For this project, I looked at the light pollution condition around my parents’ house in Western Springs, Illinois. Western Springs is a small suburban community on the southwestern edge of Cook county, about fifteen miles west of Chicago. By being so far outside the city, light pollution is not very significant but is still somewhat present, especially when viewing the horizon. However, the skies directly upward are fairly clear, and you can see starts and planets with relative ease on a clear day. The moon is totally unobstructed and a great amount of detail can be seen when using a basic backyard telescope.
Around the University of Illinois at Springfield campus, where I currently reside, there is much less light pollution, primarily because the university is located far outside the city of Springfield and is surrounded by rural, agricultural areas with little artificial lighting. The lack of light pollution around the university campus makes the sky appear much darker and makes the stars, planets, and even some artificial satellites like the International Space Station easier to see against the darkness. The usually clear skies and lack of substantial light pollution are some of the reasons the university has a small observatory atop the library building.
What we colloquially call “light pollution” is an effect caused by light …show more content…
(Gaston, 2013, Pg. 915). However, It should be noted that not all instances of light pollution can cause negative effects. In some instances, ambient lighting has no impact whatsoever on an animal or plant, while in others it may prove to have positive impacts, such as increasing the time that an animal spends being active and increasing the chance it will find pray or a mate (Kyba, 2011, Pg.
Around the University of Illinois at Springfield campus, where I currently reside, there is much less light pollution, primarily because the university is located far outside the city of Springfield and is surrounded by rural, agricultural areas with little artificial lighting. The lack of light pollution around the university campus makes the sky appear much darker and makes the stars, planets, and even some artificial satellites like the International Space Station easier to see against the darkness. The usually clear skies and lack of substantial light pollution are some of the reasons the university has a small observatory atop the library building.
What we colloquially call “light pollution” is an effect caused by light …show more content…
(Gaston, 2013, Pg. 915). However, It should be noted that not all instances of light pollution can cause negative effects. In some instances, ambient lighting has no impact whatsoever on an animal or plant, while in others it may prove to have positive impacts, such as increasing the time that an animal spends being active and increasing the chance it will find pray or a mate (Kyba, 2011, Pg.