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The Dark-Sky Movement
Buzz Log ^ | January 31, 2011 | Mike Krumboltz

Posted on 01/31/2011 9:15:12 PM PST by americanophile

Stargazers now have their Graceland. The Channel Island of Sark, located 80 miles south of England, has been designated as the world's first dark-sky island.

Dark-sky communities are places with very little to no light pollution. As a result, the stars are far easier to see and more fun to look at. According to a buzzy article from SPACE.com, Sark is just 4.5 square miles and has "no public street lighting, no paved roads, and no cars." In other words, save for the occasional flashlight or matchstick, there aren't a lot of things to interfere with the nighttime display, which includes "meteors streaking overhead and countless stars on display."

The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) makes the call on whether or not a community deserves to join their movement. And plenty would like to. The Burlington Free Press explains that dark-sky legislation "has been embraced by about 300 countries, cities, and towns." At first this might sound like something only nature enthusiasts would really care about, that's not so. The United States military is also getting behind the legislation. Too much light can interfere with drills at military bases.

And while they don't exactly get a say in the matter, it's worth noting that creatures big and small would likely also be in favor of more dark-sky rules. Again, according to the Burlington Free Press, there is evidence that "nighttime lights disturb animals and ecosystems."

(Excerpt) Read more at buzz.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: lightpollution; night; sky; star
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To: wku man

“There are plenty of places, right here in the good ol’ USA, where there are “dark skies”.”

When much younger and in my “mountain woman” phase of life, I moved for a year up into the foothills above Boulder, CO. It was a small town (emphasis on word small) called Ward. I lived in a pretty log cabin w/my two dogs right on Boulder Creek. You had to walk across a wooden footbridge to get to my cabin. It was a wonderful place to live, and incredibly beautiful. At night when you went outside, the stars were like low hanging fruit. They were multitudinous, and so bright they sparkled like Swarovski crystals. If you reached your hands up you could almost touch them. There were a few times when the sky seemed to hang so low that it was almost oppressive, and I’d start to feel slightly claustrophobic.

I have always loved stargazing, and will fondly remember my year up there in the mountains for the magnificent light shows I was privileged to see. I wish everyone could have the same experience at least once in life.


41 posted on 01/31/2011 11:03:48 PM PST by flaglady47 (When the gov't fears the people, liberty; When the people fear the gov't, tyranny.)
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To: Redcloak

The watermelons aren’t promoting “astronomy,” instead, they are promoting anything that tears down the West’s technology and order and finances.

This is why they promte random welded-together pieces of scrap metal as “art” when in reality it is merely junk that will be discarded with malice by future generations.

It is why they promote tearing down hydro-electric dams in the name of “fish” when the reality is that they want less power to be available to the West, and for power to cost the West more.

And yes, it is why they promote dark skies for “astronomy” when their real purpose is to increase crime and decrease the civilizing aspects of outdoor lighting in the West.

These ideas above, all of them, are specifically *not* promoted in non-Western nations.

Not in China. Not in Africa. Not in India.

They promote such ideas in the West solely to tear us down.


42 posted on 01/31/2011 11:08:33 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Redcloak
This is my scope, which I have to use special filters due to the fact there is so much artificial light flooding the atmosphere above CA, it completely washes out the night sky for human eyes, and for imaging.

Shot this recently, using CLS filters...

M27 Planetely Nebula, about 1360 light years from earth. It's basically a star, where it's outer shell blew off....

M27 Taken 9/4/2010 19x135second ISO 800 Total exposure 42 minutes 45 seconds, 6.3focal reducer--Canon 40D

I guess this makes me a Communist and socialist ..

43 posted on 01/31/2011 11:11:28 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: hedgetrimmer
OK,Mr. Conspiracy Nut,please explain just what good it does to pump megawatts of expensive light into the sky rather than direct the light onto the ground.

Further why should your paranoia that demands floodlighting your property be allowed to include floodlighting MY property?

Maybe we should call those lights you need, "INSECURITY" lights.

And I don't care for the amber lights either nor the anemic LED /solar road lights;much better would be white lights that simply shine on the sidewalks,lots or whatever and neither into the sky nor blind those who wish to enjoy a view of the sky from their property.

I travel a major highway lit from ONE side by blazing lamps angled about 45 degrees in a vain attempt to light 5 lanes ! They shine in one's eyes and over the neighboring hillside;I bet a fourth of their light actually falls on the road! But the old lights on both sides did a much better job.

44 posted on 01/31/2011 11:12:04 PM PST by hoosierham (Waddaya mean Freedom isn't free ?;will you take a credit card?)
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To: Southack

What does Gramsci have to do with the subject matter here, I think is what people are having trouble with.


45 posted on 01/31/2011 11:13:09 PM PST by truthfreedom
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To: Southack

Let me rephrase my earlier comment: Where is “promote an expensive hobby that can only be enjoyed by citizens of an affluent, capitalist nation” on the list?


46 posted on 01/31/2011 11:13:27 PM PST by Redcloak (What's your zombie plan?)
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To: truthfreedom

Answered in Post #42.


