* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Light Pollution, Energy Saving, Astronomy

Blobrana · L

The cause of light pollution is obvious whenever one flies over a city: unshielded outdoor lighting. It is astonishing how bright Birmingham is, for example, when you fly over at night. You can see bright street and parking lot lights far and wide, hardly any of them shielded.
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We have a 'right to starlight,' astronomers say
The public's "right to starlight" is steadily being eroded by urban illumination that is the bane of astronomers everywhere, the International Astronomical Union said on Friday.
The body, which wrapped up an 11-day general assembly in Rio de Janeiro that attracted galaxy-gazers from around the world, argued that authorities should use more unobtrusive lighting in cities and towns.

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Oro Valley business signs to remain dark at night
Oro Valley's town council voted down a proposed motion to allow businesses to keep their company signs lit at night.
Currently, the town requires businesses to turn off the lights on their signs no later than one hour after closing time.

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Blobrana · L

Barely five months after the new Parliament House opened in Canberra in 1988, the Bogong moths started moving in.
Drawn by skylights that throw light into the sky when parliament is sitting and up-lighting designed to illuminate the bus-sized flag, they came in their thousands - hundreds of thousands. Squeezing through the air conditioning ducts, their small brown bodies littered the still-new-smelling carpets.
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Stargazers attack laser beam
The new laser beam shone from Blackpool Tower has been criticised by astronomers who claim it spoils the view of the night sky.

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Blobrana · L

Toulouse dims lights for star gazers

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Blobrana · L

A leading city astronomer has blasted out-of-this-world plans to light up Spaghetti Junction so it can be seen from space.
Andy Lound, of the Planetary Society, said the spectacle would cast more stars over Birmingham into darkness and be a huge waste of energy.
Last week, Birmingham City Council announced plans to treat Spaghetti Junction as a landmark and light up its 400 columns so that it could be seen from outer space.

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Blobrana · L

This is the week to shut off the lights and stare at the sky. It's not a cult ritual but an effort by astronomers to slash light pollution and increase public awareness of the beauty of the night sky as part of National Dark Sky Week, which kicks off Monday.

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Gloucester is among nine of 49 county councils in England and Wales that plan to cut costs and emissions. Dozens are expected to follow, as long as there is no repeat of the outrage that took place in Powys, mid-Wales.Hay-on-Wye is a short drive over the Welsh border but the contrast in lighting policy is severe. At 12.30am two out of every three lamps in Hay go out in unison.
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