What is light pollution? If you find yourself looking up at the night sky, it might take a moment for you to spot the brightest stars. You might only see three or four right away. The reason for the dimming of so many stars in our night sky is not the result of thousands of stars blinking out of existence. It’s a result of light pollution.
What causes it?
Light pollution is caused by the amount of lumens—the unit of light emitted each second— that are diffused in the sky. When you live in an area with a dense population, like New Jersey, or near a big city, the lumens emitted tend to be higher. Cities are the biggest culprits of light pollution. They generally have large populations that generate a lot of light.
However, suburbs see effects of this from local cities and neighborhoods. But not all hope is lost for the stargazers out there. It doesn’t take much to get away from the city lights to catch a glimpse of the vast milky way. Take a night drive to an area free of light pollution. You won’t have to drive as far as you think!
If you’re a South Jersey local, there are many places free of light pollution. Take a trip to the shore. Cape May County, for examples, has some of the clearest skies in South Jersey and can be the perfect place to spot the brightest stars.
What can you do to cut down it?
If you are looking to fight light pollution from your own backyard, follow these three tips.
- Install timers: the installation and use of timers in outdoor lighting can help cut out unnecessary light pollution in your neighborhood and even help cut down on energy costs.
- Change outdoor bulbs: low energy light bulbs like CFL and LEDs also aid in light pollution. Look into alternatives like solar power lights or low wattage lighting.
- Turn off outdoor lighting at night: If you are unable to get automatic timers, then be mindful of turning your lights off at the end of the day. This will not only save you on energy, but also cut down on your local light pollution. If security is a concern, look into motion sensor lighting as an alternative to keeping your lights when they need to be.
Click here for tips on lighting your home, business, landscape, and more—and contact us for a free quote on any installation or service. We are located at 80 Broad Street in Elmer, NJ and service New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.