The Night Sky: An Endangered Place
By Carol J. Spears
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Night. Blackness enveloped the earth. Glittering stars and a moon pierced the darkness over the heads of our ancestors. Observing the patterns of starlight in the sky and phases of the moon provided a source of earthly and spiritual knowledge, inner understanding and guidance for the relationship of humans to the rest of the eternal life of the universe. Ancient stone pillars, ceremonial structures that are tied to the movement of the earth and heavenly bodies, celestial stone carvings and painted images on rocks created by human hands thousands of years ago attest to the reverence for the night sky's bristling light and mystery.

Pure and intense, the night sky transcended cultures and generations to unite all humans in a feeling of awe. It was a primal part of our human experience in the past. That wondrous sense of infinity at one's fingertips that was once a birthright of the living beings of our planet is now rare, wiped out in only three generations. As stated by Joseph Flanagan in the Summer 2003 issue of Common Ground: Preserving Our Nation's Heritage, “As our cities consume more and more open land, the night sky has disappeared proportionately, lost in the 24-hour industrial glare of modern life.”

Programs at the planetarium at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History brighten the ceiling with points of light to mimic the stars and planets that are over our heads each night. The recreation of these celestial beacons that we cannot see because of our light pollution often causes the audience to gasp incredulously. Many in our modern society have never seen the exquisitely beautiful site of a truly darkened night sky.

Less than 10 percent of the population in the United States can see the Milky Way. And even our most remote treasured lands are not immune to light pollution. In two-thirds of our national parks, visitors no longer can see a night sky dark enough to show this magnificent spiral galaxy. According to Joe Sovick from the National Park Service, “A bright aura above a city might be visible from a park more than 100 miles distant.” Street lights, outdoor advertising, sports arenas, mercury vapor lights in rural areas, downtown office buildings, factories, mining operations, drilling rigs, refineries and more dim our eyes to the guiding lights of the stars.

Over the last two decades, a growing number of people have been calling for action to declare the night sky an endangered place. Several states, especially in the western part of our country, are beginning to address this loss of the night sky through legislation aimed at reducing the insidious light pollution. For example, the coastal Long Island town of East Hampton, New York recently adopted a night sky ordinance, and Connecticut has enacted a law as well. In New Mexico the legislature passed the New Mexico Night Sky Protection Act. The passage of the bill was a joint effort of preservationists, astronomers, environmentalists and the National Park Service. In all of these instances, the protection started as local citizens banded together in a grassroots effort to protect a natural resource that was precious to them.

New Mexico Night Sky Protection Act states that the value of the night sky is vital to our culture. It requires outdoor lighting to be shielded from above and directed downward rather than upward or laterally, which is not only polluting but wasteful. Mercury vapor lights, one of the greatest sources of light pollution, no longer can be sold in New Mexico. As old mercury vapor lights wear out they are to be replaced by non-light-polluting ones. Cities and towns across the state whose street lights are among the primary sources of glare are also required to make changes. Compromises had to be made, with some exemptions to the rules.

Looking into the same sky the ancients saw thousands of years ago gives a sense of a spiritual link between our world and theirs. The populated areas of our country have lost the pristine sky. It is imperative to keep at least a few places where we may be inspired from the ageless stars. With sensible legislation, we may be able to stop some of the losses and even regain the blessings of an unspoiled night sky.

For more information about the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Shafran Planetarium, call (216) 231-4600 extension 3279.

Carol J. Spears is the site manager at James A. Garfield National Historic Site and First Ladies National Historic Site. She also is a holistic practitioner of Reiki energy healing and therapeutic harp music. Carol can be contacted at (440) 639-9958.