The obstacles to the mass acceptance of LED (light-emitting diode) lighting into the mainstream market are coming down! What are these obstacles, you ask? Well, we've discussed them before, but here they are again:

Did you participate in this year's Great World Wide Star Count event (between October 20 and November 3, 2008)? It was an opportunity to join with thousands of other star enthusiasts to observe the stars, record your results, and then add your count to the global community's.

Stargazing is a really interesting hobby. For one thing, it requires that you stay up late into the night (especially during the summer when longer days are common in places farther away from the equator). I often wonder what it would be like to be an astronomer. Would they ever get any sleep?

This guide to dark sky lighting for residential and commercial properties is a great resource for anyone looking for particulars on how to turn their property lighting into a dark-sky friendly environment. It’s actually part of the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance in Shorewood Hills of Wisconsin, but it has some very useful information.

First, they cover off the importance of having dark sky ordinances:

Check out these stunning, modern, outdoor lighting fixtures by Sea Gull Lighting. Their new Eternity Collection is made with brushed nickel, clear glass that’s satin etched, and styled for any contemporary home. They’re quite nice!

This article in Lunar Accents, though somewhat technical, gives some useful information that helps me understand LED (light emitting diodie) technology a bit better. It explains, in part, why LEDs can appear so much more intense than regular bulbs, and how to understand the various units of measurement. 

Here's another downside of light pollution or light trespass I'd never considered. Apparently, some army bases are facing light pollution challenges as cities and towns expand toward their base borders.

It often surprises me how startling the night sky can be. And tonight, with all kinds of children running around after dark, I think it's the perfect time to look upwards. We pay so little attention to what's going on outside of our own little world that we miss what's going on above our heads.