As children, we wonder just how big the universe really is as we look up at the night sky. We see bright stars and constellations that for centuries, travellers, birds, and other animals have relied on to guide them to their destinations. Now, something is getting in the way of their sky map: light pollution. Light pollution is the brightening of the sky due to manmade light sources that cause a disruption in natural cycles and inhibit the view of planets an.
d stars. The only way to fight against it's detrimental effects is to educated others on what this pollution does to the environment so that society can change its habits to fix nature's cycle. .
Light pollution affects encompass more than just brightness at night. Asphalt roads reflect partially polarized light which goes off in a horizontal direction. Many aquatic insects look for water by recognizing the horizontal polarization of light which is given off by water's surface. Since water and asphalt reflect the same type of light, these insects are attracted to the asphalt. They then lay their eggs on the asphalt where the offspring dies due to dehydration. In fact, aquatic insects are more likely to use asphalt than water for their egg hatching site. These roads cause an ecological trap which leads to a decrease in population or even extinction of the trapped populations. .
Recently, many cities have been replacing the old high-pressure sodium vapor lights with newer LEDs in street lamps. Many astronomers say that the light of LEDs is harder to filter out from telescope images. In many instances, simply aiming the LEDs downward could help reduce their effects upon their environment. If LEDs were able to produce light in a slightly different spectrum, it will not only stop harming insects' lives, but will also not hinder astronomers as much. Fluorescent white is the default colouring for LEDs, but shifting them to yellow could help reduce these problems.
