Light Pollution News
The path to neighborhood friendly starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you!Ever wish you could see the stars at night? Well, here's your chance to join the conversation around how we can create a sustainable and equitable night that benefits people as much as it does ecology. Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!Each month, Bill McGeeney is joined by upwards of three guests to help walk you through the news around t...
July 2025: Identity.
This episode's guests:
Babak Tafreshi, Photojournalist for National Geographic.Tom Reinert, Past President of Dark Sky International.Jeffrey Calta, President of the Pennsylvania Firefly Festival.Bill's News Picks:
How Atlanta’s ‘Light Up the Night’ program is making streets safer—one LED at a time, 11Alive. ‘The right light:’ Pittsburgh begins installing LED streetlights, Ed Blazina, Pittsburgh Union Progress.Photographer captures ghostly ripples over Colorado night sky. 'It is rare to see it directly overhead and moving like that' (photo), Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com. Light Pollution Solutions - A Brazilian P...July 2025: Know, But Don't Know Your Fireflies!
This episode's guests:
Tom Reinert, Past President of Dark Sky International.Jeffrey Calta, President of the Pennsylvania Firefly Festival.Bill's News Picks:
See photos of Manhattanhenge as seen from 42nd St. in Manhattan, Seth Harrison, Iohud. Space-time cube reveals escalating light pollution in China's national parks: impact of boundary geometry and human activities (1992–2021), Environmental Pollution. Streets going dark to deter mayflies, Caitlin Hunt, News5. Nocturnal pollinators just as important as their daytime colleagues, study finds, Phys.org. How LED lights can help birds avoid fatal run-ins with windows, NPR.
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June 2025: Cozy Lychnology.
This month's guests:
David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of the Astronomy Magazine.Nancy Gonlin, Professor of Anthropology at Bellevue College.Michael Colligan, Host of Restoring Darkness.Bill's News Picks:
Light pollution’s impact on Indigenous cultures, Abbe Whitford, Astrobites. Perinatal Exposures to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and Outdoor Artificial Light at Night and Risk of Pediatric Papillary Thyroid Cancer, Environmental Health Perspectives. Associations between light at night and mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Science of The Total Environment. Being a parent can be dizzying. To reorient, I look t...June 2025: Gucci Bag Deep State!
This month's guests:
David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of the Astronomy Magazine.Nancy Gonlin, Professor of Anthropology at Bellevue College.Michael Colligan, Host of Restoring Darkness.Bill's News Picks:
This is Why You’re Afraid of the Woods at Night, Blair Braverman, Outside. Artificial light pollution could fuel growth of toxic algal blooms, James Dinneen, New Scientist. Street lights to be switched off across major roads to slash pollution levels with new AI cameras, GBNews. The enduring glow of London's historic gas lamps, CBS Sunday Morning. LED Street Lights Killing...May 2025: Operation Daylight Forever!
This month's guests:
Robert Massey, of the Royal Astronomical Society.Phyllis Gricus, Principal of Landscape Design Studio, LLC.Michael Calhoun, Conservationist and Advocate.Bill's News Picks:
Las Vegas sphere owners reportedly want to build "mini spheres" in other cities, Megan Townsend, MixMag. Blue Light Influences Negative Thoughts of Self, Sleep. Swarms of satellites are harming astronomy. Here’s how researchers are fighting back, Alexandra Witze, Nature. ‘Space Advertising’ Could Outshine the Stars—Unless It’s Banned First, Sharmila Kuthunur, Scientific American. Personal 24-hour light exposure pattern with obesity and ad...May 2025: Mother Snowy Owl!
This month's guests:
Robert Massey, of the Royal Astronomical Society.Phyllis Gricus, Principal of Landscape Design Studio, LLC.Michael Calhoun, Conservationist and Advocate.Bill's News Picks:
As a lamp you wear a hat, Stefan Oberwalleney, RBB24. From fireflies to fish, light pollution is damaging the environment – what can we do about it?, Emma Charlton, World Economic Forum. How young salmon navigate a gauntlet of danger en route to the sea, Science Daily. This trend for lighting up gardens may seem an inviting one, but it needs to be do...Why It's So Bright at Night? Interview with Art Hushen on #9PMRoutine.
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Art Hushen, founder of the National Institute of Crime Prevention.
The seemingly harmless advice to leave all your exterior lights on overnight might not be the crime deterrent you think it is. Host, Bill McGeeney, reconnects with Art Hushin, a 30-year law enforcement veteran and founder of the National Institute of Crime Prevention, to dissect the popular #9PMRoutine campaign sweeping across police departments in the US and Canada.
What started in Florida in 2017 as a well-meaning initiative has attempted to craft people's habits into a...
April 2025: Typewriters and Candlesnuff!
