Jupiter, the largest planet of the solar system, can be seen early in the evening and can be seen all night long.
July 2008:
July this year will be a very good month, for those who are interested in viewing Jupiter. Jupiter, or the ‘king planet’ will reach its climax this month, it will be at its best and brightest during the entire evening. Mars will follow Saturn along the western horizon in the early evening. Around midnight planets that can be seen with binoculars can be seen, with Neptune and Uranus soon following. A little before dawn Mercury should be visible, as well.
Enjoy this summer and take time to spend time under the night sky. There will be a lot to see, stars, planets and more. Grab a blanket, bring some friends and enjoy the evening!
Starry Night Lights is a company dedicated to fighting light pollution, by providing individuals with night friendly lighting fixtures. One may wonder why this is important or even why a company like Starry Night Lights, would dedicate itself to such a cause. The answer to this question comes from the heart and goals of its president and founder, Anthony Arrigo. Mr. Arrigo has stated that he is “committed to fighting light pollution” and that his desire to fight light pollution comes from his love for the night sky. According to Mr. Arrigo “I have spent countless hours taking in its majesty from more locations than I can count. Each and every night is different and special in its own way”. As a result, both Mr. Arrigo and Starry Night Lights are dedicated to the fight against light pollution and for the restoration of the night sky.
For individuals who are also into star gazing and viewing the other majestic things of the night sky, buy Starry Night Light products and you will be guaranteed night sky friendly, light pollution fighting, lighting fixtures. There are so many reasons to take the appropriate steps to lessen light pollution and one of the greatest gifts you will receive is an evening filled with stars.
Starry Night Lights offers a great deal of selection, in choosing the best lighting fixtures for ones own individual taste.
With regard to indoor lighting, one may enjoy wall scones- which are an excellent way to only light the areas of your home you want lit, they also come in many varieties and in many finishes. Or one may prefer pendant lighting which can give an artistic grace to a room or home, but also allows area specific lighting. Perhaps ceiling mounted lights, are more to ones liking, they are less dramatic then pendant lighting, but can offer a more dispersed form of lighting.
Outdoor lighting is especially important in the fight against light pollution. Thus, this form of lighting is particularly important and needs to be thought through well before the process of lighting outdoor areas actually takes place. Once again there are various options, such as glare-free lighting, which is very affective in giving clarity and visibility. Also, motion sensor lighting is an excellent way to light your outdoor areas because the area is only lit when its needed, and when the detector senses activity. Energy efficient lamps are of course excellent lighting fixtures because they conserve energy, by replacing lamps with energy efficient lamps one can protect the environment and save money.
Light it is a good thing. It makes us feel safe at night. It helps us travel at night by increasing our visibility and extends our day by allowing activities and work to stretch late into the evening. But true to human nature, many people believe that more is better. They are not satisfied with a reasonable amount of light and they want more and brighter light. What was once a good thing is now becoming a problem both for humans and wildlife.
Problems associated with an excess of artificial outdoor lighting include light pollution, sky glow, detrimental sleep and health issues of humans and disruption of wildlife. Excess light wastes electricity and fossil fuels. It increases greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming.
Observatories around the world are in particular danger as their ability to perform research is being severely limited by too much light. Ten billion dollars ($10,000,000,000) is wasted each year in the United States by lighting the sky. This wasted light serves no purpose for safety, security or utility. It is simply wasted energy!
Where is all of this excess light coming from? Motels, hotels, all night service station, sports facilities, building décor, shopping malls, poorly designed street lights, car dealerships……you get the idea.
What is more inspiring than a dark night filled with sparkling stars? There’s just something magical about looking into the dark sky and seeing a sky packed with dazzeling stars, it is certainly breath taking. In all reality there is no real way to communicate how much stars effect us, and how much the inability to see them, really takes away from our ability to experience the night sky. The inabililty to see the stars at night is the result of light pollution, which can be described as the biggest enemy of the night sky.
