Cleaning up the cosmosExperts have proposed various methods to dispose of existing orbital debris, such as using nets to capture junk, or harpoons and other satellites to help de-orbit dead satellites, but nothing has been implemented on the scale that would be needed were Kessler Syndrome to become a reality. “Nobody really that I’ve seen has any plans for what to do if that scenario develops, in terms of rapidly getting that debris out of orbit,” says John Barentine, principal consultant at Dark Sky Consulting. “It’s scary stuff but it’s not science fiction.”
The fight against light pollutionWith me was a small group of dark-sky activists, including John Barentine, a Tucson-based astronomer and consultant on dark-sky issues. From our vantage point, it was obvious which gas station was the larger emitter of light pollution. But, Barentine explained, both buildings met Tucson’s lighting code. I nodded, feeling depressed about the state of artificial light at night, or ALAN.
In the fight against light pollution, “constituents make a difference,” says Barentine. “What we’re missing is political will. We can reverse light pollution tomorrow. Nobody suffers when we decrease light pollution.” Explore The Night Sky With The 6 Best Binoculars For Stargazing"I've been using the same pair of Tasco 10x50's for almost 30 years," says Barentine, principal consultant at Dark Sky Consulting, a firm that helps destinations earn International Dark Sky status. "A good pair that will last for decades can be had for under $100. It's not something that people should feel like they have to spend a lot of money on."
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