This month's guests:
Stephanie Vermillion, Travel Journalist and Author.Traci Cardinal, President of Dark Sky Ohio.Shane Ludtke, host of the Actual Astronomy Podcast.Bill's News Picks:
World Becomes Brighter as Trump Reverses Biden’s Incandescent Light Bulb Ban, Leslie Eastman, Legal Insurrection.E Ink's color ePaper tech gets supersized for outdoor displays, Paul Ridden, New Atlas.Portsmouth Neighborhood Wins Light Pollution Battle with Tiverton Boatyard, Michael Rock, Fun107.It Pays to Sit Tight: Stable Night-Time Incubation Increases Hatching Success in Urban and Forest Great Tits, Parus ma...April 2025: Shadow Cast!
This month's guests:
Stephanie Vermillion, Travel Journalist and Author.Traci Cardinal, President of Dark Sky Ohio.Shane Ludtke, host of the Actual Astronomy Podcast.Bill's News Picks:
China: Eerie jellyfish-like streetlight spotted in China, Stingers Hub. Dark Sky Week deemed dangerous, fails in North Dakota Senate, Jeff Beach, North Dakota Monitor. This New ‘Astro Trail’ in Arizona Is Located in One of the ‘Astronomy Capitals of the World'—and Makes Stops at Observatories, State Parks, and More, Evie Charrick, Travel + Leisure. Inside the Private Astronomy Village Hidden in the Dark...March 2025: Follow Where Others Are Going.
This month's guests:
Art Hushen, founder of the National Institute of Crime Prevention.Jeff Schmalz, founder of r/DarkSky.Spencer SooHoo, Los Angeles Astronomical Society Secretary and Dark Sky Advocate.Bill's News Picks:
An Evaluation of Citywide Street Lighting Upgrades on Gun Violence, Crime Justice Lab.Street lighting environment and fear of crime: a simulated virtual reality experiment, Virtual Reality.Rural students hit jackpot in dark sky, to be trained in astronomy, New Indian Express.Energy megaproject in Chile threatens the world’s largest telescopes, Daniel Clery, Sc...March 2025: Gateway Topics!
This month's guests:
Art Hushen, founder of the National Institute of Crime Prevention.Jeff Schmalz, founder of r/DarkSky.Spencer SooHoo, Los Angeles Astronomical Society Secretary and Dark Sky Advocate.Bill's News Picks:
Streetlight upgrade to help protect dark skies, Richard Edwards, BBC.The War Against Headlight Brightness, Nate Rogers, The Ringer.Atlantic puffins are perilously attracted to artificial light, new study shows, Spoorthy Raman, Mongabay. Nocturnal camouflage through background matching against moonlight, PNASNational Park visitors perceive benefits for themselves and wildlife under blended red-white outdoor lighting, S...February 2025: Pie Tins!
This month's guests:
Mark Baker, founder of the Soft Lights Foundation.Nick Mesler, civil engineer specializing in traffic and pedestrian safety.Isa Mohammed, President of the Caribbean Institute of Astronomy.Bill's News Picks:
This Famous designer changed the way cities think about public lighting, Diana Budds, Fast Company. Electric Utilities Sued Over Lighting and Wildlife Issues, Inside Lighting. Artificial Light Increases Nighttime Prevalence of Predatory Fishes, Altering Community Composition on Coral Reefs, Global Change Biology. We’re losing sight of the night sky. This First Nation is tryin...February 2025: Share Cookies and Be Friendly!
This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Mark Baker, founder of the Soft Lights Foundation, Nick Mesler, civil engineer, and, Isa Mohammed, President of the Caribbean Institute of Astronomy!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
January 2025: Fly to the Right.
This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Dr. Mario Motta, lighting designer Glenn Heinmiller, and, advocate, David Lefevre!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
January 2025: .02 Microwatts!
This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Dr. Mario Motta, lighting designer Glenn Heinmiller, and, advocate, David Lefevre!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
2024 Holiday Potluck!
Find today's articles at LightPollutionNews.com
A panel of guests from 2024 reflect on their favorite news stories of 2024 They discuss significant victories, such as the community-led opposition against the MSG Sphere project and the introduction of regulations in various countries addressing light pollution.
- Community success in opposing MSG Sphere project
- United Nations addresses satellite constellations’ impact on astronomy
- New Zealand aims for dark sky continent with light pollution regulations
- Astrotourism trends and their economic potential
- Health implications of light pollution linked to mortality rates
- Increas...
December 2024: Say Light Pollution
This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Travis Longcore, Adjunct Professor and Co-Chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering Program at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, and Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light, a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
December 2024: Patterns of Activity.
This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Travis Longcore, Adjunct Professor and Co-Chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering Program at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, and Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light, a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
November 2024: Dopamine Rush.
This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Kevin Beare, whom you may know better as CapeMayAstro, Michael Rymer from Dark Sky makes a return visit, and the always insightful, Frank Turina of the Night Sky Resource Center joins us once again!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Lights Out Greenwich! New Town Lighting Regulations Target Light Pollution, Greenwich Free Press.
