By: Jan Hattenbach June 25, 2025 in Sky & Telescope and Laurie Winkless, July 23, 2025, Contributor at Forbes Magazine.

Walking through neighborhoods, volunteers identified sources of light pollution —surprisingly, streetlights weren’t the main culprit. New research reveals many previously underappreciated sources of light pollution.

​If you’ve noticed your night sky becoming brighter over recent years, you’re not imagining things: Studies from the ground suggest that the amount that artificial light spills into the atmosphere is increasing by 10% year over year. We were supposed to see the opposite effect. Yet conversion of streetlights to energy-efficient LEDs, often fully shielded to direct light toward the ground, somehow weren’t doing the trick.

​Using a simple app — and the help of hundreds of citizen scientists — a research group led by Christopher Kyba (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany) has found out the cause of this discrepancy. Publicly controlled streetlights only make up only a small percentage of contaminating light sources. The vast majority of light-pollution sources are private and commercial windows and signs, which so far have hardly been studied, let alone regulated.

“Policies on energy and lighting as well as research on the effect of artificial light on the environment have generally focused on street lighting,” Kyba writes in Nature Cities, published on June 16th. “Our results indicate that a broader approach that takes all lighting into account will be needed to understand and to mitigate the environmental effects of light from cities.”   

​To match satellite images of cities at night with actual light sources on the ground, the team designed an app called Nachtlichter (“night lights” in German). About 250 citizen scientists used it to count and classify all light sources they could find as they walked along streets, paths, and alleys in predetermined areas in Germany. The surveyed areas included city centers, residential neighborhoods, dense commercial and industrial zones, and villages.

During the autumn of 2021, the users registered a total of 234,044 individual lights over the course of more than 4,400 surveys. The team then compared these counts with nighttime satellite imagery — specifically, visible- and near-infrared-light images taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Day-Night Band instrument aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite. The scientists used that comparison to translate the radiance as seen from above into the number of lights on the ground.

​They use this conversion to interpret satellite observations of other areas. For example, Kyba’s team estimates there are  2.5 million light sources that are on in the city of Berlin, and close to 80 million light sources for all of mainland Germany. That’s about one light source per inhabitant.

The team also discussed the types of lighting present in the surveyed areas. Surprisingly, streetlights only made up 10.3% of all the light sources. Many (48.2%) were illuminated private windows, and commercial windows added another 7.4%. Other source types made up the remaining 18%, including illuminated signs, floodlights, facade illuminations, video screens, decorative lights, and illuminated house numbers and door bells.

This result explains the discrepancy between satellite images and perceived skyglow: By focusing on public streetlights, almost half of which are full shielded in Germany, researchers ignore that most light pollution comes from other sources. In addition, satellite images, often taken around local midnight, miss a lot of private and commercial lighting that’s present during the evening hours. (This reasoning may also explain why images taken by Earth-observing satellites see a more moderate increase in light pollution than measured from the ground: just 2% yearly.)

The result may help explain why the conversion of public lighting to LED failed to decrease skyglow, as had been expected due to previous studies. Any improvement in public lighting may have been overwhelmed by a simultaneous increase in other light sources’ number and intensity. 

​Kyba’s team concludes that lighting policies should therefore target commercial lighting. Over a quarter of illuminated signs in commercial areas were reported as exceptionally bright by the volunteers, suggesting that regulations, mostly enacted decades before LED took over, may need to be updated. The team names France as a positive example, where new regulation requires advertising and interior lights to be turned off when there’s low pedestrian traffic and low building occupation, respectively.

There’s still more work to be done: Because the team focused on Germany, the results cannot be easily extrapolated to other places. That’s because even countries of similar wealth and development can have dramatically different light emissions per capita when observed from space. A 2019 study, for example, found that the U.S. emits three times more light into space than Europe, and even in Europe there is large variation between different nations.

Secondly, the study only registered the number of sources and not their individual contribution to skyglow. The scattering of light overhead will differ for an illuminated sign compared to a fully shielded lamp, for example. Therefore, it doesn’t really tell us how much skyglow each source type generates, Kyba says: “What I think we can say is that streetlights become less important, the more dense and brighter a region is. In rural areas and suburbs, the relative contribution of streetlights to skyglow (especially late at night) is larger than it is for city centers.”

Future surveys in and outside of Germany may fill some of these gaps. The Nachtlichter team already undertook a second campaign in 2023 on the same roads and neighborhoods but at different hours during the night. Another campaign is also planned in Ireland.

The light pollution problem is set to spiral out of control, unless sharper and more effective tools are found to mitigate its effects. Finding out who and what actually pollutes most is a crucial step toward that goal.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that excessive or inappropriate use of artificial lighting at night (ALAN) has widespread implications for ecological health. It can confuse and endanger nocturnal species who are active at night. Migratory birds and bats are diverted and disoriented by the presence of artificial lighting on their routes, with many killed as a result of colliding with brightly-lit structures. Other species including frogs change their breeding behaviors. A study published last month that looked at 7 years of VIIRS data from 428 Northern Hemisphere cities concluded that artificial light may be lengthening the growing season in urban environments by as much as 3 weeks compared to rural areas.

