The Dark Side: What we re missing in the night sky

One of the most memorable experiences of my youth was when I was camping in the Mojave Desert. Having lived all of my life up to that time in Los Angeles, I had never seen a truly dark night. Lying under the stars, I found it very difficult to close my eyes because of the extraordinary beauty of the sky, full of stars and planets - the Milky Way clearly visible. Unfortunately, my chldren and grandchildren are unlikely to have such an experience because of the pollution of our sky by manmade light. There is an organization that is trying to recover our darkness and prevent further light pollution. It is called the International Dark-Sky Association, and its goals and activities are described in this very nice article by David Owen. As an advocate in my own neighborhood against the installation of streetlights, I am happy to have evidence that less illumination very often results in more useful vision and greater security.

Publication information
Pick Attribution: 

David Owen

Publication Date: 
Monday, August 20, 2007
Price: 
$4.50
Community: