Greetings friends. May I get some recommendations for a location for a backcountry stargazing trip on the West Coast (Eastward out of LA area good too e.g., AZ, NV, UT) Experienced and ethical backpacker here.

I see a lot of bulbs say soft white but in my experience soft white LEDs are still terribly bright. Would a soft white halogen be the dimmest? I see some soft white 65 watt. What should I be looking for to find the least bright?

Hey all, this month, a big question arose from the use of 311 to enforce dark sky code. What are your thoughts?

Show Link: March 2024: Ar Hyd Y Nos, Light Pollution News.

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Host: Bill McGeeney

Guests:

• Mary Stewart Adams

For over twenty years, under the title of Star Lore Historian, Mary Stewart Adams has worked as a dark skies advocate, working to raise awareness about the effects of light pollution and to make known the mysteries of the starry skies from environmental and cultural perspectives. In 2011 she led the team that established one of the world’s first ten international dark sky parks, the success of which led to the protection of thousands of acres of state land for its natural darkness, in Michigan. Mary is a sought-after public speaker, and has, for the last 12 years, hosted the weekly public radio program and podcast “The Storyteller’s Night Sky.”

Mary has recently assumed the position of General Secretary for the Anthroposophical Society in America and she now makes her home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has four children and four grandchildren.

• John Barentine

John Barentine is an astronomer, historian, author, science communicator, and dark-sky consultant. He earned a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Texas and is a member of the American Astronomical Society, the International Astronomical Union and the Royal Astronomical Society. His interests include history, politics, and law.

• Dani Robertson

Dani Robertson, a Dark Sky Officer for Eryri National Park and the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is originally from Greater Manchester but moved to the Welsh countryside at an early age. She is prolific in conservation work, championing the darkness for all, and is a regular speaker at public outreach events. Her advocacy for night skies was recognized by the International Dark Sky Association in 2022, when she received the Dark Sky Defender Award. All Through the Night is her first book and will equip readers with the tools for defending our skies. 

Article List:

1. Why flying insects gather at artificial light, Nature.
2. Artificial light at night reduces earthworm activity but increases growth of invasive ragweed, BMC Ecology and Evolution.
3. Artificial light at night affects the timing of roosting by Chimney Swifts, International Journal of Avian Science.
4. Something weird is happening to these Alpine goats. Scientists say it’s an ominous sign., Benji Jones, Vox.
5. Light exposure from LEDs is changing the composition of seaweed | ABC News, ABC.
6. Nighttime Outdoor Artificial Light and Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Ophthalmology.
7. Artificial light at night suppresses the day-night cardiovascular variability: evidence from humans and rats, European Journal of Physiology.
8. Association between outdoor light at night and hypertension and high-normal blood pressure: A nationwide cross-sectional study among Chinese adults, The Journal of Clinical Hypertension.
9. David Duchovny tries to avoid ‘electric light’, BANG Showbiz.
10. The majority of streets turned off at night in Bordeaux: what results after a year?, Jean Cittone, Le Figaro.
11. China’s Shenzhen releases first local standard for dark sky community, Xinhua.
12. Aspen goes dark with a new ordinance that punishes “light trespass”, Tracy Ross, The Colorado Sun.
13. Making skies darker in Lake Placid and the Adirondack Park, Amy Feieresel, North Country Public Radio.
14. Should Guelph work to reduce excessive lighting at night with a Dark Sky bylaw?, Guelph, Ontario.
15. Killeen council to discuss program to limit light pollution and look for energy-saving options, Kevin Limiti, KDH News.
16. Northampton looks to upgrade outdoor lighting ordinance, Ryan Feyre, The Reminder.
17. Retired police officer wins £100,000 court fight after her pensioner neighbours sued over decorative lantern they said was stopping them sleeping in their £1m home, Summer Goodkind, Daily Mail.
18. Dark Skies: Watch as Powys lights go off for dark sky, BBC.
19. Moment streetlight crashes onto motorway inches away from police car, The Independent.
20. New glow-in-the-dark park now open in the Dallas area, WFAA.
21. Review: ‘Light/See + Dark/Hear’ Raises Questions About Separating the Senses, David Timm, Minnesota Monthly.
22. Big Switch Off hopes to reveal thousands of stars, BBC.
23. Stargazing and night bike rides: Eight highlights from the Dark Skies Festival 2024, Rachel Rogers, YorkMix.
24. Road trip! See April’s total solar eclipse from one of these awesome North American routes, Jamie Carter, Space.com.
25. The battle to save our night skies from the light, Gillian Duncan, the National News.
26. Why Darkness And Stars Have Become A Luxury Only For The Elite—New Book, Jamie Carter, Forbes.
27. Identification of illumination source types using nighttime light images from SDGSAT-1, International Journal of Digital Earth.
28. Using satellite images to manage LED light pollution problem, Liu Jia, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
29. Nocturnal Seafaring: the Reduction of Visibility at Night and its Impact on Ancient Mediterranean Seafaring. A Study Based on 8–4th Centuries BC Evidence, Journal of Maritime Archaeology.
30. Orion and the Dark, Netflix.

The LED lighting in my rural area in Pennsylvania is just getting worse and worse. It seems every night there is new hyper white bright LED lights being installed on once relaxing roads and areas and I just feel like there needs to be some type of regulating group. It’s getting out of hand and it seems most people just want the whitest and brightest lights possible with no regard for blinding those driving by etc. I mean honestly something has to be done. It’s a health hazard at a certain point.