Amateur astronomers are raising concerns about the likelihood that light pollution will adversely affect local stargazing after the city implements the planned replacement of 58,000 streetlights with brighter LED fixtures.
The concerns were raised during the first Pop Scope pop-up event of the winter held at the National Art Gallery on Jan. 14.
Even though only a fraction of the lights have been changed so far, astronomers say light pollution in Ottawa is critically limiting the view of the sky. “It’s bad,” says Adrian Ocneanu, an Ottawa Pop Scope leader. “So bad that I can barely find constellations.”
Changing the city’s outdoor lights from sodium to LEDs could put a severe damper on community group gatherings, such as the Pop Scope group, due to the contamination of nature’s natural darkness.
Robert Dick, chair of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s light-pollution abatement committee, says the cold and bluish glare of the new LEDs will significantly increase light pollution.
From one year to another, astronomers compare the number of stars in the constellation Orion to determine the sky brightness. As light pollution increased exponentially in the past years, fewer and fewer stars are visible.
“Nowadays, we can only count eight stars in Orion, compared to 20, only 10 years ago,” says Etienne Rollin, laboratory superintendent of the department of physics at Carleton University. “The stars are completely disappearing.”
It is not only a hobby that is slowly fading away, but also human heritage. For thousands of years, humans have looked up and admired what is becoming unknown to younger generations.
“I grew up looking at the skies in my grand parents’ country side, and I remember seeing the most beautiful night skies ever… which I haven’t seen in years,” says Ocneanu. “I am afraid, maybe, my kids won’t be able to see them.”
In 2001, NASA released an article called The Fading Milky Way, explaining that already two-thirds of the world population could no longer look upwards at night and see the Milky Way.
“The last time I saw it was about 10 years ago and there are some people who will never see it,” says Rollin. “Light pollution used to be concentrated only in the centre of Ottawa, but now it is as far as 100 kilometres and it will only get worse.”
However, Ocneanu and his amateur astronomy partner, Meghan Hanlon, say they won’t let themselves be discouraged by light pollution, and will continue bringing together the community for Pop Scope events.
“There is always hope it gets better,” says Hanlon. For her, these events are about sharing a passion with others and giving them a chance to do something they wouldn’t have done otherwise, she says.
“It is so fulfilling to show people Saturn and Jupiter that otherwise just look like other stars,” she says, sharing just one example of the rewarding moments spent with other amateur astronomers.
Energy Ottawa plans to convert all outdoor lights for new LEDs by 2020, the City of Ottawa reported in October. The four-year conversion will begin in June 2016.
The next Pop Scope events will be held Feb. 18, and March 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the National Gallery.