What is Light Pollution?

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Light pollution is excessive light from artificial sources. If such light is obstructive in nature, then this situation is called light pollution. One of the problems in the environment that we are facing is light pollution. When you were driving on a busy highway, did you dilate your eye to get a better view of the road? If you have pondered why this happened, then you are facing a situation called light pollution. This is a case of ineffective outdoor lighting that is hazardous for commuters on the road. Most of the accidents at night happen because people did not see something they should have seen.

When too much artificial light is present in the surroundings, it causes visibility problems. It also causes a waste of energy. Human health undergoes a lot of changes because of altered light sources that are different from natural light sources. Natural light is the best thing for humans to have. It is natural light that provides photo-nutrition for life on Earth. And even human beings need natural light.

Light pollution is a serious issue, with a solution wanting to happen. People have begun to take cognizance of this issue. Light pollution is said to cause disruption to star-light coming to Earth. It also causes poor performance of astronomical observatories. Just like other types of pollution, it causes health problems for human beings.

Light pollution is a result of the industrial growth of the human civilization. You can see light pollution everywhere. Illuminated billboards, glaring motel lights, offices with lit floors, and in many more manifestations. In heavily industrialized areas, light pollution is more significant by its presence.

Light pollution does not do well for energy conservation. It wastes a lot of energy with unwanted illumination. Light pollution can also be intrusive in nature. Many people would have experienced how an artificial light source of another building trespassed into their living or working areas. This annoying condition is called light trespass.

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Space events observed from astronomy observatory

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Since man first roamed the Earth, people looked toward the skies with curiosity. Modern day man has a powerful tool to observe outer space, the astronomy observatory. Several such observatories exist throughout the world, including many in the United States.
From these observatories, events like supernovas, black holes and solar flares are observed and recorded. Scientists can compare what they see with researchers working in observatories across the globe to better understand these space phenomena.
Astronomy observatories are located in the countryside with some of the most powerful observatories located in remote areas because of light pollution. Lights from households and businesses make viewing outer space more difficult so scientists find education about light pollutions important in observatory areas. The observatories are also often built in places with many clear nights each year so that the scientists can work more days out of the year. They’re also often built at higher elevations because the Earth’s atmosphere is thinner and astronomers don’t have to to deal with as much atmospheric turbulence at higher elevations.
Most astronomy observatories include a dome that’s often retractable to protect the powerful viewing microscopes from the elements. Often the portion of the dome that’s retractable is only a small slit. The dome rotates around to allow scientists to focus on any part of the night sky.
Humans have been using observatories for years. The oldest recorded observatory was in use around 150 BC in Greece.
According to experts, a ridge on Antarctica today is the best place for an observatory because of clear weather and the least amount of atmospheric interruption.
In the United States, Hawaii and the Southwestern United States are considered good viewing areas with observatories located in both locations. Observatories are also often located on college campuses for students enrolled in astronomy classes to view space events.

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Light Pollution, Its Impact And A Romantic Solution To The Problem

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What is light pollution? How can excess light cause problems? Well, balance is very important in nature. That is a reason why we have days and nights. For every 11 to12 hours of sunlight, we have another 12 to13 hours of darkness as well. The same is true for seasons as well.

If you have three months of summer in your region, you also have three months of monsoon, spring and winter to balance the entire cycle of nature. In such a scenario, excessive use of lights by human beings will obviously spoil this balance.

We often presume that light pollution is something that affects birds and other animals only. That is not the case. Light pollution affects human beings as well. Being exposed to artificial light all the time causes problems in internal activities of the body. Natural sunlight is not just an option. Rather, it is a compulsion for our body. If we ignore this, we obviously are going to face problems.

Secondly, being exposed to harsh light all the time places strain our eyes and the nervous system. If you feel that this is an exaggeration, just take a look at all those individuals who put in a lot of time and effort under artificial lighting.

Excessive light in urban centers during night confuses birds and affects their body clock. Ideally speaking, human beings should sleep early and get up early. The morning hours are the most productive for our mind and body. However, we often end up spending more time staying up.

Installing dimmers in your house will help even if you cannot switch off the lights. One ancillary advantage of this approach is that you can have a romantic dinner with your spouse by simply dimming the lights to set up a candlelight atmosphere. Not only will you be helping the environment, you will also enjoy a good time with your spouse.

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