Comments on: The stars are disappearing!

By: Larry Sessions

Larry Sessions — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:42:41 +0000

Mark,
Yeah, we are getting whammied by two forms of pollution, the crud that fills the skies and the excess light we are shining on it through poorly designed lighting and ill-considered developments. A small nature center I have given star parties at used to be in a dark location, but a major street development, light rail and within the past few years a strip mall with megalights adjacent to the east side of their property have all but ruined it for observing much of anything but the Moon and a few planets. It’s such a shame, but like you say, so few today know the difference and if they don’t know the difference, they don’t care.

By: Mark Ost

Mark Ost — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:44:14 +0000

Unfortunately as a serious amateur astronomer, who resides in a dark location, I am too well aware of the problem. I spend on average 3 to 4 nights a week observing and have seen a gradual deterioration in the night sky as development encroaches on my property. Only 20% of the population has ever seen the milky way (the plane of our galaxy) and I fear that with continued urbanization and unwise use of lighting technology our children will never see what at one time was taken for granted; the night sky. You don’t miss what you have never experienced is a truism that bodes ill for the future of our sky. If we cannot arrest this trend we will all be impoverished as another resource is lost with the march of progress.

By: Larry Sessions

Larry Sessions — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:23:24 +0000

I don’t have any statistics (but I’m sure they are out there), but if the current trend continues unabated, I would suspect that before this century is out, 95 percent of the human race wil never have even seen a star at night. I’m just pulling that out of thin air, but there certainly is reason to feel that way. Twenty years ago I once managed to see the Milky Way from my home in southeast Denver. Today I’m lucky to see a third magnitude star.

And of course from some metropolitan areas it is even worse.

But I didn’t say that I am convinced that the trend will continue as it currently is. If we continue to wake up about pollution (of all kinds) and truly do something about it rather than treat is as the currently “politicaly correct” thing to do, then maybe there is a chance.

By: Will

Will — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:48:35 +0000

It kind of reminds me of that story where there is only one tree left in the world. Now it is stars that are disappearing. Will there come a time where you won’t be able to see any more stars at all? I hope not. I don’t know for a fact but people who live in big cities probably can’t see any stars at all. Just another indicator of global warming.

By: antonio

antonio — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:06:19 +0000

I couldn’t agree with you more. One of my best childhood memories was sleeping outside with the stars. My grandma house in Mexico was too small for all her grand kids so a few lucky ones would get to sleep outside. To insure myself a place in the outside setup I would tell my younger cousins the story of “la llorona”. It always worked.

My grandma has long past and her adobe house is no more then a mount. When I’ve driven through there I noticed street lights all over. Young kids now a day have no idea what they are missing out in.

By: Larry Sessions

Larry Sessions — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:44:16 +0000

Thanks, Jina. I checked out your site and it has some great information.

Larry S.

By: jina Saccacio

jina Saccacio — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:14:22 +0000

Learn all about light pollution at www.britelitesout.com.Thank you.