Humans are also not immune from ALAN’s influence, though it can be challenging to separate it out from that of other environmental factors. Unsurprisingly, it has been shown to disrupt our circadian rhythms (the 24-ish hour cycles that regulate how our bodies function, including our wake-sleep cycle). These disruptions, in turn, have been linked to an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases, chronic stress, and depression. Chronic, long-term, regular, or cumulative exposure to ALAN may even be a risk factor for certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.

Put simply, too much light at night is bad for everyone. And as these (and many other) studies show, most of the light polluting our night skies has nothing to do with safety on our roads and streets. It’s mostly about advertising and poorly mounted floodlights, and to a much, much lesser extent, people not closing their curtains.

The solutions are relatively simple and numerous. As a start: Avoid lighting up places that don’t actually need to be lit. Where light is needed, be more intentional about what type, how much, and its location. Use timers or motion sensors to enable lights-out periods.

​Light pollution is serious. More cities need to start treating it as such.

Founded in 2019, DarkSky Oregon has become one of the leading advocates of night sky conservation in the United States. Led by diverse board of individuals with their own unique perspectives and talents, and who value a night sky for its important environmental, health, and aesthetic values, in just a few short years DarkSky Oregon has accomplished a remarkable record of night sky conservation achievements.

Oregon currently has seven certified International DarkSky Places – Sunriver, Antelope, Sisters, Prineville Reservoir State Park, Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Oregon Caves National Monument and part of the Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary. Benefits of a DarkSky International dark sky place certification include improved quality of life for people, protection of wildlife ecosystems, and the economic value of dark sky tourism.

With support from DarkSky Oregon and from numerous visitor associations, dozens of groups of Oregonians across the state are organizing and working toward recognizing the importance of the night sky and pursuing dark sky place certifications:

Eugene
Misty Bowman and others are organizing a dark sky support group. Read Misty’s Guest Viewpoint in the Eugene Weekly. Contact DarkSky Oregon to participate in the Eugene group.

Portland
Albert Kaufman has organized an email list “Friends of the Portland Night Sky”. Sign up and get involved. Can Portland attain certification as an International Dark Sky Community? Yes, with your help.

Salem
A group “Dark Skies For Salem” is organizing with a goal to encourage the city to work toward dark sky certification. Contact DarkSky Oregon to participate in the Salem group.

Columbia River Gorge
Mike Hendricks of Hood River has organized an email group “Dark Skies Gorge.” Here’s the July 2025 update and Contact information.

​Halfway
​Pam Conley and Rachel Cairns have organized “Dark Skies Over Halfway” to work toward certification as a Dark Sky Community. The Hells Canyon Journal covered their progress in an article on July 30th.
​
Bend
A group“Dark Skies Over Bend” is organizing with a goal to encourage the city to work toward dark sky certification. Contact DarkSky Oregon  to participate in the Bend group.

Applegate Valley
In the Applegate Valley of Southwest Oregon there is now a dark sky group, “Applegate After Dark.” Community members are working to raise awareness of dark sky concepts in collaboration with local non-profits.

Lincoln City
Lincoln City, with support from Explore Lincoln City, is actively working toward certification as a Dark Sky Community.  Also see Engage Lincoln City.

City of Cave Junction
The Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce has received a grant from Travel Oregon’s Recreation Ready program to work toward the City of Cave Junction's nomination as a Dark Sky Community. Here’s their Phase 1 Feasibility Report and Action Plan.  Contact Megan Curtis (541)592-3326 or [email protected] for more information.

Blue River
Community members have organized the “Blue River Night Sky Alliance” with a goal of Dark Sky Community certification and in fact, dark skies along the entire 60 mile “Main Street” of the McKenzie River corridor. Here’s a writeup from the Lane Electric Cooperative, “Going Dark for the Stars.”

Eagle Crest
Community members have organized “Dark Skies Over Eagle Crest”, at the resort west of Redmond. The group is making progress, educating homeowners and management about reducing unnecessary outdoor lighting.  Learn more.

Wallowa Lake State Park
Rangers at Wallowa Lake State Park in northeastern Oregon are working for certification as an International Dark Sky Park. Data from a Sky Quality Meter, running there for the past four years, demonstrates that the Park's night sky is quite dark!

​For more information on how to get involved and support these efforts, contact DarkSky Oregon.

​Originally published by DarkSky Oregon August 2025.

In Los Angeles County - home to millions - members of the public and the county government are making the effort to inform, educate about, and improve the regulation of outdoor lighting to benefit today's and future generations. What follows is one of the most impressive introductions on the need for the mitigation of light pollution I've ever read.

Written by a field deputy from the Board of County Supervisors Office, it serves as an outstanding example for other communities that truly wish to conserve the beauty and ecology of their natural nighttime environment.

