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Making War On Light Pollution

Hugh Pickens writes "Almost thirty years ago I worked in the Middle East helping install a nationwide communications system and had the opportunity to be part of a team doing microwave link tests across Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter. Something I've never forgotten were the astonishing nights I spent in the desert hundreds of miles from the nearest city where the absence of light made looking at the sky on a moonless night feel like you were floating in the middle of the galaxy. In Galileo's time, nighttime skies all over the world would have merited the darkest Bortle ranking, Class 1. Today, the sky above New York City is Class 9 and American suburban skies are typically Class 5, 6, or 7. The very darkest places in the continental United States today are almost never darker than Class 2, and are increasingly threatened. Read a story from the New Yorker on what we have lost to light pollution and how some cities are adopting outdoor lighting standards to save the darkness."

7 of 437 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Bah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Someone's firing too much magic missile. Maybe they should try some of the more advanced laser foreskin removal techniques.
  2. My reply... by thatskinnyguy · · Score: -1, Troll

    So?

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    The game.
  3. Re:It's true by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    You can blame Negroes and "Hispanics" for most the crime which would occur. See this fascinating article.

  4. Re:Damn lights by Leuf · · Score: 0, Troll

    At some point in my life, I'm gonna find a place to live that's 50 miles from anywhere And then I'm going to put up some big ass flood lights. I tell ya it's scary out there alone.
  5. darker == more muggings by timmarhy · · Score: -1, Troll

    Yay lets make darker streets so we can all get mugged - atleast while your laying there in a pool of your own blood you'll have a nice sky to look up at.

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  6. Re:Ah fuck that. by Seumas · · Score: -1, Troll

    Light pollution is irrelevant in the long run when it comes to astronomical observation. We can build observation facilities in our orbit. Problem solved.

    Light pollution as far as people wanting to be able to "sit in a field and feel like they're floating around the galaxy while viewing stars in a dark night sky"...? Who cares. Your proverbial cloud-watching is insignificant compared to the technological and industrial progress of civilization.

  7. Re:Use brain, open mouth. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    in any case looking at a 14" LCD like I am now is far worse Yeah, I'd be depressed too if I only had a 14" LCD.