Is it feasible that perhaps the Covid Lock down situation, has caused a reduction in light pollution (especially in places like Sydney). Has anyone in the affected areas noticed an improvement in Sky Quality?
Disclaimer: I am in no way seeking to diminish the horrors of the lockdown and it's impact on everyone affected. Mod delete if offensive.
Is it feasible that perhaps the Covid Lock down situation, has caused a reduction in light pollution (especially in places like Sydney). Has anyone in the affected areas noticed an improvement in Sky Quality?
Disclaimer: I am in no way seeking to diminish the horrors of the lockdown and it's impact on everyone affected. Mod delete if offensive.
No ... but light pollution is not the problem other than the stupidly bright LED street light out front ... I note there are more damn clouds. Clear during the day but soon as night hits the clouds role in. It is as if the weather is giving me the proverbial middle finger.
Is it feasible that perhaps the Covid Lock down situation, has caused a reduction in light pollution (especially in places like Sydney). Has anyone in the affected areas noticed an improvement in Sky Quality?
Yes Glen, I think it is entirely feasible that our restricted movement due to lockdowns and also now even night curfews, will have had an effect on light pollution, since there will be less stray light from shop front advertising, lessened parking illumination and far fewer vehicles on the road. Of course we still have have all those wonderful LED streetlamps Hans mentioned and many more poorly directed/unshaded streetlamps and general lighting.
Bugger all change in western Sydney. Las Vegas as usual. LP is not a function of people movement. It's about lights left on at night. If anything it's getting worse with people at home having their patio and alfresco areas lit up by flood lights which is fast becoming a trend here. LED are more efficient, run cooler and are cheap to run. They also last longer. So what good did he do you ask? Well it doubled the amount of light because you can run more for the same cost. Well done.
I have noticed it in Melbourne, since there is no football/soccer training there are less lights in the reserves around our area, however all pointles because of the CLOUDS
People might not remember ... but I am longing for the days growing up in Perth ...when street lights turned off at midnight. I feel sad for people in places like LA that never experience the night sky except for when there is a total city blackout and they become so scared at the phenomena they are witnessing they call emergency services.
On the South Coast here with small low density towns and hamlets , hardly any difference noticed in regards to lockdowns, but what is noticeable is the recent replacement of old sodium vapour and Mercury vapour street lighting to LED.
It’s not the type of light source ( LED ) that is the issue here , it’s the design of the photometry in the luminarie that I have a gripe about. Our small low density suburban streets have LED lights selected on a “one shoe fits all” principal. A cul de sac has the same streetlight as a long stretch of wide road. In other words no thought into light spill or where the light should serve the purpose.Most of these street lights in our area have no anti glare baffle or deflector, so therefore the light is blasting out the sides at the same Lumin output as directly down to the road area. I feel for the folk in the cul de sac about 60m
from me as the street light is blasting their front living rooms and bedrooms at the same luminosity as the road.The light is even spilling across backyards to neighbouring streets like mine. A simple well designed street light should not do this , it should direct 90% of the light to the road area.So selection of the most suitable light design for the application is good engineering. Unfortunately the powers that be use a principal of “one shoe fits all” approach to street lighting design and application.Admittedly street lifts are placed at certain restricted distances apart but that doesn’t excuse the correct lighting design principles of light spill. An example of LED light saving technology being waisted with poor design
My 2 cents .....
Very much so during the first lockdown in the outer regions of Brisbane. The light dome shrunk noticeably to what I would call 'after midnight' levels. I happened to have a photo of the pollution taken as part of a 360 image and re-created it using exactly the same equipment and settings taken at the same time etc. The only difference was that first was taken later in the year.
No change in Canberra as far as light pollution but my driveway badminton game is improving by the day.......
One obvious change at the moment is that there are far fewer emergency helicopter flights coming over our house with the ski resorts closed...
I note than Sydney LGAs are now enduring a 9pm to 5am curfew, surely this has some impact on Light Pollution? Or has vehicle traffic been replaced with household area lights? Surely it is still too chilly for sitting " out on the patio". And the news of Bunnings closures, does this mean that the ubiquitous Orange car park lights have been turned off?
Very much so during the first lockdown in the outer regions of Brisbane. The light dome shrunk noticeably to what I would call 'after midnight' levels. I happened to have a photo of the pollution taken as part of a 360 image and re-created it using exactly the same equipment and settings taken at the same time etc. The only difference was that first was taken later in the year.
Las Vegas as usual. LP is not a function of people movement. It's about lights left on at night. If anything it's getting worse with people at home having their patio and alfresco areas lit up by flood lights which is fast becoming a trend here. LED are more efficient, run cooler and are cheap to run. They also last longer. So what good did he do you ask? Well it doubled the amount of light because you can run more for the same cost. Well done. 
Thankfully the gas giants are well placed at the moment....
