CNN reports that nearly twenty buildings in Philadelphia are dimming their lights this spring after thousands of birds perished in the city’s largest mass collision in recent history. Michigan Audubon has a similar Safe Passage Great Lakes program.
In response to concerns from astronomers, the FCC has approved a request from SpaceX to lower the altitude of its planned satellite constellations, despite vigorous opposition from competitors. This will reduce the brightness and visibility of the satellites from ground-based observatories. (See Sec III.E.4, p. 47)
Popular Science provides an overview of the International Dark-Sky Association’s Dark Sky Places program. The IDA Dark Sky Parks in Michigan are Headlands in Emmet County and Dr. T. K. Lawless in Cass County.
A swarm of 46 million grasshoppers was lured by the lights of Las Vegas and died there. More evidence that light pollution is a major cause of the insect apocalypse, as reported by the New York Times.
UM Prof. Pat Seitzer will present virtually on “New Constellations of Bright Satellites and the Night Sky” at the Sierra Club SE Michigan Group, Thurs March 4 at 7:00 pm. https://www.sierraclub.org/michigan/southeast-michigan/monthly-program-everyone-welcome
Amsterdam is considering major regulations on holiday lights, according to Bloomberg City Lab.
The UN conference, “Dark and Quiet Skies for Science and Society” was held on-line Oct 5-9, 2020. All presentations are posted in both video and pdf format.
Marijuana greenhouses in Leamington, Ontario are causing magenta light pollution, visible in Michigan. It’s hoped that new local ordinances will limit proliferation of this problem.
Maps and forecasts for bird migration in the US are available on-line from Colorado State University for use in lights-out initiatives.