Protecting a Vital Resource

Los Angeles County, with its remarkable geographic diversity, is home to an array of unique geologic features that collectively form a rich tapestry of natural and ecological resources. Despite being one of the most populous counties in the United States, it is also home to significant rural areas, many of which are unincorporated and sparsely populated. These regions, including the San Gabriel National Monument, Angeles National Forest, and portions of the Mojave Desert in the northern High Desert, have historically preserved the beauty of dark night skies due to minimal human development. These vast, undisturbed and minimally disturbed areas remain havens for natural darkness. They face increasing threats from the proliferation of modern lighting technologies, such as LEDs and other high-intensity lighting systems with varying color temperatures. Without deliberate intervention, these invaluable natural resources are at risk of further degradation.
​
Dark skies are fundamental to life on Earth, tied to the natural rhythms established over billions of years by the planet’s rotation and orbit around the sun. For millennia, living organisms have evolved in harmony with cycles of light and darkness, but the advent of artificial light at night has disrupted this equilibrium. Light pollution, broadly defined as the excessive, unwanted, or inappropriate use of artificial light, has profound consequences for ecosystems, wildlife, human health, and energy consumption. For nocturnal species, which make up nearly half of all organisms on Earth, darkness is a critical component of their habitat, guiding essential behaviors such as navigation, mating, nesting, and predator evasion. Plants and ecosystems are also affected, as artificial light interferes with growth, flowering, and dormancy cycles. For humans, light pollution disrupts circadian rhythms, wastes energy, and diminishes opportunities to experience the profound connection of observing the night sky, severing cultural and historical traditions of stargazing and celestial navigation.

​Globally, approximately 80% of people now live under light-polluted skies, and only 20% can still view the Milky Way. Human infrastructure introduces artificial light into places and times it does not naturally occur, with significant unintended consequences. The intensity, color temperature, and direction of artificial lighting contribute to these effects, and research increasingly highlights the adverse impacts of light pollution on biodiversity, human well-being, and even climate change. In parks and protected areas, even distant light sources can degrade habitat quality. The National Park Service's Night Skies Team has documented light pollution, including sky glow, originating up to 200 miles away from its source, underscoring the need for comprehensive regional strategies to mitigate its effects.

In Los Angeles County, efforts to address light pollution have included the establishment of the Rural Outdoor Lighting District (ROLD), which aims to preserve and promote dark skies in rural unincorporated areas. The ordinance includes requirements for shielded and angled lighting to prevent light spillover, minimize light pollution, and protect the County’s unique natural and cultural heritage. By maintaining dark skies, the ROLD seeks to preserve the relationship between residents and their environment, support astronomical observation, protect wildlife dependent on natural darkness, reduce energy waste, and balance lighting needs for safety, security, and recreation. However, the ROLD has not been updated since 2012, despite advancements in lighting technology and a growing understanding of light pollution’s impacts. Regular evaluations and updates are necessary to ensure the ordinance remains effective in addressing current and future challenges. Since the rise of LEDs and other technologies has altered the landscape of outdoor lighting, the County must remain vigilant in adapting its policies to protect this critical resource.

Natural darkness is not merely a scenic resource valued by stargazers and astronomers; it is an essential element of ecological and biological processes. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, natural darkness is integral to preserving ecological continuity, including enabling nocturnal species to thrive and supporting natural processes such as free-flowing rivers and unaltered wildlife habitats. Many of the darkest skies in the nation are found within national wildlife refuges, but these areas are not immune to light pollution. Over the past five decades, night sky quality has steeply declined, making the preservation of darkness a nationally significant issue. The absence of artificial light is vital to nocturnal species that rely on natural patterns of light and dark for survival, underscoring the importance of protecting dark skies not just for aesthetic or cultural reasons, but as a cornerstone of ecological health.

In addition to revising and strengthening the ROLD, enforcement must be addressed. Communities have frequently reported that enforcement of the ordinance is insufficient, and current efforts are hampered by staffing and technological limitations. Exploring innovative enforcement solutions, such as automated compliance monitoring and community reporting mechanisms, could help ensure adherence to the ordinance. Updated policies should also address replacing failing or outdated lighting with compliant alternatives and introducing phased timelines for retrofitting existing non-compliant lighting systems. Reducing light pollution offers numerous benefits, including enhanced visibility of stars, improved conditions for wildlife, better human health and well-being, energy savings, and a renewed connection to the night sky. Beyond ecological and cultural considerations, reducing light pollution represents a commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
​
Los Angeles County has a responsibility to preserve its dark skies for current and future generations. By revisiting and enhancing the ROLD, strengthening enforcement, and embracing advancements in lighting technology, the County can protect its natural environment, cultural heritage, and biodiversity. Preserving the night is not only an ecological and cultural imperative but also a vital step in ensuring the harmony and health of both human and natural systems under the timeless beauty of a star-filled sky.

​Previous studies in the Puget Sound region showed impacts of light pollution on salmon watersheds.

A new study describes how light pollution affects freshwater micro-ecology. One of the study participants - Franz Holker - started the research program at the LakeLab at Lake Stechlin in Germany that resulted in this paper, among many others. They set up a series of what they call “mesocosms” in the lake. These are tubular structures that allow lake water to circulate through them, but that are shielded from view of each other so they can put different lighting treatments over each:

'Skyglow' from light pollution causes more problems than we knew

By Andrei Ionescu
Earth.com staff writer
​
Faint glows in the night sky, often seen above distant city skylines, can do more than reveal urban sprawl. Recent findings show that even extremely low levels of artificial light can affect freshwater systems, sparking rises in certain algae while changing how carbon flows through lake ecosystems.

Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) investigated these effects, demonstrating how skyglow – artificial light scattered in the atmosphere – can reach remote lakes and subtly disrupt the balance of microscopic organisms.

