A Michigan state-wide chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association has formed! It is DarkSky Michigan and provides networking and social media community for dark-sky advocates. (Not to be confused with Michigan Dark Skies!)
Light pollution is increasing globally at a staggering rate of 10% per year, especially in North America, according to a new study in Science (Kyba et al. 2023) that is widely reported in the media.
Oct 21, 7:30 – 9:30 pm Belle Isle Nature Center in Detroit will host another nighttime event for families to see Jupiter and Saturn through telescopes, see bats and other wildlife (Bat Week is Oct 24 – 31) and learn about science from the James Webb Space Telescope. Register here for tickets to this free
Dung beetles navigate by the Milky Way when there is no moon, as reported by SpaceWeather.com.
As of June 10, Michigan State Parks that are Dark-Sky Preserves are now open 24 hours to allow people to experience the natural night sky.
The International Dark-Sky Association has named Keweenaw International Dark Sky Park based at Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor, MI in the U.P. as the newest dark-sky park in Michigan!
Wed, May 18 at 7 pm: Gillen Brown will present on Light Pollution and Michigan’s Dark Skies at Brighton District Library, 100 Library Dr, Brighton. This event is in person.
Parkour athletes in France are making a sport of turning off lights of businesses violating local lighting ordinances, as reported by BBC News.
The Free Press reports that Detroit is #2 in light pollution nationwide, according to SavvySleeper.org (see previous post). The Freep article discusses holiday lighting, the new Ann Arbor lighting ordinance, and Detroit light pollution.
The Ann Arbor City Council unanimously adopted our group’s lighting ordinance on Sept 7, 2021! It will apply to all new construction and major renovations on private property. It specifies requirements for shielding, light trespass limits, brightness limits for certain applications, curfews for businesses, and limits on blue spectrum lighting, among other things. Many thanks
