Kinzey, B. R., Perrin, T. E., Miller, N. J., Kocifaj, M., Aube, M., & Lamphar, H. A. (2017). An investigation of LED street lighting's impact on sky glow.PNNL-26411.
Abstract: A significant amount of public attention has recently focused on perceived impacts of converting street lighting from incumbent lamp-based products to LED technology. Much of this attention pertains to the higher content of short wavelength light (commonly referred to as “blue light”) of LEDs and its attendant influences on sky glow (a brightening of the night sky that can interfere with astronomical observation and may be associated with a host of other issues). The complexity of this topic leads to common misunderstandings and misperceptions among the public, and for this reason the U.S. Department of Energy Solid-State Lighting Program embarked on a study of sky glow using a well-established astronomical model to investigate some of the primary factors influencing sky glow. This report details the results of the investigation and attempts to present those results in terms accessible to the general lighting community. The report also strives to put the results into a larger context, and help educate interested readers on various topics relevant to the issues being discussed.
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Boucher, R., Knefati, S., & Ouimet, C. - A. (2018). Conservation du ciel nocturne : surveillance de l’éclairage extérieur et de la pollution lumineuse au parc national et à la Réserve internationale de ciel étoilé du Mont-Mégantic. Le Naturaliste canadien, 142(3), 88.
Abstract: English:
Although seemingly unchanging, today, our ability to see stars on a dark night is in danger of disappearing. The reason for this is the widespread growth of light pollution from inadequate lighting systems. This study, which used a range of methods, presents the results of light pollution measurements taken within the Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve (MMIDSR), which was created in 2007 to protect the quality of astronomical observations and research at the Mont-Mégantic Observatory, and to preserve the exceptional starry nightscape visible from the site. Two essential elements of artificial night lighting were considered: its source and its diffusion in the atmosphere. Analyses showed that despite a global trend towards an increase in light levels, population growth on the outskirts of the Parc national du Mont-Mégantic, and the arrival of problematic types of lighting fixtures on the market, the level of light pollution in the MMIDSR has remained stable over the last 10 years, not only at the zenith but across the entire sky.
French:
Pourtant d’apparence immuable, le ciel étoilé est aujourd’hui menacé de disparition. La cause est la croissance généralisée de la pollution lumineuse, résultat de l’utilisation de dispositifs d’éclairage inadéquats. Nous présentons ici les résultats de la mesure de cette pollution obtenue par différentes approches méthodologiques sur le territoire de la Réserve internationale de ciel étoilé du Mont-Mégantic (RICEMM). La RICEMM a été créée en 2007 afin de protéger la qualité des observations astronomiques et de recherche de l’observatoire du mont Mégantic, ainsi que pour conserver les paysages étoilés exceptionnels du site. Deux aspects incontournables de la lumière artificielle nocturne ont été pris en compte : ses sources, ainsi que sa diffusion dans l’atmosphère. Les analyses démontrent que le niveau de pollution lumineuse est resté stable depuis 10 ans dans la RICEMM, tant au zénith que pour l’ensemble du ciel, et ce, malgré une tendance mondiale à la hausse des niveaux d’éclairement, l’augmentation de la population dans la périphérie du parc national du Mont-Mégantic et l’arrivée sur le marché de types de luminaires problématiques.
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Teare, S. W. (2000). The night sky brightness at Mount Wilson Observatory. The Observatory, 120, 313–317.
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Shirkey, R. C. (2006). A Model for Nighttime Urban Illumination.
Abstract: The Army increasingly relies on night operations to accomplish its objectives. These night operations frequently require using Night Vision Goggles and other light-sensitive devices which are strongly affected by ambient lighting, a large component of which is urban. An urban illumination model is proposed for use in tactical decision aids and wargames which would allow for more accurate prediction of target acquisition ranges and increased realism in simulations. This model will build on previous research that predicts broadband brightness as a function of population and distance from the city center. Since city population and aerosols affect light distributions, the model is being extended and generalized for multiple city types and natural and man-made aerosols. An overview of the model along with future improvements will be presented.
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Benfield, J. A., Nutt, R. J., Taff, B. D., Miller, Z. D., Costigan, H., & Newman, P. (2018). A laboratory study of the psychological impact of light pollution in National Parks. Journal of Environmental Psychology, in press.
Abstract: Light pollution is ubiquitous in much of the developed and developing world, including rural and wilderness areas. Other sources of pollution, such as noise or motorized vehicle emissions, are known to impact the perceived quality of natural settings as well as the psychological well-being and satisfaction of visitors to those locations, but the effects of light pollution on visitors to natural settings is largely unstudied. Using experimental manipulations of light pollution levels in virtual reality simulations of three U.S. National Parks, the current study aimed to provide initial evidence of an effect on visitors. Results show that light pollution impacts a range of psychological and scene evaluation dimensions but that pristine night skies are not necessarily viewed as the ideal, likely due to being viewed as unfamiliar or unrealistic because so few have experienced the true baseline.
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