Light pollution is harmful, just as other forms of pollution are harmful. Also, it is relatively unnecessary, the glow that light pollution causes in the night sky, known as sky glow is not needed. One could might argue that light pollution is a ‘necessary’ effect of progress, but this is not true. Light pollution comes from inefficient lighting sources, which shine light aimlessly into the night sky. These lights that shine into the sky do not increase nighttime safety or security. After all, lights that shine downward or where they are more appropriately needed are those which increase safety and security. In all reality these aimlessly shining lights, only increase glare and expenses, costing tens of billion of dollars each year in the United States alone.
Lessening light pollution is not impossible. On an individual level, one can choose to light ones home with efficient outdoor lighting systems, which do not shine up into the night sky. By lessening light pollution, one will save money while also reducing the glare and glow, seen in the night sky. It is important for us to keep our night sky dark, being able to see the stars is a privilege, one which we should not take so lightly.
It is important to pick appropriate lighting systems, when lighting your home inside and out. Night sky friendly outdoor lighting fixtures can be found at Starry Night Lights, our lights are guaranteed to be both energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
Star gazing can be one of the most fun and accessible activities to enjoy with family and friends. There are so many great things about star gazing as a hobby, it’s easy and compared to many other hobbies it’s not very expensive. This is because once you have the tools you need you can just keep them and reuse them every time you look into the night sky. Also even binoculars can be used as an appropriate tool in seeing the stars, you do not need to have an expensive telescope. Though once you have mastered some star gazing techniques, investing in an expensive telescope may be a good idea. Starry Night Lights knows that with a few tips, the experience of star gazing can be especially memorable.
A: Avoid eye strain. Take breaks every twenty or thirty minutes. Give others a chance to enjoy the stars and give you eyes a break. You may even want to look around for few minutes or close and open your eyes for a little while to keep your eyes from becoming strained
B: Bring what you need… and what you might need. Make sure you bring supplies like blankets, jackets, food and water and even bring supplies that you might need cameras, extra blankets, medicene, cell phone, star gazing map and more.
C: Camera focusing. Make sure that you focus your camera at the apppropriate point, for many astrophotographers the ideal point is at infinity, though many new cameras can focus beyond the point. Thus, it may be a good idea to focus it at infinity before star gazing and tape it at this point, this way it will not pass the ideal point.
D: Darkness is key! Picking a dark and accessible location is key to having a good star gazing experience. You do not want to pick a location where light pollution from excess outdoor lighting can hinder your view of the stars, by brightening the sky. You want a dark location, this will make the stars show up brighter.
E: Eye patch. Using a simple eye patch can help prepare your eyes for the ideal star gazing experience, by helping the adapt to the dark quickly. This willl make your vision stonger and help you see the stars more easily.
F: Focus. Keep focusing the eyepiece as you star gaze, to optimize your star gazing experience.
G: Going deep. In order to see the little details of whatever you are viewing in the night sky, you may want to lightly tap the mount of telescope tube. This process called “rocking the scope” helps little details show up more clearly.
H: High altitude observing. Observing at high altitudes may result in low oxygen in body tissues and this may alter low-light color perception and may cause some visual changes.
I: Intoxication: It is not a good idea to drink before you go star gazing. Alcohol will impare your ability to see things clearly, especially details of celestial beings.
J: Just in case. Prepare for bad weather or circumstances that are not ideal just in case. Bring an umbrella or extra blankets and have another location in mind as well, in case the area you have picked does not work out for some reason.
Star Gazing tips brought to you by Starry Night Lights,
other information can be found at: http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=6189
This is an image of the amount of light pollution that can be found around the world in the night sky. It represents many billions of dollars wasted annually. It also represents the waste of huge quantities of our diminishing energy reserves (plus needless greenhouse gas emissions). Clearly the highest percentage of light pollution can be found in industrial nations, mostly coming from the US, Western Europe, East Asia. What this means is that in these areas, there are great amounts of excessive lighting that shine up into the night sky and give the night sky the appearance of having a hazy glow, known as sky glow. Sky glow, occurs mostly in cities where outdoor lighting is most frequently used, without night friendly lighting fixtures. All of this excess light does absolutely nothing to improve night time visibility (the primary reason for lights in the first place).
