Thursday, November 22, 2012

As my Astronomy Outreach Cools with the Temperature

Thanksgiving Day. It is a time to give thanks for what we have, and who we have around us as friends and family. I find it a nice time of year to go for walks in the evening, keeping a look toward the sky as the summer stars start to set in the west. It is fun to watch as the sky darkens and the stars pop out of the illuminated din of the sunset. Then, of course, the wasted light from the inhabitants of this earth starts to produce enough glow to hide most of the stars in my area. It is a shame that it is that way. People seem to feel that having alot of light around at night makes them safer. It is, actually, the opposite. Extraneous light, in poorly aimed fixtures, creates shadows that hide movement. The best thing to do is set up shielded lighting fixtures that target all the light toward the ground, and then lowering the wattage of that light. Then, you place that light on a motion sensor. You get the same security, but at up to 95% savings in energy costs. Think about it, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
I do not have a great deal of outreach scheduled for the rest of the year, but that is to be expected, as thought shift towards holiday consumerism, and all the stress and turmoil that seems to come with it. However, if it makes people happy, who am I to complain. Just remember that if you get anything for me, it should be astronomy related .... or made of gold.....

No comments: