“The Universe Tonight’

 

Presents

 

Safeguarding the Night Sky

 

By

 

 Ron Laub

 

W.M Keck Observatory

 

 

 

The November presentation of the popular “The Universe Tonight” program will be presented at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station off Saddle Road.

The Mauna Kea Program will be held on Saturday November 1, 2003 at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, located at the 9,300-foot level of Mauna Kea. The presentation will begin at 6p.m. and stargazing with portable astronomical telescopes will follow after sunset.

The Visitor Information Station can be reached from Hilo, Waimea and Kona via Saddle Road. Seating is limited and will be provided on a first-come first-serve basis.

The Universe Tonight is presented the first Saturday of each month at the Visitor Information Station. A special speaker from a different Mauna Kea observatory shares recent observations and discoveries with the general public.

For more information on programs at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station visit the Web site www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis or call (808) 961-2180.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safeguarding the Night Sky

 

By

 

 Ron Laub

 

W.M Keck Observatory

 

The night sky is a beautiful sight to behold in much of Hawaii.  If one gets far enough away from city and streetlights there’s a stunning sky for all of us to enjoy.  Here on the big island we’re fortunate to have a lighting ordinance that encourages good lighting fixtures and light sources, but enforcement and a lack of staffing is of a concern.

 

There are many ways lighting affects the environment and people.  The sky glow from lights and the inefficient type of light source interferes with our ability to see in shadows and share the night sky with our children.

 

The migration of animals and insects is confused by the collection of lights in the larger towns and cities.  In Hawaii, for instance, the migration of turtles and shore birds such as the Hawaiian Petrel have been reported in locations where they had never been seen before.

 

Many people also experience sleep disorders due to improper lighting.  Medical scientists report that too much white light during a person’s sleep cycle deprives them of the deep sleep they need to stay healthy, resulting in anxiety, mood swings and difficulty in concentrating. 

 

Cheap light fixtures may cost homeowners several hundred dollars each year in wasted energy, and “flood lights” can cause eyestrain and glare, while also creating dark shadows around property edges and corners. 

 

Only one organization, the International Dark-Sky Association, is working with federal, state and local legislatures, business and community groups to educate people about the increasing threat to our nighttime skies.  As a lifetime member of the International Dark-Sky Association, the W.M. Keck Observatory has been a world leader in the effort to preserve the night environment.  With other International Dark-Sky members, the observatory meets the following goals of this organization.  They are:

 

To preserve and protect the nighttime environment

and our heritage of dark skies

through quality outdoors lighting.

 

Educate everyone, everywhere

about the value of dark skies

and quality nighttime lighting.

 

Can dark skies be preserved? Can you and I make a difference?  Yes.  We can be smart about the type of light fixtures we choose to install at our houses.  We can encourage the organizations we work for to also choose good light fixtures.  So what are the basics for good lighting?  They  are:

 

• Ask if light is really needed and for what purpose
• Only use as much as you need
• Work with the surrounding environment
• Don’t let light leak into the environment
• Use rational lighting levels.

 

People are generally very careful about their indoor lighting.  For example, we don’t usually read next to a lamp without a lampshade.  We try to keep the glare from shining into our eyes.  Why not do this for our outdoor lights as well?

 

There are several types of light fixtures that we find in our communities here in Hawaii.  Most of the streetlights are partial cut-off light fixtures.  Those are the type that the lamp source and lense hang below the metal hardware that supports it.  The light from this fixture has a large light “spread”.  Unfortunately, a good share of that light shines upward creating sky glow and the exposed lamp creates glare for drivers on the streets. 

 

The Hawaii county lighting ordinance requires full cut-off light fixtures, but you will only find them in store parking lots, federal and other off street installations, and private developments.  Unlike the partial cut-off light fixture, the full cut-off fixture totally encases the lamp source and its lense.  A good example is the typical “shoe box” fixture only the bottom of the fixture is open, reducing sky glow and glare.

 

The most damaging of all light sources is the inexpensive mercury vapor lamp still sold in some stores.  Again, the Hawaii county lighting ordinance forbids the use of this type of lighting, but it doesn’t restrict the sale of them!  Even though mercury vapor lights are inexpensive to purchase, you should know they are 30 to 50 percent  more expensive to operate!

 

The best light source is called “Low-Pressure Sodium” or “LPS”.  This type of light fixture and lamp might cost more in the beginning, but it’s so inexpensive to operate that you’ll save money in the long run.  Look for the yellow-colored lamp source used along our roadways.

 

Visually, full or balanced spectrum lighting is easiest on our eyes because both blue and green colors are emitted; therefore it’s a good selection for indoor lighting and also residential outdoor lighting if properly shielded.

 

Currently, the Hilo Downtown Improvement Association is replacing the lighting in the downtown area to create the old-fashioned ambiance of that part of the town.  However, there’s a concern for safety and security, so they have adopted an innovative two-tiered system that uses a low wattage light fixture about fourteen feet above the walkway and a low pressure sodium light fixture about twenty five feet above that same walkway.  This will provide everyone the best of both worlds.

 

You can also help by learning more about how to safeguard the night sky.  Contact the IDA at www.darksky.org or through e-mail at ida@darksky.org.

 

I will leave you with the following thought:

 

The current generations are the first in history

to grow up without the awe inspiring splendor

of a truly dark sky above their heads.

 

Over the millennia, this view inspired art,

poetry, folklore, science, technology,

 

and so much of our culture.

 

The grandeur of the stars

challenges us to explore and

invites us to ponder our place in the universe

 

It is our heritage

 

Compliments of the IDA

 

 

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