Night Skies of the World

Images pulled from The Night Sky in the World website, The World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness.

Light Pollution Worldwide

North America

South America

Europe

Africa

West Asia

Central Asia

East Asia

Oceania

Natural Sounds Worth Protecting

Featured below are some natural sounds, collected from the acoustic monitoring project by the United States National Parks Service.

Bald Eagle

Canada Geese

Crickets

Humpback Whale

Alligator

Grasshopper

In contrast, here are some anthropogenic, or human-caused noises.

Helicopter

Motorcycle

Chain Saw

Jet



Special thanks to the National Parks Service: Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, and Wikimedia Commons for the use of the sound library.

Underwater Noise: The Overlooked Catastrophe

Underwater Noise – The Overlooked Catastrophe. from OceanCare on Vimeo.

While many of us are affected by the effects of masking, where loud noises such as traffic, music, or aircraft overflights interrupt our conversations, but what about the sounds we don't hear? Most of us are not familiar with the effects of noise underwater, where air guns, sonar, and shipping can reduce and even decimate the marine environment.

Seismic air guns, one major contributor to underwater noise, have been measured to produce sounds at 190 dB. Compared to a jet takeoff at 140 dB? This is unheard of in the human environment, and not just because you can't hear it. Even the Krakatoa eruption, which was heard nearly 3,000 miles away, was only 180 dB! Try talking over that!

Protect marine wildlife. Join the movement today at Oceancare.org.

The Strange Scourge of Light Pollution

Light pollution is all around us—in our cities, in our skies, even in our eyes. Neon signs blaring with messages trying to catch our attention, headlights shining in your rear-view mirror, street lamps with a glare that goes for miles. Why is all this light necessary? Truth be told, it isn't. Much of the light around you is going to waste, dispersed into the sky where it doesn't do any good. In fact, it does quite a bit of damage. Many animals, including birds, bats, and sea turtles, rely on dark skies to orient themselves and often move toward light sources which are artificial, not natural. 

The International Dark-Sky Association, or IDA, is one of many organizations facilitating a transition toward an environment-friendly, economy-friendly skyscape. The installation of IDA-approved light fixtures can save millions of dollars per year, not to mention improving the stargazing opportunities and protecting otherwise vulnerable wildlife. In contrast with other types of pollution, such as noise pollution, it is much easier to adjust policy and practice in such a way that light pollution can be significantly reduced. Get involved with your community, send them to the IDA, and save money while saving the skies.

Noise Pollution: An Infographic

Special thanks to ZocDoc for providing this infographic on noise pollution. As noise pollution becomes more prevalent, hopefully we will start to see more political action moving toward the protection of natural soundscapes and the environments they are critical to. As for now, this should illustrate the impact noise is having on your life, and what you can do to protect against it.

What is a Soundscape?

Soundscapes consist of natural sounds as well as noises (unwanted sounds) present in an environment. This includes weather, animals, running water, geological shifts and other natural sounds, in addition to the anthropogenic, or man-made noise caused by machinery, motor vehicles, and airplanes.

Soundscapes are unique in that they are defined according to what is heard. For instance, when jet overflights mask the sound of chirping crickets, the crickets are removed from the soundscape until they are once again audible. This also means that the soundscape varies by location, with short movements within an environment sometimes drastically altering the perceptible sounds.

As noise pollution becomes more prevalent, masking reduces the area in which natural sounds can be heard. The results for animals include mating calls being less likely to be heard, decreased capacity to avoid predators, and a lowered sensitivity to the territory of other animals.

For visitors to natural environments, such as National Parks. the acoustic environment or soundscape is an important motivation. Noisy streets and the bustle of everyday life can quickly become overwhelming, and visits to natural locations have been shown to reduce stress levels and improve focus.

For more information on soundscapes, noise pollution and its impact on wildlife, visit nature.nps.gov/sound/noise.

Dark Skies Utah

Dark Skies of Utah - a Timelapseworkshops.com Collaborative Film from Ron Risman on Vimeo.

Utah, United States—one of the best places in North America for outdoor adventures, and especially for stargazing. With five National Parks, it is well-known for true wilderness experience.

The wilderness isn't all that contributes to the night sky experience you can have. Many cities such as Kayenta and Eagle Mountain have or are considering light ordinances which protect the natural dark skies. Steps are being taken, as the population grows, to preserve the night sky for generations to come.

Natural Bridges National Park, featured in the above film, has been named the first official "Dark-Sky Park" in the United States by the International Dark Sky Association. This kind of protection for the night skies has become a tourist draw for the park, and they now offer night hikes for those wishing to explore a view which many in our light-polluted society may never see.

The sight of the Milky Way doesn't need to be foreign. Even though only 1/3 of U.S. residents can see it, the stars haven't gone anywhere, and you don't need to travel to see them. Make a push for dark skies in your community. It can be more than Dark Skies Utah—it can be a Dark Skies World.