1 of 29

Light Pollution & Astronomy

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

International Dark Sky Parks

&

Dark Sky Heritage

​

​

Assoc. Prof. Orkun ÖZDARCAN

Ege University, Faculty of Sciences, Astronomy and Space Sciences Department

Ege Universitesy Observatory Research and Application Center

​

November 15, 2023 – Aydın Fen Lisesi

2 of 29

Outline

  • What is light pollution?
    • Sources, reasons, types
    • How to avoid
  • Importance & Effects
    • Natural life
    • Human health
    • Astronomy
    • Energy

3 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • Unwanted/poor/excessive use of artificial light
    • Wrong place
    • Wrong time
    • Wrong direction
    • Wrong amount

​

​

​

​

​

https://gostargazing.co.uk/light-pollution/

4 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • Unwanted/poor/excessive use of artificial light

​

​

​

​

​

5 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • Unwanted/poor/excessive use of artificial light

​

​

​

​

​

6 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • Unwanted/poor/excessive use of artificial light

​

​

​

​

​

7 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • Sources
    • Lighting of roads, avenues, streets, buildings etc.
    • Light spilling from houses and buildings
    • Lights of vehicles

8 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • Types

Sky brightening

Unnecessarily too much light

9 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • Types

Light flood

dazzling light

10 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • A few example pictures

11 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • A few example pictures

12 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • How to avoid

Wrong Right place

Wrong Right time

Wrong Right direction

Wrong Right amount

​

  • The point is

correct lighting!!!

https://gostargazing.co.uk/light-pollution/

13 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • How to avoid

Wrong Right place

Wrong Right time

Wrong Right direction

Wrong Right amount

​

  • The point is correct lighting!!!

14 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • How to avoid

Wrong Right place

Wrong Right time

Wrong Right direction

Wrong Right amount

​

  • The point is correct lighting!!!

15 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • How to avoid

Wrong Right place

Wrong Right time

Wrong Right direction

Wrong Right amount

​

  • The point is

correct lighting!!!

16 of 29

What is light pollution?

  • How to avoid

Good lighting does not just happen. It is designed.

(International Association of Lighting Designers)

17 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

18 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

https://cescos.fau.edu/observatory/lightpol-security.html

19 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

Wrong outdoor lightings cause 30% of light loss.

  • costs 3,3 billion US dolars in US
  • 53 million pound in UK.
  • Corresponds to 92,5 billion TL in Turkiye
  • Ligh pollution wastes money and energy

20 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

21 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

Kurudağ - İzmir

All sky image

Ödemiş Bozdağ

All sky image

22 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

23 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

24 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

Breaking day/night cycle and secretion of melatonin hormone!!!

​

Cao and Dagian, 2023, J. Environ Sci., 127, 589

25 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

26 of 29

Importance & Effects

  • Energy
  • Air pollution
  • Security
  • Astronomy
  • Human health
  • Wild/Natural Life

Caracal; a rarely observed wild cat

Fall does not come to that part of the plant!!!

27 of 29

International Dark Sky Parks

  • Places, where no (or very restricted) lighting is used.
  • A kind of precaution against the light pollution & save the dark sky heritage for the next generations
  • https://darksky.org

28 of 29

International Dark Sky Parks

  • Currently 117 parks all over the world
  • No confirmed park in Turkiye, but two candidates:
    • Bursa Başalan Plateau
    • Ankara (three separate candidate places: Nallıhan, Şereflikoçhisar and Kızılcahamam)
  • Studies still continue…

​

29 of 29

A global problem with local solution!

  • Best precaution: increasing the education and awareness of the community!

​

  • Then dark sky projects, dark sky parks, etc…

​

Thank you for your interest.

​