Sam Miller
The southern Pinal County area is fortunate to have a reasonably dark nighttime sky to view the stars and other amazing objects. The Pinal County Board of Supervisors and other governments around the world have proclaimed April 21-28 as International Dark Sky Week in which communities worldwide celebrate the opportunity to view the night sky while also emphasizing the destructive nature of light pollution. It may seem harmless, but light pollution has far-reaching consequences for all living things. The SaddleBrooke Skygazers and SaddleBrooke Ranch Astronomy Clubs team with DarkSky International during Dark Sky Week to help members of our community understand that light pollution not only inhibits our view of the night sky, but also disrupts wildlife, impacts human health, wastes money and energy, and contributes to climate change.
It is important to note that not all light is polluting, and “effective outdoor lighting” does not mean no lighting. Light for safety, security, and convenience can all be incorporated into an outdoor lighting plan if accomplished in accordance with Pinal County and Architecture Landscape Committee (ALC) guidelines. SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch are in a “Low Ambient Light Zone” and the ordinances we have in place were primarily written to accommodate the numerous Astronomy research facilities around the Tucson area (Mt. Lemmon, Kitt Peak, Mt. Hopkins, Mt. Graham, and Biosphere 2), many of which are supported by the University of Arizona. Obviously, we have no streetlights or glaring video billboards here that contribute to light pollution. Our homes/facilities were originally constructed to incorporate the low ambient outdoor designs required by county ordinances. As explained in the ALC guidelines, effective outdoor lighting typically consists of the lowest ambient levels appropriate for the need, downward pointing fixtures and lighting with minimum glare that does not trespass into a neighbor’s area. Unfortunately, over time some of our residents have replaced those low-light fixtures with open, bright fixtures and high luminosity bulbs that are a nuisance to neighbors and could be subject to ALC attention.
Although we have relatively good night skies here in the southern Pinal County area, research has shown that over 80% of the world’s population live under sky glow and residents in those areas cannot observe more than a few bright stars at night, if any at all. Unfortunately, as our population increases, so does the impact of increasing light levels. This short video source (link follows) illustrates the effects of light pollution on our night sky and offers solutions. As the video explains, transitioning to effective lighting produces immediate results by reducing the offending light: youtube.com/watch?v=FW0WZX75Nmo.
Think that light pollution is a new topic and one that has not yet been sufficiently researched? Go to this website, zotero.org/groups/2913367/alan_db/items/LQBXXMTX/item-list, to see just how much research has been accomplished over the years. Feel free to open any paper … happy reading!
All of Pinal County is planning to celebrate the beginning of Dark Sky Week on April 21 by turning off all unnecessary lights from 8:30 to 9 p.m. For an appreciation of what is “up there,” walk outside at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, April 21 and look up. If practical, a pair of binoculars or a telescope will amaze you at what’s really “up there.”