Blog Archives

La Repubblica (2 April 2021)

4/24/2021

Nights less and less dark: the fault of satellites and space debris

"Unlike light pollution on the ground, this type of artificial light in the night sky can be seen over much of the earth's surface," clarified John Barentine of the International Dark-Sky Association, explaining how difficult it is to escape from this type of light pollution. : “Astronomers build observatories far from cities to look for dark skies, but this form of light pollution has a much wider geographical scope.” And it could be a problem not just for astronomers, experts say.

Read more: https://www.repubblica.it/green-and-blue/2021/04/02/news/notti_sempre_meno_buie_colpa_di_satelliti_e_detriti_spaziali-294762788/

Yahoo! Japan (6 April 2021)

4/24/2021

The ever-increasing number of man-made objects around the earth may brighten the night sky by more than 10%

John Barentine, a public policy director of the International Dark-Sky Association working on light pollution , said, "Astronomers have built observatories far from the city in search of a dark sky. "The light pollution from satellites is widespread," said Barentine. "Many people may lose their untouched night sky."

Read more: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/c8ac7a630ad37e7fa5a0c3a8c304f8457b5e69bb

NBC News (1 April 2021)

4/24/2021

Fireflies don't respond well to light pollution. They're not alone.

The new insect studies and others highlight some of the harmful side-effects on wildlife of human-made light pollution, said John Barentine, a spokesman for the International Dark-Sky Association, based in Tucson, Arizona.

“Wherever researchers have looked at the effects of light at night on individual species, in almost every situation it is usually negative," he said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/fireflies-dont-respond-well-light-pollution-not-alone-rcna569

Universe Today (3 April 2021)

4/24/2021

Satellites Have Brightened the Skies by About 10% Across the Entire Planet

“Unlike ground-based light pollution, this kind of artificial light in the night sky can be seen across a large part of the Earth’s surface,” explained John Barentine, Director of Public Policy for the International Dark-Sky Association and a study co-author. “Astronomers build observatories far from city lights to seek dark skies, but this form of light pollution has a much larger geographical reach.”

Read more: https://www.universetoday.com/150759/satellites-have-brightened-the-skies-by-about-10-across-the-entire-planet/

BBC Two Newsnight appearance (31 March 2021)

4/3/2021

See the full program on: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000tq94

Science Magazine (28 March 2021)

4/3/2021

Study finds nowhere on Earth is safe from satellite light pollution

“It’s a bit of an eye opener,” says John Barentine, director of public policy at the International Dark-Sky Association, who helped author the study, accepted today in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters and posted online. “As space gets more crowded, the magnitude of this effect will only be more, not less.”

Read more: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/03/study-finds-nowhere-earth-safe-satellite-light-pollution

Condé Nast Traveler (11 March 2021)

4/3/2021

State-Protected Dark Skies Could Change Astrotourism Forever

“In some places, it's just dawning on people that if they go outside and look at the night sky, the stars are missing,” says John Barentine, director of public policy at IDA. “They're discovering the phenomenon of light pollution, maybe for the first time.”

Night-sky tourism, which typically necessitates one or more overnight stays, can increase travel spending. Dark sky advocates are just hopeful that new hospitality developments don’t further contribute to light pollution, says Barentine.

Read more: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/stargazing-tourism-is-the-next-big-thing-for-these-states

Travel + Leisure (17 January 2021)

4/3/2021

How to See the 2021 Total Solar Eclipse in Antarctica

A total solar eclipse, the rare and fleeting moment when the moon covers the full face of the sun, allures millions of tourists with its awe and splendor. "The sky is mostly dark overhead, like on a night with moonlight, but the warm tones of sunset are visible in a ring extending 360 degrees around the horizon," says John Barentine, director of public policy for the International Dark-Sky Association. "The air temperature noticeably cools. Birds go into trees to roost and get quiet. Bright stars and planets are visible in the sky overhead. This is why people will spend thousands of dollars and travel thousands of miles to witness something that only lasts for a few minutes."

Read more: https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/space-astronomy/how-to-see-2021-total-solar-eclipse-antarctica

National Parks Traveler (2 January 2021)

4/3/2021

Losing Darkness And Natural Sound

IDA has seen a vast increase in the number of parks seeking dark-sky status over the past decade, says Dr. John Barentine, IDA’s director of conservation. “Our certification program grew significantly during that time,” he says. “By the end of the decade I would say that a lot of people working in the conservation space, whether it be NPS, state parks, or private, are coming to see the preservation of dark skies in protected areas as a best practice.”

Read more: https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2021/01/2nd-annual-threatened-and-endangered-parks-natural-darkness-and-sounds

Men's Journal (2 November 2020)

4/3/2021

Why a Dark Sky Area Should Be Your Next Road Trip Destination

“People have become so casual about using a lot of light at night, and in most big cities, the night sky is lost and has been for decades,” says John Barentine, Ph.D., director of public policy at the International Dark Sky Association. “But in places like Westcliffe, they want to keep what they have, and we want to show that it is possible to do that—or to even reverse the trend—through simple acts.”

Read more: https://www.mensjournal.com/travel/why-a-dark-sky-area-should-be-your-next-road-trip-destination/