The amount of light pollution around the world has been recorded by the Defense Metereological Satellite Program (DMSP) of the United Stated Air Force, since the early seventies. The measurement is based on upward light emitted in these areas of heavy lighting on the Earth’s surface. Since the late 1990s quantitative information has been made available on these materials. These satellites give only information on the amount of light emitted, they do not discuss the effects of excessive nighttime lighting on the Earth.
There are many different forms and ways to view light pollution on Earth, using different instuments. These purpose of these instruments and these studies, is not to merely see the amount of light pollution on Earth, but to raise awareness on a very significant issue, light pollution. In the most simplest form, one can simply look up into the sky and see the bright, cloudy appearance that the night-sky has in overly lit areas. Unfortunately sky glow, and light pollution is growing and spreading even into more rural areas. Maps of naked eye stellar visibility prove these facts, as they show the disappearing amount of stars visible to the naked eye.
Starry Night Lights is a company dedicated to preserving the night-sky, and the privilege of looking into sky and seeing the stars and wonders of the sky. We carry outdoor lighting products that allow you to light your home in the way that you please, while at the same time protecting the environment and the privacy of you neighbors. Our lights are guaranteed to light needed areas and are designed to face downward and not upward into the night sky.
Those individuals, who aim to reduce light pollution, know the importance of using appropriate outdoor lighting systems that do not shine light aimlessly into the night sky. However many individuals, though they may encounter light pollution everyday, are actually unaware of the fact that it even exists. Light pollution is caused by excessive lighting shining brightly into the night sky. Excessive lighting is most frequently seen from: shopping centers, restaurants, corporate buildings, homes and so forth. Often time, these places have lights shining at impractical times, the lights typically shine up into the sky instead of downwards toward the ground, and thus the night sky becomes covered in a hazy blanket making the stars impossible to see.
As a result, many individuals are fighting back to reduce pollution and to save the night sky. In fact, this year the week of March 29th to April 4th is dedicated to this mission, this week is known as National Dark-Sky Week. It comes every year at a different time, typically coming in April at the time of a new moon. This week is designed to encourage individuals to reduce their outdoor lighting in order to temporarily reduce light pollution.
It may seem strange to think that a week of reducing outdoor lighting could actually help reduce light pollution in the long run. After all seven days of reduced lighting could not have the power to keep light pollution away. But, this week is not designed to merely reduce light pollution for a short period of time; its bigger purpose is to raise awareness. As mentioned above, many individuals do not even know what light pollution is, even though they can easily see it everyday by just looking into the night sky. The hope is that by encouraging individuals to reduce outdoor lighting, and to use appropriate. sky friendly fixtures which face downward and not up into the sky, we can make people aware of what light pollution is and assist them in taking the appropriate steps in making their home night-sky friendly.
National Dark-Sky Week only happens once a year, but its impact could be felt everyday if our goal is met. Please join in with us this week and cut unneeded outdoor lighting! Take time this week to look into the night sky and see its splendor. Is this a site we can afford to lose? Of course not!!! We at Starry Night Lights say give it a try and consider the results on both the environment and your pocket. Save the night sky, use night-sky friendly outdoor lighting fixtures and keep light from shining where it is not needed
Could there possibly be an event in nature more captivating than a movie? Yes, in fact there is… the night sky. The night sky is filled with many wonders that have awed people, from ancient times to today. The night sky is rarely boring, with constellations, shooting stars and the like. In addition, it’s essentially free, accessible and you do not have to worry about not being able to see the screen because someone tall is sitting in front of you! Yet, most of us have not really taken advantage of this free show.
