Threats to astronomical observatory sites around the world from light pollution are growing, but the existing skyglow standard for site protection dates to nearly a half-century ago. Astronomers are considering a new standard to replace it given advances in lighting technology.

Read more about what's at stake for astronomy and how this effort developed: http://www.darkskyconsulting.com/blog/toward-a-new-standard-for-astronomical-observatory-site-protection

Better yet: don’t light your garden at all. “Since artificial light in gardens disrupts natural behaviour for a range of wildlife, it’s important to retain some dark areas and also question whether you really need lighting, says the RHS.”

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/people/2025/03/31/this-trend-for-lighting-up-gardens-may-seem-an-inviting-one-but-it-needs-to-be-done-with-care/

New conference paper by @salvabara argues that "setting total emission limits becomes necessary in order to ensure that the negative effects of light pollution do not surpass red-lines of unacceptable degradation of the natural night."

https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.02724

The rise of greenhouse farming around the world has social and economic benefits, but nighttime lighting used to increase crop yields often causes light pollution problems. Read more about regulatory and tech solutions that users are pursuing.

http://www.darkskyconsulting.com/blog/greenhouse-lighting-a-growing-concern

"It’s 'absolutely astounding' that the law would prohibit state efforts to protect dark skies in the U.P., essential for preserving Indigenous cultural knowledge."

But "a group of Yoopers is mobilizing to change that."

https://www.mlive.com/environment/2025/02/michigan-bans-state-dark-sky-preserves-in-the-up-some-want-that-to-change.html

"What the Isle of Rum lacks is artificial illumination. There are no streetlights, light-flooded sports fields, neon signs, industrial sites or anything else casting a glow against the night sky. On a cold January day, the sun sets early and rises late, yielding to a blackness that envelopes the island, a blackness so deep that the light of stars manifests suddenly at dusk and the glow of the moon is bright enough to navigate by. For this reason, Rum was recently named Europe’s newest dark-sky sanctuary."

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/science/astronomy-dark-sky-rum.html

Diolch, Cymru! "#Wales will this week become the first #UK nation to introduce national good practice guidance to help protect its dark skies."

https://www.gov.wales/stars-align-wales-leads-uk-dark-skies-protection

“Most of the areas in Saudi, you could find the night sky there. All of the beautiful wonders they have, they are out in the desert, so you get the best of both worlds: beautiful nature and a great night sky.”

https://www.cnn.com/travel/saudi-arabia-first-dark-sky-park-astrotourism-spc/index.html

"Light pollution is easily preventable: turn off unnecessary lights and the problem disappears. Unlike other pollutants, there is no need for a challenging cleanup operation.

"While artificial light is sometimes necessary for safety, we should prioritise lighting methods that minimise light pollution, reducing harm to the natural world while continuing to meet societal needs."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/21/light-pollution-bright-nights-invertebrates-bats-moths

Félicitations to everyone involved in today's announcement of Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park in #France as the world's newest International Dark Sky Place.

https://darksky.org/news/landes-de-gascogne-regional-natural-park-becomes-the-sixth-international-dark-sky-reserve-reserve-internationale-de-ciel-etoile-rice-in-france/

This Friday (5th) at 1430 UTC (9:30am EST) I'll be talking dark skies as part of the Environmental Fridays lecture series. The Zoom event is free and open to the public. More information is available on their website: https://www.theenvironmentalfridays.com/

Great to see this CNN coverage of light pollution and the dark-sky movement, but at the same time it seems as though the media rediscover this story every few years and report it like it's news.

https://www.cnn.com/science/light-pollution-dark-skies-c2e-spc/index.html

FYI #astronomer folks, I just opened our astronomer in residence program applications for summer 2025 here at @AllanICarswellObservatory #yorkuniversity !

Get your resumes ready, and your red flashlights primed, summer season 2025 at the dark sky preserve of KillarneyPP in #ontario is open for astronomer candidates: https://www.yorku.ca/science/observatory/air/

Thanks to @skyandtelescope for publishing this story about light pollution and satellite impacts on the night sky resulting from our AAS Committee for the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment press briefing at #AAS245.

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/space-industry-adds-threats-to-astronomy-light-pollution-remains-a-big-problem/

It's paper day! In this @ucdavis Environmental Law and Policy Journal review with my colleagues Profs. Dana Zartner and Aparna Venkatesan (University of San Francisco), we propose new strategies that "use domestic legal mechanisms, supported by international law, to protect the darkness."

https://environs.law.ucdavis.edu/archives/48/1/right-night-new-legal-advocacy-strategies-address-terrestrial-light-pollution