47 posted on 01/31/2011 11:15:19 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Redcloak
SEQUIM — For three years running, he's tried to make city leaders see the light. And though it's too early to call Pat Clark victorious, he feels neither defeated nor frustrated. Clark, 59, a retired Teamsters Union negotiator, has been urging the Sequim City Council to adopt a "dark skies" resolution that, to his mind, could save the moon, the stars — and people's privacy and health. On Monday, some 37 months after Clark first addressed the Sequim City Council on the problem of light pollution, he gave the members a new 40-page report on the topic — and basked in the mild glow of city planner Joe Irvin's draft of a resolution that could help bring back black.

"It's a lot to read, I know, so take your time," Clark wrote on his report's cover sheet.

"It took time to lose the night sky, and it will take some time to take it back."

Another Obama style community organizer!
48 posted on 01/31/2011 11:18:57 PM PST by hedgetrimmer
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To: dragnet2

Nice!

While we’re on the subject of hobbies only available to decadent Capitalists, I have a question for you: How well to the batteries hold up in digital cameras like yours when taking astrophotos? Years ago, I remember looking for a 35mm SLR with a mirror hold-up lever to avoid draining the battery during long exposures.


49 posted on 01/31/2011 11:19:33 PM PST by Redcloak (What's your zombie plan?)
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To: Redcloak
The light dome over Los Angeles extends about 300 miles in every direction...So much light, our night sky's have been all but destroyed or washed away...Even dark sky areas of our country are being effected dramatically..

All people are asking if that they use thoughtful common sense lighting fixtures, that direct the light down where it's needed, instead of up into the atmosphere.

These people here making this out to be some kind of Communist conspiracy, are freaking crazy.

50 posted on 01/31/2011 11:21:18 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: hedgetrimmer

Oh... Now I get it. Thailand.


51 posted on 01/31/2011 11:21:30 PM PST by Redcloak (What's your zombie plan?)
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To: hoosierham
'Light trespass'
He began researching the effects of too much nighttime glow back in 2005, when he was primarily worried about "light trespass," or the spill-over of street, yard and porch lights into neighboring homes.

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080823/NEWS/808230303

You're pulling out your playbook now.
52 posted on 01/31/2011 11:22:39 PM PST by hedgetrimmer
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To: Southack

do you have a link to “dark skies” being part of it?

Yes, the communists have said they’d like bad sculpture, but I don’t know that less bright skies are a communist plot.

It might be a conspiracy by the LED people to get people looking at bulbs that shoot 120 degrees, or much more directionally, instead of 360 degrees and having to rely on reflectors to keep the light out of the sky.

The Metal Hydride and HPS people were sitting around going - well, how about we call LEDs and energy efficient lights a communist plot? Sounds good.


53 posted on 01/31/2011 11:22:52 PM PST by truthfreedom
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To: dragnet2

The problem with living near L.A. is that in order to find dark skies, you wind up so far out into the desert that Vegas becomes a problem. I once thought that my camera had a light leak until I realized what direction the telescope had been pointed; SE toward Sin City.


54 posted on 01/31/2011 11:24:52 PM PST by Redcloak (What's your zombie plan?)
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To: Redcloak
Nice! While we’re on the subject of hobbies only available to decadent Capitalists, I have a question for you: How well to the batteries hold up in digital cameras like yours when taking astrophotos? Years ago, I remember looking for a 35mm SLR with a mirror hold-up lever to avoid draining the battery during long exposures.

lol...

Batteries don't last too long, due to shooting in bulb mode or long exposure mode. What I did is purchased a power supply that allows the camera to run off 110volt. It's the only way and saves a lot of problems.

55 posted on 01/31/2011 11:25:13 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: dragnet2

I kinda thought that might be the case. I’ve never seen a digital SLR with a mirror hold-up.


56 posted on 01/31/2011 11:26:48 PM PST by Redcloak (What's your zombie plan?)
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To: dragnet2
All people are asking if that they use thoughtful common sense lighting fixtures, that direct the light down where it's needed, instead of up into the atmosphere.

People aren't 'asking' for anything. An international organization is writing model legislation which is implemented by corrupt politicians. They use the force of local government to CONTROL citizens.


57 posted on 01/31/2011 11:29:07 PM PST by hedgetrimmer
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To: Redcloak
I shot this near LA, under the light dome, but using CLS light pollution filters. This was from what I call the white zone...

This is what's left of a supernova...

Veil Nebula is an old supernova remnant in the constellation Cygnus. It is the remains of cataclysmic explosion of star that exploded between 5,000 and 8,000 years ago. This nebula is about 1,860 light-years distance.

16x150seconds, 10"SCT 6.3focal reducer, aligned, calibrated and stacked in DSS. CLS filter, and manual focus. No autoguide.

58 posted on 01/31/2011 11:30:44 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: hedgetrimmer

Go away nutcase!


59 posted on 01/31/2011 11:31:31 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Redcloak
Digital opened up lots of doors for people like me on tight budgets using old equipment...

If ya look at the scope, you can see my junk yard steel plates holding everything up...It's all mounted to junk yard 1/2" steel plate...lol

The battery 110v power supply cost me 50 bucks used.. But worth every penny...

The light pollution filters were pricey, but to do without them, imaging suffers.

What's sad, is all these millions of kids in America, few have ever seen the Milky Way, (An arm of our own galaxy) and more every year will start losing that sight and their night sky's, simply due to poorly designed lighting fixtures.

60 posted on 01/31/2011 11:40:12 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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