Celestial Greetings Fellow StarGazers!
The Bare Dark Sky Observatory is one of over 60 certified dark sky parks across the United States as officially determined by International Dark Sky Association (IDA) light pollution guidelines. That certified designation will only remain as long as our night time Bortle scale readings measure in the acceptable “ambient light pollution” range. To ensure that Earth to Sky Park and BDSO are serving everyone for generations to come, Mayland Community College is committed to educating and promoting light pollution awareness and offering solutions to this ever-growing problem. The impact from nighttime sky glow coming from even the smallest towns and businesses of Western North Carolina increases every year and needs to be addressed. 
Reducing light pollution, does not mean living in the dark!
The International Dark Sky defines light pollution as, “the inappropriate and excessive use of artificial light.” The more we study light pollution the more we know that it:
  • Wastes tremendous amounts of energy and money – over $3 billion annually.
  • Causes adverse effects in humans, including: depression, circadian rhythm (our biological clock) disruption, headaches, diabetes, impacted immune systems, sleep disorders, and several types of cancer, especially in women.
  • Disrupts ecosystems and stimulates unusual life threatening behavior in mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects.
  • Is especially hazardous to migratory bird navigation causing up to a billion bird deaths in North America annually.
  • Artificial light at night disrupts the natural seasonal cycle of trees.
  • Light pollution unnecessarily contributes to climate change.
  • Obscures the view of the stars, our planets, the Milky Way, and other night sky objects. Note: People in most of our large cities see less than 100 stars and almost no full constellations.
  • Scientists estimate that 99% of the United States has some form of light pollution and less than 90% of North Americans can see the Milky Way. Note: Pilots claim they can see the sky glow of Los Angeles and other large cities from over 200 miles away!
  • Interferes with professional astronomical observations.
  • The LED blue-rich light from our outdoor lighting, digital billboards, computer screens, TV, phones, and other electronic equipment has shown to negatively impact all life in general and requires further study.

As the Earth to Sky Park continues to grow and evolve as a nighttime destination site, we will keep you informed of our game plan to address our local and regional light pollution issues. In the meantime, please consider following these best practices and simple action steps:
  • Only turn on outdoor lights in areas that need it. Consider utilizing timers, dimmers, and motion detectors.
  • Lower light poles to ten feet or under, and utilize solar foot-lights along the ground as an alternative.
  • Reduce the “light footprint” (amount/intensity) by using certain energy-efficient lighting. Blue-light spectrum emissions from LED, neon, fluorescent, and metal halide fixtures are the least preferred. Consider amber and other “warm” spectrum lighting. 
  • Encourage your neighbors, downtown shops, car lots, stores, and plazas with parking lots to utilize down-face shield fixture streetlights and floodlights. The image below illustrates how street lights are intended to illuminate desired areas and not leak in unnecessary directions.
Note: As a side benefit, down-shielding has been proven to reduce crime! 
  • Share your concerns with state, county, city officials, and local newspapers and magazines.
  • Share light pollution information during everyday conversation and on the various social media platforms.
  • Encourage and support all public, private, and home school teachers to educate and promote the protection of our night sky for the health and well-being of all living things.
  • Consider supporting Dark Sky efforts with car bumper stickers and window signs.
  • Become a member of the International Dark Sky Association HERE and learn more about light pollution and how you can make a difference.

All visitors to the BDSO
receive a free
"I Support Dark Skies"
bumper sticker
Light pollution education needs to happen on several different fronts. Those of us who have grown up enjoying a night sky full of stars have a responsibility to share our stargazing experiences. Hopefully, those memorable stories of awe and wonder will ignite in future generations the desire to strive to preserve our night sky.
“If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years, how man would marvel and stare."
                                                                                         -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Perhaps when Emerson penned those words 150 years ago, people might have thought it was kinda cool, but it probably didn’t warrant many second thoughts. Today, however, after realizing how quickly we are losing our night sky to light pollution, Emerson’s words tend to resonate more and more. And after experiencing how drastically life on planet Earth has changed in just the past hundred days, these words from Ptolemy from 2,000 years ago also bring pause:
“The stars foreshadow not only the destiny of rulers, but of nations and all mankind.”
Keep Looking UP! 
Steve and Jeremy
BDSO Staff

For past editions of “Star Gazing Guide” click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.