“The effects of skyglow on freshwater ecosystems were largely unknown until recently. However, we have now learned that many of the organisms in lakes follow a day-night rhythm.,” said IGB researcher Hans-Peter Grossart, who led the research.
​
“In our study, we have shown that artificial light at night promotes the proliferation of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, which can produce toxins. Skyglow also stimulates carbon cycling in freshwaters.”
​

Studying light pollution in lakes

The team used the IGB’s LakeLab, a one-of-a-kind experimental platform set within a larger lake. This setup consists of 24 separate enclosures, each containing 1,300 cubic meters of lake water and isolating its contents from the rest of the environment.

At the start of the experiment, the researchers ensured that algae, bacteria, fungi, and small crustaceans were evenly distributed throughout all of these enclosures.

Ten of these sections were lit at night for a month using a specially designed system that introduced levels of illumination ranging from 0.06 lux, resembling typical skyglow in urbanized areas, to 6 lux, the highest documented skyglow level ever measured. Five enclosures were left dark as controls.


Artificial illumination and cyanobacteria

The experiment was designed to test whether low-intensity nighttime light would alter the composition and metabolism of lake organisms.

The focus was on microorganisms, especially the bacteria and algae crucial to cycling nutrients like carbon. The scientists wanted to see if weak night lighting could trigger noticeable changes in how the lake community produced and processed organic material.

Study co-author Mark Gessner is an IGB researcher one of the coordinators of the project on light pollution in lakes.

“The IGB LakeLab offers ideal conditions for such a large-scale experiment where cause-and-effect relationships can be ascertained in realistic field settings by comparing responses of lit and unlit control enclosures,” said Gessner.
​

Bacteria respond to low light levels

During the trial, the scientists tracked how bacterial populations grew and responded, with a particular focus on cyanobacteria and other bacteria that rely on light to generate energy.

The results were significant: these light-using microorganisms increased on average by a factor of 32 in the lit enclosures compared to the dark ones.

Many of them, including cyanobacteria and certain anaerobic phototrophs, rose to levels high enough to suggest a direct response to even the weakest artificial glow.

“In our experiments, even very low light intensities of 0.06 lux were sufficient to elicit a response,” explained co-author Stella Berger, a phytoplankton expert at IGB.

These findings highlight how extremely subtle amounts of artificial light may have bigger ecosystem effects than scientists once assumed.

Disrupted carbon cycling and toxinsWhen more light-favoring microbes thrive, the processes driving organic matter production, consumption, and decomposition shift accordingly.

Freshwater systems depend on a balanced cycle: algae, aquatic plants, and photosynthetic bacteria convert inorganic elements such as carbon dioxide into organic matter, which eventually serves as food for other creatures.

Bacteria that function as decomposers break down leftover material, returning nutrients to the environment. The presence of extra cyanobacteria can throw off this balance, sometimes producing toxins harmful to fish, wildlife, and even humans if they accumulate in drinking water sources.

Light pollution changes lakesLaboratory analysis of water samples from the lit enclosures revealed that under conditions resembling typical urban skyglow, bacterial decomposition of organic substances ramped up considerably.

Genetic evidence confirmed that community composition shifted, with certain species thriving under low artificial light and altering the rate at which carbon and nutrients circulated in the lake.
​
“An illuminance of 0.06 lux is roughly the illuminance to which organisms can be exposed over large urban areas,” added IGB researcher Franz Hölker, co-author of the study and second coordinator of the project.
This subtle glow, in other words, matches the brightness that rural or distant locations may experience simply because of distant city lights scattering in the atmosphere.

Implications for water quality

The study’s conclusions carry weight for managing freshwater resources. Cyanobacteria blooms can disrupt recreation, kill fish, and release toxins that pose public health risks.
​
Even if other conditions including temperature and nutrient levels remain stable, the presence of faint artificial light at night might be one more factor tipping the scales toward damaging algae blooms.
The researchers suggest that for cases where algal blooms are not easily explained, light pollution should be considered as a contributing cause.
​

Global increase in light pollution

The growing use of satellite imagery and drone technologies can help track which regions might be most affected, offering early warning and mitigation strategies. Still, prevention remains challenging.

The broader global increase in artificial lighting could spark far-reaching changes in habitats never intended to be illuminated.

By showing that conditions once deemed too dim to matter can trigger noteworthy ecological responses, this research shifts the conversation about artificial light pollution.

Though it is easy to overlook faint skyglow, lakes teeming with life are more sensitive to these gentle, scattered illuminations than previously realized.

​Regarding this study and others, John Barentine, PhD, Principle at Dark Sky Consulting stated the following:

​
The City of Sisters and DarkSky International have announced that Sisters has become certified as an International Dark Sky Community, making it the newest addition to the International Dark Sky Places Program. 

Announcement from DarkSky International

Sisters, located in the central part of Oregon, is a picturesque western town with a population of 3,475, surrounded by forest and the Cascade Mountains. The city is flanked by the Deschutes National Forest on the west and the arid high desert on the east.  With endless hiking, alpine lakes, and two nearby ski areas, recreational opportunities abound, all within a three-hour drive of Portland Oregon and the Pacific Ocean.

