Night Sky Team Helps Curb Light Pollution

March 4, 2008 - When was the last time you took some time out of your busy routine to look up at the night sky and get to know the Cosmos, aka our solar system? Me personally, I can't say I've taken a good long look in a good long while. I imagine my situation is like most people: You're aware of the deep connection that prior civilizations have had with the Cosmos and appreciate your own connection with the same.

But maybe you could be connecting deeper? And whether or not you believe in the zodiac, nobody can deny that we live amidst the stars and would not exist without them...Yep, that's right. The Sun is a star.

That being said, it certainly is good news to hear that the National Park Service is now considering the night sky as part of the natural landscape it is charged to protect. Now running their own agency, known as the "Night Sky Team", the National Park Service is busy working to curb light pollution in some fifty national parks.

The Night Sky Team consists of four earth scientists with the means to measure each park's nighttime brightness. Advising park managers to switch to dimmer, energy efficient light bulbs and implementing education outreach programs for park visitors, Night Sky Team is doing it's part in reducing light pollution and giving campers a better opportunity to connect with the Cosmos. And with increased government funding this year, Night Sky Team will be able to assess the light pollution in even more parks.

The only catch is that light pollution has been steadily increasing - and it's obviously not the National Parks who are to blame. As the U.S. population continues to rise, there is less space separating our parks from cities and residences. In fact, development around parks has reached an alarming rate if we look at the long terms effects. In other words, the big picture of the Big Dipper.

According to a 2006 analysis, more than 1.3 million people have moved into regions surrounding six landmark national parks, including the Everglades and Yellowstone. At this rate, by 2025 even the most remote places - like deserts and the Great Plains - will have an unnaturally brighter sky.

And while this certainly isn't the end of the world, the fact of the matter is that humanity needs to be reconnecting with the Cosmos and natural world. We need to be more mindful in this new paradigm. And with the continued help of the Night Sky Team, may our mindfulness be awakened once again.

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