Light Pollution-Saturday Night Race Track!

Davekyn (David) · #1 07-01-2012, 10:30 PM

Attachment 107134I never realized how much light the race track puts out with the rest of the town ... will have to compare the sky line several km's out when the horses are on and when not. No wonder serious dark sites are situated about a hundred km or more away. I do observe from federation park, but that's only several kms out of town and the skyline is pretty bad!

Overlooking the Western Side of Toowoomba.

naskies (Dave) · #2 08-01-2012, 12:46 AM

When I've been observing under really dark skies west of Roma, it amazed me that a single truck's headlights would visibly light up about a third of the sky as it drove by

skysurfer · #3 08-01-2012, 02:27 AM

The problem is not the lighting of a race track or anything, but the upward pointed lighting or lamps which shine directly above the horizontal plane.

When they install fixtures which direct all the light below the horizontal plane, using the same (or equal brightness) lamps, the light pollution will decrease considerably.

On sports fields, building areas, many metal halide lamps are pointed 45 degrees downward which allows a considerable amount of light escape to the sky.

erick (Eric) · #4 08-01-2012, 07:43 AM

The trotting track in Melton, Vic is also a terrible offender.

The_bluester (Paul) · #5 12-01-2012, 12:31 PM

Ditto Kilmore. The race track throws a bright blue cone of light up that you can see halfway to Melbourne!

There is no joy in me poiting to the east when the races are on.

AG Hybrid (Adrian) · #6 12-01-2012, 01:05 PM

You have a nice vantage point from there. Try shooting them out with a rifle :p

Davekyn (David) · #7 13-01-2012, 09:59 PM

LOL ... now that would cause a stir.

I have to work tomorrow, but if I am up to it, I will try shooting the sky line several clicks out from the other side of town...If your on Giorgio...you up for taking out the dob?

Your setting up though

I'll scope out some targets with the bino's hey?

Davekyn (David) · #8 22-01-2012, 09:28 AM

Soon I will have a telescope again ... not sure what one and deciding is very draining ... however I found this article, that I thought was relevant to the light pollution was all find ourselves wrestling with:

“The Wonders of the Night Sky”
http://www.astromart.com/articles/ar...article_id=280