Have you ever noticed that in and around cities most stars are not visible? You have to travel miles away to see most of the major constellations because of the “orange glow” that the city seems to radiate. The orange glow is called light pollution, and it is not different than any other type of pollution; man causes it and man can do something to fix it.
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The Earth at Night ©NASA/JPL
The Earth at night picture is a wonderful sight, yet it best explains light pollution. All of the white light in picture is light pollution, caused by your favorite shopping mall or gas station. Most types of outdoor lighting contribute to light pollution, why? Because the light that is being emitted from the light fixture is not directed to the ground, so the light goes into the night sky causing the orange glow, and the Earth at night picture.
At least there are things everybody can do to save the night sky. When using outdoor lighting at night, make sure that it is directed to the ground, not up, sideways, or at an angle. All of these directions will allow light to escape into the night. There are also dark sky friendly lights that can be bought which direct light down, and save energy. Most dark sky friendly lights are energy efficient because they utilize new designs and will save money in energy costs.
If you tell others about light pollution and the simple things that they can do to eradicate it then the night sky can be saved and we can all enjoy the Milky Way once again.
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