Globe at Night

Seven out of 10 people in the US have never seen our Milky Way Galaxy arch across their night sky from where they live. Have you? If so, you’re lucky! If not, it’s probably because of light pollution (too much outdoor lighting).

Light pollution not only affects our view of the stars, but it also wastes energy and money (about $2 to $10 billion a year!), causes sleep disorders in people, and disrupts the sleeping, breeding and migration habits of animals.

You can join other citizen scientists by measuring your night sky brightness and submitting your observations. Just go outside at least an hour after sunset (8-10pm local time) when the moon is not up. Let your eyes adjust to the dark for about 10 minutes, then start your first observation.

Compare how many stars you can see in a constellation with how many stars you should be able to see.
Light pollution may be a global problem, but the solutions are local and it starts with you.

Your data, paired with time and location, wil help create a light pollution map worldwide. It’s easy to get involved - all you need is computer or smartphone!

Ready? Click “Visit” to get started!

This project is part of a kit (https://scistarter.org/citizen-science-kit-measuring-light-in-the-night) that may be available at your local library (https://scistarter.org/library-locations)!