Light pollution :-((
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have set in place, what is Man that You are mindful of him?" -- Psalm 8:3,4
Light pollution

Year by year our night sky is brighter and brighter :-(.
In September 9th, 2004 a new shopping center (Kaufland) was opened about 0.5km far from our block of flats. Although it is closed after 22:00, it shines like crazy.

Kaufland shopping centre. Exposure 8s, F2.6, ISO100.

The glow behind the building is caused by waste lights of Kaufland. Exposure 8s, F2.6, ISO100.

The North-East view from our badroom. Exposure 8s, F2.6, ISO100.

The shopping center in daylight. About half of light produced in the night comes from the awful metal tower (on the left side). This awful tower stays on the place where nice coniferous trees were before.


How does real dark sky look like?


Credits: Roger Smith/NOAO/AURA/NSF
The CTIO 4 meter Blanco telescope, silhouetted against the Magellanic Clouds (at left) and the Milky Way, as seen from Cerro Tololo in Chile. This is not a composite image.
It was taken by Roger Smith using a 2048x2048 scientific CCD which has much higher sensitivity than photographic film.
Exposure: 20s, Zeiss Distagon 40 mm f/4 lens
The only source of illumination is starlight.


Links:

IDA - International Dark-Sky Assocation
IDA's goals are to be effective in stopping the adverse environmental impact on dark skies by building awareness of the problem of light pollution and of the solutions, and to educate everyone about the value and effectiveness of quality nighttime lighting.

Earth at Night picture
Panoramic picture of the World at night.


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Last Update: 15.09.2004