light pollution

13 Stories

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a ... Giant Disco Ball in the Sky?

Rocket Lab says its 'Humanity Star' will shine in the sky for next 9 months

(Newser) - What's being described as a "giant disco ball" was launched into space last week from a New Zealand sheep and cattle farm, and astronomers are miffed, the Guardian reports. Rocket Lab, the space exploration startup responsible for hurling the "Humanity Star" skyward, says the 3-foot-wide carbon-fiber orb...

Huge Chunk of State Designated as Dark Sky Preserve

It's the first in the US

(Newser) - A giant chunk of central Idaho with a dazzling night sky has become the nation's first International Dark Sky Reserve, the AP reports. The International Dark-Sky Association designated the 1,400-square-mile Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve this week. The sparsely populated area's night skies are so pristine that...

One US State Vies for One of Earth's 'Exceptionally Dark' Skies

Central Idaho is cutting down on light pollution, trying to join elite group of 'dark-sky reserves'

(Newser) - There are fewer than a dozen dark-sky reserves on Earth—places where the skies are so "exceptionally dark" that they receive the elite designation from the International Dark-Sky Association, attracting astronomy lovers from around the world. Now Idaho hopes to be the first US state to make it onto...

Light Pollution Threatens Darkness Almost Everywhere
Darkness Is Endangered
Almost Everywhere
NEW STUDY
Nov 23, 2017 4:26 AM CST

Darkness Is Endangered Almost Everywhere

Light pollution is getting steadily worse

(Newser) - The world's nights are getting alarmingly brighter—bad news for all sorts of creatures, humans included. A German-led team of researchers says light pollution is threatening darkness almost everywhere, the AP reports. Satellite observations during five Octobers show Earth's artificially lit outdoor area grew by 2% a year...

NASA Releases Stunning New 'Night Lights'

Agency plans to publish composite images more often

(Newser) - What can change in a night? NASA intends to find out, at least in so far as detailed images of light patterns can tell us, reports al.com . For nearly three decades, so-called "night lights" compiled from satellite images have provided us with evening views of our planet—and...

Nonstop Artificial Light Might Even Affect Your Bones

Nonstop Artificial Light
Might Even Affect
Your Bones
study says
Aug 13, 2016 11:40 AM CDT

Nonstop Artificial Light Might Even Affect Your Bones

In a new study, mice became more frail, but only temporarily

(Newser) - Roughly one-third of the globe can no longer see the Milky Way thanks to artificial light at night. The impact of light pollution has long been obvious, but scientists are now exploring the role of constant exposure to light on health, and a study in the journal Current Biology adds...

1 in 3 Humans Can No Longer See the Milky Way

In the US, 99% of people live under light-polluted night skies

(Newser) - One in three humans can no longer see the Milky Way from their home, according to a paper published Friday in Science Advances . "We've lost some of our view into the cosmos," Chris Elvidge tells NPR . Elvidge, along with other researchers, created a updated "world atlas"...

Rapidly Vanishing in America: Dark Spots

In a decade, Milky Way could be visible from just 3 places

(Newser) - Even in the vastness of the American West, the glow from cities has become so bright that places with truly dark skies at night are becoming an endangered species. In the continental US, experts predict that in a decade, there will be just three areas where the sky will be...

We Need Darker Nights
 
 We Need Darker Nights 
OPINION
Dec 21, 2012 12:54 PM CST

We Need Darker Nights

Paul Bogard argues against light pollution

(Newser) - Tonight is the longest night of the year, and author Paul Bogard makes a plea in the Los Angeles Times : Let it be the start of a push toward darker ones. Light pollution is so prevalent in the US that those in their 30s might be the last generation to...

NYC Dims Lights for Migrating Birds

Feathered friends confused by the light, scientists believe

(Newser) - The city that never sleeps will be a little less bright through Nov. 1, as buildings hit the lights to protect migrating birds. An estimated 90,000 birds die each year by slamming into buildings in NYC alone; turning lights off can reduce that number by 83%, according to one...

Explore Galaxy With New Google App
Explore Galaxy With New Google App
May 11, 2009 10:03 AM CDT

Explore Galaxy With New Google App

Star Droid helps cellphone astronomers with GPS, maps, tags

(Newser) - Budding astronomers will soon have a new cell-phone tool that spots the stars they’re looking for, the Telegraph reports. Google’s Star Droid helps stargazers navigate the night sky using GPS technology that cross-references the user’s position with existing space maps, and adds identifying tags to the heavenly...

Town Bans Lights to Save Milky Way

(Newser) - Stargazing is more than an idle pleasure on Mount Desert Island, Maine. It's also a tourist attraction protected by law. Voters on the island recently banned new outdoor lights that aim upwards and contribute to obstructing the island's rare view of the naked Milky Way. The goal is to draw...

Greenies Dim Bright Lights in Big City

Big city's bright lights must dim, many say

(Newser) - A dimmer switch looms over Manhattan's bright nighttime skyline, as concerns over conservation and energy costs have prompted skyscraper owners to abandon the practice of blazing all lights at all hours. New York scores a 9 out of 9 on a light pollution scale, and legislators are considering official incentives...

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