Light Pollution
Light pollution – the inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light – is not a topic that is frequently discussed. However, the reality is that just a generation or two ago, anyone could look up at night and see a spectacular, starry night sky; today, millions of people will never get to see the Milky Way from where they live.
The White Zone is a reference to the Bortle Dark-Sky scale, invented by John Bortle to describe the amount of light pollution in a night sky. It was first published in a 2001 Sky & Telescope article. The scale rates the amount of light pollution in the sky, ranging from Class 1 (excellent dark-sky site) to Class 9 (inner-city sky). The map color code for Class 8 and 9 is white, hence the name of the blog.
Singapore ranks as one of the countries with the highest levels of light pollution. This was reported in a Straits Time article published on 25 June 2016 which also highlighted the impact of light pollution. The negative effects include damage to our natural environment and adverse health effects for humans who rely on natural light to regulate body cycles relating to sleep and rest.
For more information on light pollution and how we could be involved, please visit the International Dark-Sky Association (yes, there is indeed such an organization). You might want to plan to visit an International Dark Sky place on your next holiday.
Observing from Light Polluted Areas
Observing the heavens under such extreme levels of light pollution is very challenging. However, here are some easier suggestions to start our journey:
- The Moon: Our nearest celestial neighbor! We see it so often we sometimes forget about it altogether. Incidentally, this blog was started in 2019, the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing.
- Planets: The king of the planets, Jupiter, and the ringed beauty, Saturn, can be observed in relatively small telescopes. Smaller planets like Mars and Venus require a little more effort while the distant Uranus and Neptune are challenging. Mercury is also difficult to observe as it remains close the the sun all year round.
- The Sun – Warning! Always observe with appropriate solar observing equipment. You could irreversibly damage your eyes. However, the sun is dynamic and changes from minute to minute.
- Artificial Satellites – There are lots of them whizzing by overhead. Watching the International Space Station go by was an exciting event for me. A transit across the face of the sun or Moon is even more exciting!
It is possible to see some of the brighter deep sky objects from the city, but nothing will beat travelling to a darker area. Nearby areas like Mersing are popular destinations for astronomy enthusiasts in Singapore.