Light Pollution / health risk

[fragger]

I thought this would be as good a place as any to post the following, seeing as how it's astronomy-related.

I was outside earlier having a star-gaze, since it's a beautiful clear night tonight. From this location, the brightest part of the Milky Way is right overhead at this time of the year, and on a good dark night like this you can fairly well make out some of the galactic structure and dust clouds in it. The centre of the galaxy lies in that direction (at a point between the tail of Scorpius and the beginning of the Sagittarius area) and the region contains such cosmic jewels as the "Lagoon" and "Trifid" Nebulas, among much else (you need a scope to see those particular nebulae though, and even then it's difficult unless you have a powerful instrument, an exceptionally dark, still night, and a good eye). You can point a telescope anywhere in that area and see more stars in the field of view than you can shake a fistful of sticks at.

Since there is very little "light pollution" where I live, we are often blessed with these wonderful, star-rich night skies. We're also spoiled in the southern hemisphere since by dint of the Earth's axial tilt, the southern hemisphere is oriented more towards the galactic centre than the northern, so there are simply more stars in the sky as seen from this half of the planet.

Tonight, it got me to thinking about when I lived in Sydney, and how paltry the night sky seems there now due to the rampant light pollution. It has gotten very noticeably worse during my lifetime. When I was a kid, the night skies in Sydney were much like they are as seen from where I am today. Even in my late teens with my first Celestron 8 telescope, I once observed the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud - it was faint, but I could just discern it. And that was from deep in suburbia, AND the Cloud was directly above the city centre. But I've noticed on my visits to Sydney these days that only the very brightest stars are still visible from pretty much anywhere in the greater metropolitan area. The Milky Way is totally unobservable from there now, and I'd have as much chance of seeing the Tarantula Nebula from Sydney as I would of waking up to find myself married to Margot Robbie.

A number of years ago, a new skyscraper was built in Sydney, and some architect or other thought it would be a really cool idea to put a dirty big light beacon on its roof, shining straight up into the air like a static searchlight. The light from this ridiculous vanity feature was so bright that it was interfering with astronomical observations from the Siding Spring Observatory over 300 kilometres away. That stupid light has long since been removed fortunately, but it's a measure of how much unnecessary light gets generated in a city. Streetlights and such, sure, those are needed. But skyscrapers ablaze with internal light when nobody is there? A giant light-sabre on the roof of a building? That's not only pointless but a gross waste of electricity.

So anyway, wondering just how bad Sydney's light pollution is compared to other large urban areas in the world, I potted around online and came across the article below. I found it quite interesting, if a bit sobering. It seems that humanity has a perennial talent for finding new ways to stuff itself up.

https://www.sciencealert.com/new-atlas-shows-extent-of-light-pollution-what-does-it-mean-for-our-health

[Art Blade]

good read, and don't worry about starting a new topic

[mandru]

I enjoyed your post fragger.

And by chance I clicked you Renderosity link and found that there's a very recent upload that's very well done. 

[fragger]

Thanks mandru Yep, I only just uploaded that piccie yesterday. Or it might have been the day before. Geez, it's easy to lose track lately

[Art Blade]

of course I had to check, too. Thanks mandru for mentioning it and fragger for telling me it's new (I already know the older works) so.. impressive, man

[mandru]

As for "The Spice Must Flow".

My morning ritual:

Caffeine is a poison
The jitters are the warning
I set my mind in motion

   

[Art Blade]

very good

Which reminds me. Not naming names but someone said (unforgettable) on Wednesday, April 21, 2010, the following:

"I'm on a cardio routine where I reach a heart target several times a day.
It became a lot easier once I realized every time I have a coughing fit I'm hitting target"

It still cracks me up.

[Dweller_Benthos]

As the article mentions, light pollution not only obscures our view of the stars, it messes us up physically. As long as I can remember, I've tried to sleep in as dark a room as possible. Even as a child, I would be in my bedroom and the hallway light would be on and the sliver of light under the door would keep me awake. So I would yell out to my parents to shut off the hallway light. Now when I go to sleep, I cover or turn off all the light sources in the bedroom, the TV is off of course, but I have something to cover the little light that is always on to show it's on standby (I could unplug it but then I'd have to set it up every day and that's too much of a pain) same goes for the time display on the cable box and the clock, the cable box I cover up, the clock I took apart and wired in a switch to be able to turn off the display entirely. In the summer I cover the windows to keep it as dark as possible for as long as possible because the morning sun comes right in. Even then, it creeps around the edges.

