Astronomy Ireland is to launch a campaign next year to raise awareness about the problems of light pollution. Ronan McGreevyreports.
Light pollution is the scourge of astronomers around the world as it washes out the sky and makes it much more difficult to see fainter objects, particularly the Milky Way. It also deprives the public of the full pleasure of seeing the sky at night.
The benefits of dark skies would have been apparent early this morning when Mars passed close to the Moon. Mars, which is at its closest to earth for nearly 10 years, will be clearly visible all over Christmas as a reddish-coloured object in the sky.
Astronomy Ireland's chairman David Moore said the organisation is compiling a factsheet to highlight the problem which he says has implications much wider than just astronomy.
He estimates that as much as 30 per cent of the bill for public lighting, which is currently at €300 million a year, could be saved if local authorities stopped using wasteful light fittings.
Astronomy Ireland wants public lighting to be fitted with reflectors to deflect the light downwards. They are now common on the country's motorways.
"What we have at the moment are light fittings that are incredibly badly designed. They are just a bulb hanging out of a pole and so much of the lighting gets wasted because it goes upwards and not where it is supposed to go," he said. "With light shade deflectors you can go down to a lower wattage bulb, space them further apart and save energy," he said. "It's a win-win situation. Astronomers get their skies back and the public get lower energy bills and a lower carbon footprint."
Astronomy Ireland also wants local authorities to follow the lead of Kerry and Clare in setting guidelines on light pollution as a condition of planning permission.
Astronomy Ireland's campaign is part of a worldwide campaign which began in Tucson, Arizona in the 1970s when the local observatory was unable to operate because of the glare of city lighting. Tucson introduced laws restricting public lighting which have been copied across the US.