Community members have demonstrated their commitment to dark sky preservation through a range of educational and outreach initiatives, including the formation of the City and High School astronomy clubs more than a decade ago. As part of the certification process, the city enhanced its outdoor lighting ordinance in 2024, ensuring that it meets the dark skies standards established by DarkSky International. The City of Sisters outdoor lighting ordinance can be a model for other communities in Oregon.

DarkSky Oregon supported this certification by analyzing  the night sky measurement data captured over four years by volunteers from the City of Sisters.

​The City of Sisters is the second International Dark Sky Community to be certified in Oregon, and the seventh International Dark Sky Place in Oregon to earn this pretentious honor, joining:
​

• Cottonwood Canyon State Park International Dark Sky Park,
• City of Antelope International Dark Sky Community,
• Oregon Caves National Monument International Dark Sky Park,
• Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary,
• Prineville Reservoir State Park International Dark Sky Park, and
• Sunriver International Development of Distinction.​

DarkSky International retains a global committee of experts who rigorously review dark sky place applications from around the world. For a deep dive, here is Sister’s successful application for certification as an International Dark Sky Community.
​

By Drew Reagan
Published December 20, 2024 by  DarkSky International & DarkSky Oregon

Wasco, Oregon

Cottonwood Canyon State Park in Oregon has been officially certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International. This recognition makes it Oregon’s second state park to receive the certification and the state's sixth International Dark Sky Place. Other certified locations in Oregon include Prineville Reservoir State Park, Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary (Lake County), the town of Antelope Dark Sky Community, and the Sunriver International Dark Sky  Development of Distinction.

“The Dark Sky Committee was pleased to approve Cottonwood Canyon State Park, joining the family of dark places in Oregon. Their novel approach to education using interpretation panels and hands-on activities should prove an effective outreach method. Combined with good examples of good lighting – including lighting for the resident chickens – the Cottonwood Canyon State Park is a valuable resource for visitors and wildlife alike,” remarked Dan Oakley, chair of the International Dark Sky Places committee.

The effort, which started in 2020, spanned four years and included multiple park rangers and managers, with ongoing support from DarkSky Oregon. With the persistent work of David Spangler, Evan Siedl, Stan Petersen, Asa Miller, Scott Green, and our enthusiastic and dedicated partners, including Michael McKeag of DarkSky Oregon, professional photographers Dawn and Brent Davis, and Rose City Astronomers volunteers, the longtime goal of becoming an International Dark Sky Park is now a reality.

Cottonwood Canyon State Park comprises over 16,000 acres of public land along the John Day River. The Park was purchased from the non-profit group Western Rivers Conservancy in 2011 to protect natural and cultural resources. Cottonwood is open year-round and offers 21 reservable campsites, 14 first-come tent-only sites, and four cabins. In addition to camping, Cottonwood also provides miles of hiking trails, hunting, fishing, rafting, and many other recreational opportunities along the beautiful John Day River. The Park is also one of Oregon’s naturally dark parks, remote and nestled among deep canyon walls, making it an ideal location to stargaze.
​
Cottonwood Canyon had many outdoor lights on buildings, so the journey to become a Dark Sky Park was no small task. Every light was inventoried, and non-compliant bulbs or fixtures were either removed or replaced with alternatives meeting DarkSky standards.  Interpretive signs were installed to educate visitors on protecting our dark skies while camping here. A sky quality meter, installed in December 2020, has been measuring and recording night sky brightness nightly since. Supplemental handheld meter measurements are made at additional locations periodically.  Public outreach star parties are held each new moon weekend in the summer months, including a ranger presentation on light pollution and night sky protection. Rose City Astronomers volunteers provide campers with telescope views of the wonders of the night sky. 

​We are committed to continually improving our Dark Sky interpretive programs and facilities. We will continue monitoring night sky quality and taking measures necessary to ensure this amazing resource is preserved for future generations to enjoy.

“As the former Manager and Ranger at Cottonwood Canyon State Park, I have always had the goal of seeing certification as an International Dark Sky Park. Cottonwood, with its unique location, is the perfect Oregon State Park to educate on the importance of dark skies and astronomy,” – David Spangler.

“I can speak for the rest of the staff that we are both ecstatic and grateful to have earned the International Dark Sky Park certification and will continue the work to protect our dark skies,” – Park Ranger Stanley Petersen.

“It has been a pleasure to work with the management and rangers at Cottonwood Canyon over the years. Cottonwood Canyon State Park is a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered,” Michael McKeag, DarkSky Oregon.
​
“I’m very proud that Cottonwood Canyon is now the second Oregon State Park to receive the International Dark Sky Park Certification.  Cottonwood Canyon is a special place, but the true beauty of the Park is the magical display of the night sky,” – Park Manager Scott Green.

DarkSky Oregon is pleased to have played a significant role in this achievement. DarkSky International retains a global committee of experts who rigorously review dark sky place applications from around the world. For a deep dive, here is Cottonwood Canyon’s successful application for certification as an International Dark Sky Park.

The tiny town of Antelope is Oregon’s first Dark Sky Community
Updated: Dec. 08, 2024, 12:45 p.m. Originally Published: Dec. 06, 2024

​By  Samantha Swindler | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The tiny town of Antelope – population 37 – has become the first city in Oregon to receive a “Dark Sky Community” certification from DarkSky International.

