Saving the Stars — Protecting the Night Sky

Saving the Stars — Protect the Night Sky

The night sky grows brighter by the year, and not being able to see stars in the city has come to feel normal. What an irony that we now have to protect the ‘dark’ night sky.

Words Megan Eaves
A freelance journalist and editor from New Mexico. She contributes to major publications, creates content across books, social media and video, and consults on sustainable travel and night-sky projects.

The night sky I saw from the highlands of the Tian Shan Mountains, in western Kyrgyzstan near the Chinese border, was the darkest I have ever seen. The journey to the heart of the Eurasian continent is tougher than you might expect. You fly from the UK to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, then drive along a highway for about ten hours until, before you know it, you turn onto a dirt road across open grassland. From there, the road leads to a nomad camp in a valley near Köl-Suu, a glacial lake.
That day, we rode Kyrgyz horses across the valley to the lakeshore. From there, we boarded a boat and rowed toward China into a fierce wind. It was September, at winter’s edge. All afternoon, snow flurries swirled against a backdrop of rugged rocky peaks. After the sun set beyond the yurt where we were staying, turning the sky pink, the clouds cleared and the sky opened up. In the middle of the night, my colleague and I jammed our feet into cold boots, headed outside and found a spot to settle. To warm ourselves, we passed a bottle of Kyrgyz cognac back and forth and gazed up. Stars filled the sky in every direction.
In this century, to see a sky studded with stars from one horizon to the other is like discovering a rare treasure. Kyrgyzstan’s ice-cold air made everything even clearer. It felt as though there wasn’t a single speck of dust between us and the universe. And with not one artificial light for hundreds of kilometers in any direction, the night sky was truly pristine. To call a night sky ‘clean’ is to say, in other words, that somewhere there are skies thick with dust and pollution.

The Problem of Light Pollution

Artificial lighting installed in naturally dark outdoor spaces is called ‘light pollution.’ Light that artificially illuminates the night has serious effects not only on human health but also on wildlife and the climate. Lighting inside and outside buildings, billboards, commercial facilities, offices, factories, streetlights and floodlit sporting events all contribute to it. According to the International Dark-Sky Association (darksky.org), three in ten people worldwide today can no longer see the Milky Way, and 99 percent of the population of Europe and North America lives under severely light-polluted skies. Various statistics suggest that many cities in East Asia, overtaken by countless neon signs and bright lights, are in a similar situation. Singapore and Hong Kong have been named among the most light-polluted places in the world over the past decade.
I, too, live in one of the brightest cities on earth: London, blanketed in dull orange and gray light. In the Earth’s 3.5-billion-year history, the period in which artificial light has lit the night sky is a mere blink. Since the early twentieth century, or more precisely only over the past 70 years, humans have lit up their homes, offices, streets and cities with electric lights. Only a single generation has gone without experiencing true darkness.
In 1889, Vincent van Gogh painted his masterpiece ‘The Starry Night’ in Saint-Rémy, France. Today, if you go to the place where he painted it, the glow of incandescent bulbs completely hides the Milky Way in the night sky. In just 130 years, the sky that inspired a great artist has simply vanished.
Carbon emissions from artificial lighting account for about 5 percent of global emissions and are rising rapidly, by 10 percent each year. The natural night, which is essential for the survival of wild creatures, for human rest and sleep, and for connecting Earth with the cosmos, is disappearing. There is hardly any pollution easier to solve than wasted light. It is not an impossible task, like collecting all the microplastics in the ocean or removing all the carbon from the atmosphere. The solution to light pollution is simple: use less light or remove it altogether, and switch it on only when and where it is truly needed.
The International Dark-Sky Association is a global organization working to protect communities and wildlife from light pollution and to restore the nighttime environment. By designating International Dark Sky Places around the world, it actively strives to reduce light pollution and bring back the night sky. There is no easier way to help protect the night than to visit a dark sky place. Find one of the designated sites and experience natural darkness and a sky full of stars for yourself.

Dark Sky Places in Asia

Yeongyang Firefly Eco Park, South Korea A park nestled in the Wangpicheon Valley in Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Designated in 2015 as Asia’s first International Dark Sky Park, it is also a firefly sanctuary.

Kozushima, Japan Kozushima is a remote island four hours by boat from Tokyo. Known as a ‘natural planetarium,’ it is also a great place for hiking, snorkeling and swimming.

Bisei-cho, Japan Bisei-cho, a town in Ibara, Okayama Prefecture, is a leading example of protecting the night sky by legally restricting the installation of artificial lighting. It has a public observatory open to everyone and holds regular stargazing events.

Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, Okinawa, Japan Located at Japan’s southernmost tip, Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park is known for its beautiful local hotels, stargazing tours and wellness programs. Visitors can also observe a variety of endangered species.

Hehuan Mountain, Taiwan Part of Taroko National Park in eastern Taiwan, Hehuan Mountain offers clear, pristine night skies. Its spectacular waterfalls and gorges are well worth seeing, and it is also a popular hiking destination.

Experience a star-filled night sky for yourself.

Why the Night Sky Matters

When Light Becomes Pollution Inappropriate or excessive artificial lighting can have serious consequences for the environment.

Wildlife Plants and animals on Earth regulate their life processes on a 24-hour cycle. Numerous studies have shown that artificial light at night is deadly to the majority of species.

Pollinators Light pollution is also a decisive factor in the destruction of insect ecosystems. The sharp decline in insect populations has a cascading effect on the environment, especially on the entire food chain of the ecosystem.

Humans Studies suggest that increased nighttime lighting raises the risk of a range of conditions, including obesity, insomnia, depression, diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers. At the same time, it robs us of the peace and awe we feel when we look up at the night sky.

Carbon Emissions Thirty-five percent of artificial lighting is excess light, which increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to climate change. It also deepens human dependence on energy.