Light pollution eclipses more of the night sky

The glory of a clear night sky is becoming more inaccessible then ever in built-up Britain as light pollution continues to increase.

Results of the annual Star Count, organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England since 2007, are the worst so far.

People across the country were asked to choose a clear night between February 26 and March 8 and count the number of stars visible with the naked eye inside the Orion constellation. Results from more than 1,000 observers show that 20 per cent could see five stars or fewer while 39 per cent saw between six and 10 stars.

"So 59 per cent could see 10 stars or fewer - a level that indicates severe light pollution - compared to 54 per cent last year," says Emma Marrington, CPRE dark skies campaigner. "The proportion who could see more than 30 stars in Orion, indicating truly dark skies, fell from 5 per cent to 4 per cent."

The disappointing findings come despite a growing campaign against light pollution and the increasing popularity of stargazing in "dark sky parks", such as Kielder in Northumberland.

Light pollution may still be increasing as a result of new housing and commercial developments, particularly in the countryside, and the refurbishment of old properties with extravagant new illumination.

Even so, Ms Marrington is optimistic that the worldwide campaign to clamp down on excessive lighting will soon turn a global dimmer switch and "reconnect more people with the majesty of a starry sky". Governments at local and national level are being pressed to legislate and enforce strong planning controls, while persuading businesses and householders to install less obtrusive lights on buildings and outdoor premises.

"We'll use the results [from the 2014 Star Count] to persuade ministers and councils to reduce light pollution," says Ms Marrington. "This will also help cut carbon emissions and save money through street light switch-off or dimming schemes and low energy lighting.

"We will eventually reclaim our wondrous night skies but it will take time - maybe a decade before we see real improvement," she adds.

Martin Morgan-Taylor, a light pollution specialist at De Montford University law school in Leicester, says the UK has no legislation specifically to protect the night sky.

"There are some bits and pieces, such as the 2005 Act that made particularly bad light pollution a statutory nuisance, and the obligation for local authorities to look at lighting in the new national planning policy framework," he says, "but we see stronger regulations taking effect around the world."

<

The tabular content relating to this article is not available to view. Apologies in advance for the inconvenience caused.

As well as preventing glare and nuisance - and adding to the aesthetic pleasure of the night sky - the Campaign for Dark Skies run by the British Astronomical Association points to the economic benefits of fighting light pollution. It calculates that around £1bn a year is wasted through unnecessary illumination of streets, homes and businesses.

While Britain as a whole is seeing no relief from light pollution, there are places in the least inhabited parts of the country where you can still see billions of stars in a band across the sky: the Milky Way galaxy. The UK still has six Dark Sky locations out of almost 30 worldwide officially recognised by the US-based International Dark-Sky Association.

In the meantime, if you want to see the heavens truly sparkle, head for Galloway or the Isle of Coll in Scotland, Kielder or Exmoor in England, the Brecon Beacons in Wales or the Channel Island of Sark.

© The Financial Times Limited 2014. All rights reserved.
FT and Financial Times are trademarks of the Financial Times Ltd.
Not to be redistributed, copied or modified in any way.
Euro2day.gr is solely responsible for providing this translation and the Financial Times Limited does not accept any liability for the accuracy or quality of the translation