Located in rural Wasco County in the north central part of the state, the town’s unofficial motto is, “Where you can see the Milky Way from Main Street.”

Antelope is the fifth location – but first city – in Oregon to receive a DarkSky International certification. The unincorporated community of Sunriver was the first, earning a “Development of Distinction” designation in 2020.

Prineville Reservoir was named a Dark Sky Park in 2021, and the Oregon Caves National Monument became a Dark Sky Park last month. Earlier this year, the Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary was officially approved, spanning 2.5 million rural acres across southern Oregon.

The designations are given by DarkSky International, an organization dedicated to protecting the nighttime environment and preserving dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.
​
Antelope was incorporated in 1901, but Oregonians might know it best for the brief period in 1984-85 when members of the Rajneesh Movement moved to town and officially changed its name to Rajneesh.

By the end of 1985 – amid a failed assassination attempt and a mass poisoning attack in The Dalles – the religious movement fell apart, the Rajneesh followers left, and the town was renamed Antelope. The 2018 Netflix series “Wild Wild Country” brought the episode to an even wider audience.

“I really wanted to see Antelope be known for something better than that long past incident,” said Michael McKeag, a DarkSky Oregon co-founder who worked with the city on the designation. He attended an Antelope City Council meeting in August 2023 to talk about the process of becoming a Dark Sky city.

​“Knowing how small Antelope is, I was surprised at how full the room was,” he said. “After I finished my presentation, I figured, the response would be, ‘Well, that’s interesting. We’ll think about it.’ Instead, the response was, ‘How fast can we make it happen?’”

To get the certification, the city of Antelope adopted a new outdoor lighting ordinance, worked with Wasco Rural Electric to remove nonessential streetlights from town, and replaced the remaining streetlights with DarkSky approved fixtures that limit the amount of light pollution. Exposure to artificial nighttime lighting can disrupt wildlife and, studies show, negatively impact human health.

Over 16 months, the town recorded data on nighttime light levels and held outreach events to give residents free DarkSky-friendly outdoor light bulbs. The Rose City Astronomers club donated three telescopes to the community for “star parties” to get locals interested in the beauty of the night sky.
​
Becoming a Dark Sky Community is a long-term commitment, McKeag said, and requires the city to file annual reports on their continuing use of appropriate lighting practices and public outreach.
​
“You don’t just hang the plaque on the wall and call it done,” he said. “Each community or Dark Sky Place is taking on an ongoing obligation.”

 
Travel Oregon has encouraged rural communities like Antelope to go for the certification as a way to capture “astro-tourism.” McKeag is working with other cities, state parks and organizations interested in the DarkSky program.

He said Sisters is on track to become the next Oregon city to receive a certification.

“It’s our window into the rest of the universe we live in, and we’ve obscured that window through our use of outdoor lighting,” McKeag said. “A great majority of people on the planet can’t see the Milky Way, and maybe can only see the brightest stars from where they live. If they’re going to have an experience of a dark sky with the Milky Way and stars and planets plainly visible, they have to leave home and go someplace that still has dark skies, and those will be rural communities.”

Written by Elizabeth Pratt on September 6, 2024 Medical News Today

Excessive exposure to light pollution at night may raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

• Researchers found that in people 65 and younger light pollution had a stronger correlation to Alzheimer’s disease prevalence than any other risk factor studied.
• Experts say more research is needed to fully determine if light pollution is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
• Excessive light pollution at night could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly for people under 65.

Research published in Frontiers in Neuroscience found exposure to light pollution at night time could be an important modifiable risk factor to investigate in Alzheimer’s disease.

“We show that in the U.S. there is a positive association between [Alzheimer’s] prevalence and exposure to light at night, particularly in those under the age of 65,” Robin Voigt-Zuwala, Ph.D., first author of the study and an associate professor at Rush University Medical Center

“Nightly light pollution – a modifiable environmental factor – may be an important risk factor for [Alzheimer’s],” he said.

Higher risk of Alzheimer’s with brighter nights

In undertaking their research, the study authors used data from satellites to determine the average night-time light intensity in the U.S. between the years 2012–2018.

They ranked the lower 48 U.S. states according to their average nighttime light intensity. The states were then split into five groups, from the darkest states at night with the lowest average light intensity to the brightest states at night with the highest average light intensity.

The researchers also gathered Medicare data to determine the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in those states.
They found statistical differences between the states that were the darkest at night and the brightest at night. Higher intensity of light pollution at night was positively associated with the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease.
That effect held for people under and over the age of 65, for both men and women and for all races studied except for Asian Pacific Islanders.

They found that for people who were ages 65 and older, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease had a stronger correlation with nighttime light pollution than other potential disease risk factors like chronic kidney disease, alcohol abuse, depression, and obesity.

But for this group, there were some risk factors that had a stronger correlation with Alzheimer’s disease than light pollution. These included high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.

In people aged under 65, the study authors found that a higher intensity of light pollution at night was associated with a greater prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease than any other risk factor studied.
The study authors note their research has some limitations. The Medicare data was limited, the study examined prevalence of Alzheimer’s but not incidence and no indoor light data was available.

