Blog Archives

Physics Today (2 February 2023)

2/3/2023

Consulting can be stimulating and lucrative for physicists

Astronomer John Barentine launched his consulting business in summer 2021. From years working at the International Dark-Sky Association, a nongovernmental organization, he recognized a need he was well-suited to fill: advising parks, nature reserves, and municipalities on how to improve their lighting. “If they receive accreditation for dark skies, it’s a badge of pride and it drives tourism,” he says. “Some clients just want advice. Others want help writing bylaws or deeper involvement in the implementation.”

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Science (19 January 2023)

2/3/2023

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Light pollution is drowning the starry night sky faster than thought

“The problem is worse than we previously believed,” says John Barentine, an independent dark sky researcher based in Arizona who didn’t participate in the study.

The findings also suggest existing dark sky ordinances haven’t accomplished much, Barentine adds. Despite warnings about light pollution, communities have continued to add artificial lighting, he says. “You put together cheap lighting and fear of the dark … and people are not choosing preservation of darkness.”

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CBC (19 January 2023)

2/3/2023

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Goodbye, dark sky. The stars are rapidly disappearing from our night sky

The research "confirms something that many of us have suspected for a while, which is that the rate at which light pollution is growing throughout the world is much faster than we previously appreciated," said John Barentine, the executive officer and principal consultant at Dark Sky Consulting, LLC and former head of the International Dark Sky Association, who was not involved in the study.

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Science (14 November 2022)

2/3/2023

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Giant satellite outshines stars, sparking fresh concerns for astronomers

Thousands of commercial satellites already litter low-Earth orbit. The 64-square-meter BlueWalker 3 is the largest one yet, considerably brighter than any of the Starlink satellites deployed by SpaceX, says astronomer John Barentine of Dark Sky Consulting. On top of the light pollution, BlueWalker 3 is testing a transmission technology that threatens to trespass into the frequencies used by radio observatories on Earth, he says. “This just fundamentally feels different,” he says. “We’re in new territory here.”

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Travel + Leisure (9 December 2022)

2/3/2023

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The Next Few Years Are 'Prime Time' to Spot the Northern Lights — Here's How to See Them

After reaching what scientists call solar minimum in December 2019, the cycle is back on the upswing as it builds toward the next solar maximum in around 2025. “The next few years may be prime time for aurora watchers,” said John Barentine, formerly the director of conservation for the International Dark-Sky Association, an advocacy group.

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New Scientist (25 November 2022)

2/3/2023

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Bluewalker 3 satellite is brighter than 99.8 per cent of visible stars

"There are only 14 stars in the night sky brighter than magnitude +1.5," says John Barentine of Dark Sky Consulting, a company based in Tucson, Arizona, who wasn't involved in the work. "That means that BlueWalker 3 under typical conditions is brighter than 99.8 per cent of all stars visible to the unaided eye."

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Media Appearances

Physics Today (2 February 2023)

Consulting can be stimulating and lucrative for physicists

Science (19 January 2023)

Light pollution is drowning the starry night sky faster than thought

CBC (19 January 2023)

Goodbye, dark sky. The stars are rapidly disappearing from our night sky

Science (14 November 2022)

Giant satellite outshines stars, sparking fresh concerns for astronomers

Travel + Leisure (9 December 2022)

The Next Few Years Are 'Prime Time' to Spot the Northern Lights — Here's How to See Them

New Scientist (25 November 2022)

Bluewalker 3 satellite is brighter than 99.8 per cent of visible stars

Media

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Media Appearances

Physics Today (2 February 2023)

Consulting can be stimulating and lucrative for physicists

Science (19 January 2023)

​Light pollution is drowning the starry night sky faster than thought

CBC (19 January 2023)

Goodbye, dark sky. The stars are rapidly disappearing from our night sky

Science (14 November 2022)

​Giant satellite outshines stars, sparking fresh concerns for astronomers

Travel + Leisure (9 December 2022)

The Next Few Years Are 'Prime Time' to Spot the Northern Lights — Here's How to See Them

New Scientist (25 November 2022)

Bluewalker 3 satellite is brighter than 99.8 per cent of visible stars

Media

Archives

Categories

Light pollution is drowning the starry night sky faster than thought

Giant satellite outshines stars, sparking fresh concerns for astronomers