Stargazing Basics: Light Pollution, Dark Skies, and Dark Sights

There are many Astronomy enthusiasts who want to stargaze. Many want to find a planet, or even other celestial objects, such as nebulae, but there are several limitations. Those limitations- which do not always include bad weather- prevent the majority of stargazers from observing the night sky. While clouds and rain can be irritating for some, human society can take measured steps to prevent more prevalent issues In this blog, we’re going to talk mainly about light pollution, and also dive into what exactly dark skies and dark sights are! Keep reading to learn more, and we hope you learn something new about stargazing!

Light Pollution

Light pollution is a serious problem that many people are not aware about. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, “The inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light – known as light pollution – can have serious environmental consequences for humans, wildlife, and our climate” (n.d.). Some consequences include affecting bird migration and suppressing the production of melatonin in humans (we encourage you to learn more on how light pollution affects the environment and our climate).

Light pollution can affect stargazing in four ways: glare, skyglow, light trespass, and clutter. Glare is when the city lights are so bright, they result in visual limitation, as explained above. Skyglow is when the night sky is brighter than inhabited areas, making it hard for humans to see at night. Light trespass is where light “trespasses”- essentially, light finds itself in areas where it’s not needed. Clutter is, in simple terms, several groupings of light that are extremely bright, confusing, and/or excessive.

Light pollution is caused majorly due to poor usage of excessive light. An example of this would be a street light. Although its main purpose is to light the area of the sidewalk where people would walk at night, it unnecessarily lights the grass next to the sidewalk, the forest around it, and the sky above it. This causes light to spill into the night sky, which is not its purpose. As a result, people are prevented from observing the Milky Way, as well as the majority of the night sky.

Dark Skies + Dark Sights

According to the Oxford Dictionary, dark skies are “places where the darkness of the night sky is relatively free of interference from artificial light.” Essentially, skies that are not polluted by light. The Milky Way galaxy, a view that’s been taken lightly in history, is no longer easily spotted by many in the night sky. In fact, during a blackout due to a solar flare in 1994, California residents made many 911 calls and reported what seemed to them to be a strange phenomenon in the sky. But as it turns out, it had simply been the Milky Way, and many people were frightened because they had never seen it before.

Dark skies are important for several reasons which extend beyond just stargazing. One reason is that it prevents waste of light energy and money. By preventing glare from light pollution, people are able to efficiently use light energy for other purposes, other than just streetlight. It also decreases the amount of money we spend on lights, which is beneficial economically and socially. Another reason concerns is the environment- nocturnal animals are able to function properly under the dark sky, whereas in light, they still believe it’s day. For this very reason, it's important for human society to be aware of this environmental problem, not just from an Astronomical lens, but also environmentally.

Dark sights are places that stargazers should look for. These are areas where dark skies are present, and they are dedicated for night sky observers. Although dark sights are rare, you can always look up a dark sky map and find areas near you! Organizations like the International Dark Sky Association have features that show a worldwide map and dark sights in your local area.

Stargazing can be a tricky hobby to get into for many, but it can be easily adopted into your life, if you know where to look. Any location that is far away from city life, and that features a clearing of some sort (like a parking lot), is ideal for a successful night!

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Thank you so much for reaching the end of this blog post. We hope you learned something new about light pollution, dark skies, and dark sights. Send us a quick email to tell us about your next stargazing night! We hope it goes well. Make sure to like, comment, and share! As always, keep gazing skywards.

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Bibliography

Buck, S. (2017, February 16). During a 1994 blackout, L.A. residents called 911 when they saw the milky way

for the first time. Medium. Retrieved August 7, 2022, from https://timeline.com/los-angeles-light-pollution-ebd60d5acd43

Gocova, A. (n.d.). Light Pollution. International Dark-Sky Association. Retrieved August 5, 2022

International Dark Sky Association. (n.d.). Find a Dark Sky Place. International Dark-Sky Association. Retrieved

August 5, 2022

What is light pollution? Globe at Night. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2022, from

https://www.globeatnight.org/light-pollution.php