“Indoor light exposure (e.g., televisions, computers, phones) is critically important and should be evaluated in future studies,” the study authors write. “The totality of outdoor and indoor nighttime light exposure is important to consider to fully understand the impact of nighttime light on [Alzheimer’s].”

​Sleep an important factor in Alzheimer’s risk

Nikki-Anne Wilson, Ph.D., a University of New South Wales Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Conjoint Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), who was not involved in the study, said that while it remains to be seen if nighttime light exposure is truly a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, sleep may be an important piece of the puzzle.
​
“Research investigating dementia, and factors which contribute to its development, is continuing to evolve as we address emerging issues in our environment. It is too early to say whether light pollution may contribute to dementia risk. However, we do know that the development of good sleep habits is associated with broader health benefits,” she told Medical News Today.

​​The researchers note there are numerous potential mechanisms through which nighttime light pollution may impact Alzheimer’s disease.

One of them is the role of sleep disruption. Wilson says the impact this can have on the brain’s processes is an important factor to consider.

“We know that sleep plays an important role in clearing the protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease, known as amyloid-beta, from the brain. If sleep is disrupted, by things such as light or an untreated sleep disorder such as sleep apnoea, the ability for our brain to clear this protein is reduced. Further, poor sleep quality may have a broader impact on other risk factors, such as depression, level of physical activity, and high blood pressure,” she said.

More risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease

In the United States, in 2024, roughly 6.9 million Americans ages 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s. Of those, 73% are 75 years of age or older.

In most people, the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not fully understood. But scientists believe it is likely a complex combination of genetic, health, and lifestyle factors, together with age-related changes taking place in the brain.

Some risk factors, like age and family history, can’t be changed. However, some risk factors believed to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease may be modifiable.

These include smoking, misuse of alcohol, physical inactivity, poor sleep, unhealthy diet, social isolation, and a lack of mental stimulation.

Clifford Segil, DO a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, who was also not involved in the study, said that more research is needed to determine if nighttime light exposure is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s.
​
“It is challenging as a neurologist to agree that patients who stay up at night doing things with lights are going to increase their risk later in life to get Alzheimer’s dementia. Nighttime light exposure is not an accepted dementia risk factor and it will take a lot more than a single article like this to add this to the battery of risk factors we currently assess in patients being diagnosed with dementia by neurologists,” he told MNT.

​Keeping the lights on at night
​
The researchers note that in some places around the world, particularly urban centers, lights never go off.

“Today, most people living in urban and suburban areas are unable to see natural celestial light due to light pollution and as much as 80% of the global population experience light pollution. Although artificial light at night is considered by most to be harmless or even beneficial (e.g., safety), light pollution has detrimental ecological, behavioral, biological, and health consequences,” they write.

They are hopeful their findings raise awareness of some of the possible risks associated with exposure to light at night.

“Awareness of the association should empower people – particularly those with risk factors for [Alzheimer’s] – to make easy lifestyle changes,” said Voigt-Zuwala in a press statement. “Easy to implement changes include using blackout curtains or sleeping with eye masks. This is useful especially for those living in areas with high light pollution.”

By Jim Drake. July 18, 2024. 

​Two Gorge residents in Oregon are trying to convince officials that light pollution is on the rise and that adopting “dark sky” policies for outdoor lighting will help bring traditional nighttime back to the Columbia River Gorge. 

Mike Hendricks of Hood River and Michael McKeag of Mosier have been organizing community outreach programs and collecting years of nighttime sky-quality data to promote the work of DarkSky Oregon, a chapter of DarkSky International, dedicated to reducing light pollution “for the health, safety and well-being of all life.”

According to Hendricks, the view of the night sky is better in Hood River than in big cities, but he’s afraid if rural communities don’t act now to reduce the ever-expanding impact of lighting at night, the beauty and majesty of the Milky Way will fade from view.

Generations will be left without an opportunity to be inspired by the stars.

Hendricks started a local advocacy group, DarkSky Gorge, to raise awareness, and is encouraged by the 85 members so far.

“I joined in this effort because I love the dark sky at night, it’s really nothing more complicated than that. I’m lucky enough to have a view of the sky from our deck and when you look at it, you understand your place in the universe,” says Hendricks.

How lights impact wildlife

It turns out light pollution causes more problems than just having a negative impact on viewing the night skies.

Scientists have amassed a body of research showing that unintended consequences of Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) is creating a host of environmental problems. 

​These include interfering with bird migrations, significant decreases in insect populations, changes in nocturnal animal behavior and sleep patterns, throwing normal predation/prey relationships into imbalance, decreasing nighttime pollination processes, disrupting aquatic populations and even changing the foliage cycles for trees.
 
“My colleague, John Barantine at DarkSky Consulting (and formerly with DarkSky International), has compiled a database of more than 5,000 papers on ALAN research, and he produces a yearly summary of major findings,” says McKeag.

Humans aren’t immune to changes in the nighttime sky.

Extra exposure to light during what should be dark nighttime conditions can affect melatonin levels, important in many hormonal body functions.

