THIS
STORY LAST UPDATED:
15 July 2003 1535 BST
LIGHT
POLLUTION |
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Picadilly Circus |
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It
is a fact. The stars are disappearing fast. The planets are growing
fainter. Comets are fading from view.
The loss of so many of the features of our universe has nothing to
do with astronomy however, but lies much closer to home. |
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Light
pollution, the wasted light that shines into our skies from factories,
streets and roads, factories and airports, is obscuring our view of
the heavens at an ever increasing rate.
According to astronomers from the Royal Astronomy just two percent
of the UK is free from light pollution and for around 90 per cent
of the population 'skyglow' is a serious problem.
Whilst the popularity of astronomy as a hobby has never been greater,
viewing the night sky in our major towns and cities is becoming increasingly
difficult.
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| Viewing
the night sky in our major towns and cities is becoming increasingly
difficult |
Satellite
images taken at night show the dramatic increase in illumination over
the last 20 years as lighting of motorways, supermarkets and home
security continues apace.
Until recently the problem had been largely ignored by architects
and planners who seemed to view artificial light as a means of enhancing
their constructions.
The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) has launched
a campaign to preserve what it sees as 'an integral part of mankind's
cultural heritage'.
More than half the children in the UK (55 percent) have never seen
the Milky Way, the band of stars and luminous gases which stretch
from horizon to horizon across the night sky, representing the 'flattened'
plane of our galaxy. This figure compares with an average of 21 percent
across the rest of the globe.
The pollution of our night skies is at last receiving the attention
of politicians as a committee of MPs has begun an inquiry into the
effects of light pollution.
Even those who could not care less about the view of Orion or the
next close encounter with Halley's comet should at least consider
that it is costing all of us dear to waste so much energy illuminating
outer space.
And can we really deny our children the wonders of the constellations
and planets?
Richard Angwin |
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