Light pollution

Redshift

Did anybody read the article on the Ireland on sunday about the light pollution destroying the nightly vista we all know and love. In urban areas all but a handfull of the brightest constellations are no longer visible. I nearly aways have to travel out a bit to do any decent observing as I like many others live in suburbia. I would like to the others views on this increasingly severe problem which is threatning to destroy our hobby.

Clear Skies

Ryan

Sev

Damn right, but its important to make the distinction between local light pollution and the environmental kind. Local light pollution, is of course just street lights nearby hampering viewing. That of course can be dealt with easily. The other kind, is a lot more worrying.

I was in Connemara recently, couldnt get over how goddamn dark it was, so dark you need a flashlight to walk down the road at night. I mean pitch dark... but the peculiar thing, is that this is the way its supposed to be. All of us suburbanites are so used to a orange/pink blanket of cloud over our heads we have just began to accept nighttime darkness being eerily bright. City dwellers will never see the spectacle of the milky way

Another thing to notice, is how bright it is at night in the city when theres overcast skies as opposed to when the sky is clear. The blanket of cloud is lit up and reflect back the orange lights of the city. When its overcast at night in the countryside, you cant even see the clouds.

You really have to get a good distance away from the city too to escape it. Even in the midst of the wicklow mountains, when you look north over the city, theres that ugly yellow glow again, washing out the stars near the horizon. That said, I have observed from my own suburban back garden with a 10 inch reflector, and been able to make out very faint deep sky objects, m33, ngc7006 and the likes. But of course the light pollution just doesnt do justice to a telescope of that power... city slickers are restricted to planetary viewing

Capt'n Midnight

to block out the sodium lights - yes I can get expensive ones but all I want to look at the sky through a strip of plastic.

unfortunately with the increasing use of high-pressure soduim and metal lamps for streets & motorways it's just going to get worse - not to mention the complete lack of any downlighting on most lit up buildings..

Redshift

There was word of a campaign to try to get people to be more considerate when installing lighting I.E. confining the light to their own premises by proper aiming ect. I'm trying to find the arcticle at the moment.

Ryan

Ciaran

It's amazing how much darker it is down the country. I remember walking down a main road in Longford (about a mile out of the town) and the stars were so much clearer. You could make out the milky way which you can never do in Dublin.

Sev

I dont think theres such thing as a cheap light pollution/nebular filter. Personally, I dont find them much use anyway. Overall they just dull your image through the eyepiece, but just happen to darken the unwanted bands of light to a greater extent, marginally improving contrast for certain objects. Best use to be made of them is for dim planetary nebulae and extended emission nebulae like the veil, when youre a good distance from the city, but the sky isnt totally dark, or for astrophotography maybe. But they're no cure for light pollution anyway.

ladysam

This seems to be a little talked about subject yet it affects all of us! Can anyone let me know where I can find out more?Please

Pat Dunne

The best Irish website on light pollution is www.darksky.ie

I came across the following irresponsible video on Youtube which I would ask none of you to try.
1:23 into the video.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rXrcm7DgDbA

ankaragucu

Pat Dunne wrote: »

The best Irish website on light pollution is www.darksky.ie

I came across the following irresponsible video on Youtube which I would ask none of you to try.
1:23 into the video.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rXrcm7DgDbA

Can they be bought in Ireland?I'd take out the whole street!
Seriously though, shouldnt Irish astronomy groups campaign for just one or two nights per year to be light free?I know we'd be depending on the weather co opreating too but thats the chance you take.Didnt we used have some sort of Earth Hour or something where every household was asked to turn off all power for an hour one evening?Think that was related to energy conservation or something but if people in cities got to see the Milky Way in all its glory I think they would support the idea for subsequent years.Will never forget two summers ago whilst on holiday in Turkey, there was a total power cut, the whole resort went black and we were stunned by how clearly we could see the MW.It was like someone had lowered the sky!Absolutely exquisite.

irishgeo

One of the beauty's of achill island. Pitch dark. But I grew up with it but the stars are amazing when its not raining.