Several months ago some friends and I, decided to spend the night under the stars. We had heard that there was supposed to be a lot of shooting stars that night and we decided that we were going to get front-row seats! To make the night, a night to remember we made sure that we had everything we would need for a couple hours; we got dressed warm, brought some blankets, coffee, water and a camera. We drove to a near by field and laid down some blankets. It was a great time, as we drank hot coffee and watched shooting stars fly across the sky. We even competed to see who could see the most. It was a wonderful time, we were all relaxed and in good spirits and by the end of the night we had each see at least 15 shooting stars!
That night we could have easily gone to see a movie and we would have spend about $7 dollars a piece, but instead we decided to watch a show better than a movie. I would highly encourage anyone to do the same; its a great way to be entertained, have fun and to get some quality time with the ones you love. I remember all of us huddled together chatting, waiting to see which direction the shooting star would come from. It was a memorable night and we decided to name our online photo album “A blanket, shooting stars and a camera”. We at Starry Night Lights would like to encourage you to also enjoy the night sky, go ahead and take advantage of the one of the greatest shows one Earth!
A starry night can be one of the greatest sights to behold. In fact, our night sky has many ‘attractions’ that are both beautiful and amazing, unfortunately many people are unaware of these ‘attractions’ of the night. This is mostly because they cannot see them. Yes, many beautiful features of the night are clouded by light pollution, which is a result of light shining into the night sky. Light pollution is most severe in excessively lit areas, where most lights remain lit all night and shine aimlessly into the sky. If you’d like to help preserve the wonder and beauty of the night sky, help us by showing your support for Starry Night Lights!
By simply lighting what is needed, during the appropriate time and at the necessary level, light pollution can greatly be reduced. It is not difficult to make these steps and if you enjoy seeing the stars at your home, it is definitely worth it. There are many sorts of products that can make reducing light pollution possible. Here are some of these products:
Make a great appliance in lighting because they keep lights from coming on when no one is there to use them. Also, they are effective in lighting an area when the time is right and not lighting when it is not needed. Lastly, they can even be used as a semi alarm, by serving as a tool which could alert to possible danger.
Provides an excellent way to only light the area that needs to be lit. Sometimes when we light our homes we light areas that we know we will not use or sometimes these areas are lit on accident. But by using area lighting you are ensuring that you are lighting the areas that you intend to light.
Light pollution is a great hinderance in enjoying the night sky. By taking the appropriate steps to reduce light pollution you are in a sense ’saving the night’. Unfortunately some areas of the world are so heavily lit that it is impossible to see any stars! This keeps individuals from enjoying: constellations, shooting stars, comets, the Milky Way and so much more. Save the night for both you and your children and light your home conservatively and wisely, choose lighting that lights the correct areas at the right time!
As the years go by, the sky becomes brighter and brighter and it now gives off a glow which makes it almost impossible to see the stars, planets and other treasure of the night. This is the effect of light pollution, which is now considered to be as dangerous as the many other forms of pollution. Light pollution keeps expanding as cities grow and urbanization increases, it has become difficult even in rural areas to see the stars because of the growing effect of light pollution.
The International Dark-Sky Association has made it its mission to reduce light pollution around the world. Such cities as Quebec in Canada have made efforts to reduce the amount of aimless light that shines up into the sky. Thus they have been highly commended by the International Dark-Sky Association. The International Dark-Sky Association measures the amount of light pollution emitted by cities all over the world. Quebec is at a level 3 (relatively low), while the city of New York is ranked at a 9 (relatively high).
The International Dark-Sky Association has pushed for legislation which would regulate the amount of light pollution and wasted energy, in order to conserve energy and stop aimless and wasteful light, shining into the night sky. Such places as parking lots, malls and even homes, have lights shining directly up into the sky, even though no one is benefiting from the light. Thus, the International Dark-Sky Association and Starry Night Lights seek to reduce the amount of light pollution being emitted into the sky and hope to stop useless light shining into the night sky. Starry Night Lights offers individuals energy efficient and night friendly lighting. Starry Night Lights lights are designed not to shine up into the sky (ex. wall scones), and light only the areas that need to be lit (ex. area lighting). This way one can enjoy the night and keep their light from aimlessly shining into neighbors homes and into the dark night.
