light pollution | SciStarter Blog

SciStarter Ambassador Jim Webster helps others discover how to protect the planet through citizen science

By Nathaniel Scharping, Dec 15, 2023

In 2017, Jim Webster began going out at night near his New Jersey home to take pictures of our galaxy. With a 14-millimeter lens and a DSLR, he would capture long exposures of the Milky Way galaxy, revealing the delicate filaments of nebulae and countless clusters of stars hidden within the band of the galaxy’s … Read more “SciStarter Ambassador Jim Webster helps others discover how to protect the planet through citizen science”

Categories: Astronomy & Space, Nature & Outdoors, Staff Spotlight

Help Fight Light Pollution With a Science Experiment From Your Local Library

By Eric Betz, Apr 26, 2021

For most of human history, we slept under the stars. Instead of staring at electronic screens, our ancestors watched the light from the heavens. Things have changed dramatically in recent decades. Seven out of 10 people living in the U.S. today have never seen the Milky Way. Light pollution from street lights, homes, businesses and … Read more “Help Fight Light Pollution With a Science Experiment From Your Local Library”

Categories: Astronomy & Space, Other

How Bad is Light Pollution in Your Community? Find Out by Helping the ‘Globe at Night’ Project

By Darlene Cavalier, Caren Cooper, Catherine Hoffman, Apr 16, 2020

Nothing beats a beautifully clear, starry night. But in many places around the world, light pollution is hiding the twinkling stars from our view. Light pollution comes from artificial outdoor lights like street lamps, stadium lights, and porch lights. Nearly three-quarters of city dwellers have never seen a pristine dark sky and many don’t know … Read more “How Bad is Light Pollution in Your Community? Find Out by Helping the ‘Globe at Night’ Project”

Categories: Astronomy & Space

From snorkeling to selfies, here’s how you can advance scientific research

By Catherine Price, May 25, 2017

You’re in good company We just returned from the 2017 Citizen Science Association conference in St. Paul, MN and we can confirm that citizen science is hot! Give yourself a pat on the back for being part of this awesome movement! Below, we share some new and alumni projects we think you’ll love. Find more … Read more “From snorkeling to selfies, here’s how you can advance scientific research”

Categories: Citizen Science, Newsletter

Globe at Night and Earth Hour: two causes with a common goal

By Catherine Price, Mar 23, 2017

On Saturday, March 25, join hundreds of millions of people around the world and turn off your lights for one hour to show your commitment to the planet, the starry night sky and our collective fight against climate change and light pollution. Participate in Globe at Night before, during and after Earth Hour (Saturday, March … Read more “Globe at Night and Earth Hour: two causes with a common goal”

Categories: Citizen Science, Events

It’s Time to Count the Stars

By Lisa Gardiner, Oct 15, 2011

Wow! Take a look at the map on the Great World Wide Star Count website. The fall campaign started yesterday and already there are oodles of citizen scientists from around the world posting their data. Citizen scientists from China, Australia, India, Kuwait, Egypt, South Africa, the European Union, Canada, United States, and Mexico have gotten involved so far. They are all looking at how bright the stars are overhead to help us get a better understanding of how streetlights, porch lights, car headlights and other nighttime lights affect how we see the stars in the sky. … Read more

Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science

Spotting Fireflies for Science

By Lisa Gardiner, Jul 06, 2011

Ever seen little points of light buzzing around outside on summer nights? Those lights - fireflies – are beetles that create light through a chemical reaction. By controlling the reaction, fireflies can turn on and off their lights. They flash light to communicate and find a mate. Fireflies may be disappearing from some areas where they have been found in the past, so researchers are looking to citizen scientists for help understanding more about what is affecting fireflies. Changes in the way we use land might be taking a toll on fireflies. For example, as natural landscapes are turned into lawns, fertilizers, pesticides and mowers may jeopardize fireflies, which spend daytime hours on the ground. Fireflies might also be affected by outdoor lights such as streetlights and the amount of water in the environment. The Firefly Watch project gets the public involved collecting data about where fireflies are found. If you live east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and have ten minutes a week to look for fireflies in the evening, consider signing up as a volunteer. … Read more

Categories: Animals, Biology, Citizen Science, Insects, Nature & Outdoors