A group of amateur astronomers has planted devices around Missouri to measure how much artificial lighting brightens the night sky.
The Missouri chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association, formed last year, wants to capture data on light pollution. Satellite imaging shows artificial lighting at night has steadily increased in recent years.
There appears to be a “tsunami” of nighttime artificial lighting observed in satellite images that’s increasing from the East Coast toward the middle of the country, said Don Ficken, the chapter’s president.
“If we can slow it down, that would be a good thing,” Ficken said.
The group also wants to stress the adverse effects that light pollution has on human health and the environment. A study this year suggested that artificial light was causing some species of songbirds to collide with illuminated buildings.
“There’s a lot of things going on right now that are messing up everything from bees to fireflies to bats,” Ficken said. “Trees literally will keep their leaves on too long when there’s lights next to it.”
The Dark-Sky chapter has placed the devices, called sky quality meters, at a dozen sites, including Jefferson College in Hillsboro and Broemmelsiek Park in Defiance. The devices will collect data on sky brightness every five minutes for about a year, Ficken said.
The NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium has given more than $16,000 to the Missouri chapter in the past two years to help pay for the sky quality meters.
Truman State University physics professor Vayujeet Gokhale, a member of the chapter, has also been measuring sky brightness in Missouri with the help of his students. Gokhale received a grant from the university to change light fixtures on campus to direct more light to the ground and away from the sky.
Chapter members want to use the sky-brightness data collected from sites to encourage state park managers and city officials to use warm-colored light bulbs and light shields to reduce light pollution.
They hope to secure a Dark Sky Place designation for one of Missouri’s parks from the International Dark-Sky Association. That designation has been given to areas where locals have made a significant effort to reduce light pollution at night, such as the Buffalo National River in Arkansas and the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve.
“Until about a year or so ago, I didn’t really think much about light pollution. I’ve been an amateur astronomer, I’ve noticed that the skies are getting brighter all the time,” Ficken said. “But as I’ve gotten into [learning about light pollution], it’s pretty darn serious, the impact this has on life, ecosystems, stargazing, human health and energy [costs].”
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