I never have trouble sleeping. I also keep the house as quiet as possible too, no ticking clocks, no electronics still on and humming. It's bad enough that the cable box power cycles now and then even when it's not on, I suppose to spin up the hard drive for the DVR or something. The refrigerator is far enough away that I don't hear it.

I really surprised at how many people have lights on in the bedroom, even letting the TV run all night, though turned down or muted. Insane.

[Art Blade]

you'd love my custom-made curtains that cover the complete glass front of the room so well that it turns my bedroom so pitch black (dark) even when the sun is shining that I don't know whether it's day or night. But I don't mind LEDs and stuff emitting a bit of light, same goes for sounds that are steady, like of a vent. I actually like some sounds/noises, makes me sleepy listening to that.

However, I can sleep anywhere, everywhere, and nothing wakes me up easily. I don't mind having a commentated "let's play" running, I can easily fall asleep watching that, as long as I'm tired enough.

My problem is having to sleep when I'm not yet tired. If I'm tired, I can sleep just anywhere, no matter the lights and sounds. But if I'm not tired and I know I'll have to get up in the morning at, say, 8:00 AM so it would be wise to manage to sleep some 6 or 7 hours.. I just won't, because I can't. It's often 3AM when I'm finally tired and still I'll get up at 8:00 AM. I hate that. My rhythm isn't made for those "business hours." It never has. I much rather take a short (30 minutes) nap in the afternoon or if I'm really tired, without limit. Possible that I feel like napping at 4PM, wake up at 8PM, have dinner and game a bit, until 2AM or so.. And no, it doesn't matter whether or not I have the lights on, music, sounds.. and it doesn't help to "slow down" like at 10PM without anything still on so I can fall asleep at 12AM. I'll just be busy thinking and rolling around. Until 2AM. So I much rather game until 2AM and get up at 8AM.

I actually had it tested and had a specialist check it, my "natural" sleeping pattern. I'm one of those people who don't have a 24-hour rhythm like most. My rhythm is, as that expert told me, "somewhere between 32 and 36 hours." Which is why I hate having to "downgrade" to 24 hours just because everybody else feels better that way.

[fragger]

lol mandru You do know your Dune Incidentally, there's a new Dune movie in the works. God knows what it will be like - they'll probably mangle the story like they did last time. I never hold out much hope for things like that. I also believe there are some novels that should be left well enough alone.

@Art, Thanks for the comment on my picture I actually built those models years ago and then forgot I even had them, which is pretty much par for the course for me I was poking thorough my Bryce folder and came across them, and decided it was about time I got on with it. They're not the only ones - I've got heaps of other things that I have yet to make use of. I just love making models in 3D programs.

Regarding sleep, I'm much the same as Art. My usual bedtime is around 2-3 am, get up around 8-9, and nap mid-afternoon for an hour or two. When I can, of course - if I'm working, I don't have the luxury of an afternoon nap. Not without getting fired I'm almost never in bed before midnight, unless I'm exceptionally tired. I've been that way pretty much all my adult life. I don't like complete darkness though. I have vertical slat-blinds on my bedroom window and I pivot them open to let ambient light in. I don't sleep with any artificial lights on though, except for my bedside LED clock.

[Art Blade]

Not without getting fired

that's hilarious.

[mandru]

@ Art - the heart rate quote is curiously familiar 


In some cuts of the 1984 release of Dune director David Lunch's name was substituted with the name Alan Smithee.  A pseudonym used when a director really doesn't want to be associated with a production.

See: www.imdb.com/name/nm0000647/

There's quite a catalogue of titles that fall under that moniker. 


Edit: minor correction for clarity

[Art Blade]

 

+ cool

[Art Blade]

fragger, now you've got your own topic.

[fragger]

Cheers