Our vanishing night sky

It is a basic evolutionary fact that humans are diurnal creatures, adapted to living in the sunlight. Yet, we have engineered to fill our days with the maximum amount of light, albeit natural or artificial. Unwanted outdoor lighting causes light pollution to shine outward and upward masking the night sky. Many cities reflect light into the sky and it creates a dome of scattering light that reduces the contrast in the night sky. It may even become impossible to see any but the brightest of stars. Poorly designed lighting, washes out the darkness of the night that not only affects our perception of the night sky but also affects phases of the natural world. Unnatural light illuminates through the night sky and can confuse animal navigation, alter competitive interactions, change predator-prey relationships, and cause physiological harm. The rhythm of life is orchestrated by the natural diurnal patterns of light and dark, so disruption to these patterns impacts the ecological dynamics.
Most of the world lives under a consistent dome of retracted and reflected light, flooding their highways, homes, yards and surroundings. Here in the Adirondacks, you can walk outside and enjoy the night sky with its array of beauty and endless darkness. From my porch, few lights obscure the night sky and as I sit and gaze into the heavenly stars, I think how lucky I am to see the sky without strain or hesitation. Many outside the Park, and around the globe, do not have the privilege to see a dark, night sky. The view of the planet Venus or the brightly lit shoal of stars, shining with brightness in the infinite darkness, is not seen by many. Southern England, Netherlands, Belgium, West Germany and northern France have a brightness 4 times above normal. Northern Scandinavia and islands far from the continental Europe can view a night sky through a natural darkness. In North America, global pollution stretches from the east coast to the west coast. New York City and Las Vegas are but a few of the cities that produce a significant amount of global light pollution.

Of all the pollutions we face today, light pollution is possibly the most easily remedied. Simple changes in light design and installation yield immediate changes in the amount of light spilled into the atmosphere and, often, immediate energy savings.

As our professional lives displace our need of the sky, both daylight and night. Darkness is fundamental to our internal clock and biological welfare. Our process of sleeping and waking in our daily lives is an expression of our biological dependence to the regular fluctuations of light here on Earth.

As the world cuts themselves off from their biological dependence to the rhythms of day and night, take a moment and look beyond the stars and deep into the Milky Way. For here in the Adirondacks, no glare or light pollution can stand in your way to lose yourself in the night sky and ponder away onto the simple changes many cities can do so their residents can view what we see each and every night.