And in a sort of ironic technological twist, modern LED lights, which account for energy savings, can produce a spectrum of light that has higher levels (than previous bulbs) of blue light, which is the normal color of daylight.
Studies show that exposure to blue light (420-440 nanometer wavelength) from LED bulbs can suppress melatonin production, interfering with natural sleep cycles and circadian rhythms in humans and animals.

Monitoring Gorge skies

Efforts to measure and document the nighttime sky conditions affected by light from cities, buildings, streetlights and other outdoor lighting sources are being led by groups like DarkSky International and their state chapters.

DarkSky International has an interest in returning the night sky to conditions that allow a clear view for all to see.
Today’s nighttime view is impacted by light domes that emanate from cities and can have an impact hundreds of miles away.

Stray light and light from upward facing fixtures can be reflected by clouds and interact with dust particles creating “skyglow.”

With the use of satellite data and monitoring stations on the ground, a picture of light pollution impact is being developed.

​The DarkSky Oregon Chapter has been collecting, analyzing and charting light pollution data for at least five years. 

Since 2019, DarkSky Oregon co-founder Bill Kowalik and McKeag have worked on the chapter’s Sky Quality Meter Program. An estimated 10 million data points have been collected pertaining to overall night brightness for 53 locations in Oregon.

By combining remote sensing information from satellites and data from a network of Sky Quality Meters, McKeag and colleagues were able to summarize measurements from 2012 to 2020, showing a 30% increase in “uplight” in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

McKeag says at least three years of data is needed to measure a statistically significant trend among Gorge communities.

“At the top of the list [for artificial light at night] is The Dalles, and second is Hood River,” says McKeag.
More data will be collected in 2024.

“DarkSky Oregon will be extending our statewide network of night sky monitoring stations to include sites at intervals the length of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, with installations starting this year,” says McKeag.

Promoting dark skies

In past years, McKeag has worked with the city of Mosier to get a Dark Sky Community Certification, presented his Sky Quality Meter data to the Gorge Climate Action Network and spoken with staff from the Gorge Commission (in charge of overseeing policies for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area) about sky-quality data.
​
“There was interest from the Gorge Commission to look at the sky-quality data as it pertains to Key Viewing Areas, and the commission admitted that they didn’t really think about how the KVA would look at night,” says McKeag. 

McKeag visited with staff at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in order to get the facility to turn off the ski slope lights during a Rose City Astronomy stargazing event.

“It was a chore for them to even try and figure out how to turn them off, but they did it, and people got to experience the transition of what you could observe in the sky when the lights went out. It was educational on how different it was,” he says.

McKeag says Travel Oregon is vigorously promoting dark sky tourism in rural areas.

“One of the resources they have is dark skies, and they could even be darker if they made changes to their outdoor lighting,” he says. “Urbanites are aware of the rewards, and they’re willing to travel and spend money when they do.”

Changing lighting codes

An additional byproduct of light pollution is wasted energy.

DarkSky organizations say one-third of all outdoor lighting is useless because the light is not directed at the right place. It’s common to have too much light switched on for an intended purpose—the use of dimmers and timers could result in significant savings.

The group calculates that the planet became 9% brighter at night from 2012-19.

That’s a good reason to urge the City of Hood River to take a look at adopting Dark Sky outdoor lighting requirements, says Mike Hendricks.

​He points to the recent adoption of outdoor lighting codes by the city of Sisters, Ore., which incorporates Dark Sky lighting recommendations and has a five-year timeline for getting all public and private outdoor lighting up to DarkSky codes.

The codes allow temporary lights for holiday decorating and provide exemptions for security purposes, but eliminate upward-pointing light fixtures, searchlights and laser-light devices that extend past property boundaries.

“Right now, our codes in Hood River don’t really address outdoor lighting,” says Hendricks. “I’ve been having talks with our city planner and they have a copy of the recent outdoor lighting code [adopted in Sisters].”

“We’ve even approached the Port of Hood River on lighting for the new bridge, and from recent public meetings their aesthetics committee has incorporated some of our Dark Sky lighting language into account. It will be interesting to see their report, which is due in coming weeks.”

McKeag is an avid photographer and is involved with regional astronomy clubs that rely on dark skies for star parties and other community outreach events. 

“I’ve taken long-exposure photographs from the Dalles Mountain looking across the light pollution from The Dalles and you can see the light dome of Portland,” says McKeag. “It’s so large, you can see it from central Oregon. In fact, I was just looking at a photograph that a person had taken from the south rim of Crater Lake looking across Wizard Island. Looking to the northeast you can see a conspicuous yellow blob on the horizon.”

He believes communities can work together to make dark skies a reality for the Gorge.

“Light pollution isn’t stored in the atmosphere or water or soil, so it really is the easiest form of pollution to address. It’s really just the flick of a switch, and it’s getting people to stop and think about it,” says McKeag. “We’re making arguments against light pollution based on evidence, not just opinion, and we’re trying to provide people with the firsthand experience of a dark sky, hoping to turn them into advocates. In turn they should tell their public officials that Dark Sky policies are a good idea.”

​This story originally appeared in Columbia Insight, but has been corrected for minor errors.

Home to millions of people, and like most all such places, Los Angles has some of the worst Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) issues in the country. But thanks to caring people and enlightened political leadership, LA has begun the steps needed to educate the public and protect what's left of its night sky natural heritage.