Light Pollution

Have you ever gazed up at the night sky and were able to count the stars in the sky without a hitch? If so, you are probably suffering from a bad case of light pollution. Light pollution is not a reference to the gas that is emitted from your vehicle, rather a reference to the washing-out effect that man-made light has on the starscape. The phrase “counting all the stars in the sky” (much like “counting all the sand on the beach”) should suggest an impossible task, but city lights have made it relatively easy to do so. Light pollution is the number one cause of lack of a sense of wonder in 8 out of 10 children. 70% of 13-year-olds and 99% of Alzheimer’s patients can’t identify the Big Dipper, the most recognizable constellation in our night sky. As alarming as these statistics may sound, there is still hope. Light pollution can be overcome and managed so that a child’s, and even an adult’s, sense of wonder can once again bloom and astound.
I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve seen a dark sky that was literally teeming with so many stars that I couldn’t begin to count them. All those times were during camping trips. I can remember thinking, “Wow! I wish I could have this view every night!” It was amazing to realize how many stars actually inhabit the heavens. I couldn’t figure out why the sky during those camping trips looked so different than the sky at home, or even the sky while on other campouts. Then I began to notice the glow emanating from the areas where the larger cities were, especially if I was camping anywhere near the Salt Lake Valley. And even though my parental home was in the middle of nowhere at the time, the city lights still affected my view of the stars and washed out most of them.
There are a few bastions of unpolluted night sky that still exist in this world. These havens are known as International Dark-Sky Parks. The very first location to be awarded this distinction exists right here in our own backyard. Natural Bridges National Monument in the southeast part of Utah is known for its natural daytime beauty as well as its spectacular starry skies. Roughly 45 miles due west of Blanding, Natural Bridges is an easy weekend getaway. Chances of clear skies are usually excellent for catching the most breath-taking night views you will ever experience. The park’s lighting is all designed to cut down on light pollution, and besides making the park night-friendly, the lighting scheme also cuts down on operational expenses and creates a better environment for nocturnal animals.
Natural Bridges illustrates how feasible it is to reduce light pollution so that we can enjoy the natural wonders of the sky at night. You can create your own bastion of darkness at home by decreasing the wattage of outside lighting and creating shields so that light does not extend farther than it needs to. We will never be able to completely cut out all of the light pollution, especially as our communities grow larger and safety concerns increase, but we can encourage our neighborhoods to cut down on unnecessary light pollution. Not only does light pollution reduction save us money, but it can also afford better stargazing opportunities in our own backyards.