‘Clear message’ from comm...
November 2024: Looking Up Matters!
[Editorial Correction: AST sent up the Blue Bird satellites incorrectly noted as Blue Walker satellites]
This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Kevin Beare, whom you may know better as CapeMayAstro, Michael Rymer from Dark Sky makes a return visit, and the always insightful, Frank Turina of the Night Sky Resource Center joins us once again!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
October 2024: See the Stars, Share the Stars!
A lot to discuss this month! Host Bill McGeeney is joined by an expert panel featuring the astronomer and artist, Dr. Tyler Nordgren, photographer and Youtuber, Nico Carver, and, thought leader and CEO of Visibility Innovations, Nancy Clanton.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
The effects of artificial light at night on spider brains, Biology Letters.
October 2024: Stargazing on the Bomber!
A lot to discuss this month! Host Bill McGeeney is joined by an expert panel featuring the astronomer and artist, Dr. Tyler Nordgren, photographer and Youtuber, Nico Carver, and, thought leader and CEO of Visibility Innovations, Nancy Clanton.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Turning down streetlights at night shown to reduce light pollution and...
September 2024: What is Safe?
A lot to discuss this month! Host Bill McGeeney is joined by an expert panel featuring the equitable conservationist, Shelana deSilva, lawyer and satellite researcher, Yana Yakushina, and, consultant, John Barentine.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Nighttime Crimes in Vienna, Austria, ISPRS Int J. Geo-Inf.
...
September 2024: Totality of Impact!
A lot to discuss this month! Host Bill McGeeney is joined by an expert panel featuring the equitable conservationist, Shelana deSilva, lawyer and satellite researcher, Yana Yakushina, and, consultant, John Barentine.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Court Upholds FCC Approval of Starlink’s LE...
August 2024: A Right to Night?
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Betty Buckley who made this great film, the Stars at Night and by Leo Smith, who is now starting up a new Coalition to Reduce Light Pollution!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Feelings of safety for visitors recreating outdoors at night in different artificial lighting conditions, Journal of Environmental Psychology.
Pe...
August 2024: Checking the Box!
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Betty Buckley who made this great film, the Stars at Night and by Leo Smith, who is now starting up a new Coalition to Reduce Light Pollution!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Astronomy tourism business ready to fight Hydrostor's billion-dollar Broken Hill renewable energy project, Grace Atta, Oliver Brown and Andrew...
Why It's So Bright at Night? Interview with Councilmember Dee Durham of New Castle County, Delaware
How can one county lead the charge against light pollution while balancing development and environmental preservation? Second District New Castle County, Delaware Councilmember Dee Durham joins host Bill McGeeney to discuss the successful passage of Lighting Ordinance 23-122, aimed at reducing light pollution through smart lighting regulations.
Councilmember Durham explains the regulations on specific lighting types such as spotlights and floodlights, and the importance of shielding to reduce glare and enhance energy efficiency. We'll highlight the challenges of implementing Ordinance 23-122 and how the county plans to enforce this ordinance.
...
July 2024: We Need Better Resolution!
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Ken Walczak of Dark Sky International, Lya Osborn of Light Justice, and the award winning landscape astrophotographer, Josh Dury.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
July 2024: To a Better 2045!
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Ken Walczak of Dark Sky International, Lya Osborn of Light Justice, and the award winning landscape astrophotographer, Josh Dury.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
June 2024: Crap Lighting
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by David Smith of Buglife, lawyer and policy researcher, Yana Yakushina, and Dark Skies Officer for Cumbria, Jack Ellerby.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
May 2024: Radio Aero Ecology
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Shane Ludtke of the Actual Astronomy Podcast, Jeff Buler of the Aeroecology Lab at the University of Delaware, and Matthias Schmitt of Cedar Breaks National Monument.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Apr 2024: Sonification
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Isa Mohammed of the Caribbean Institute of Astronomy, Frank Turina of the Night Sky Resource Center, and the Director of Dark Sky International's Engagement, Bettymaya Foott.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Mar 2024: Ar Hyd Y Nos
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by storyteller Mary Stewart Adams, author of the new book - All Along the Night, Dani Robertson, and dark sky consultant, John Barentine.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Please be sure to check out Dani Robertson's Book: All Through the Night.
Bill's Picks:
Why It's So Bright at Night? Interview with Jennifer Huygen on the Fairlands Valley Park Petition.
'Why It's So Bright at Night' is a periodic episode of Light Pollution News, where host Bill McGeeney sits down and chats to understand the positions of people who advocate for light. The show's intent is to spur conversation and understanding, helping all of us work together to a common unified goal of a better tomorrow for people, plants and animals.
This episode, mentioned in the Feb 2024: A Space for Celebration episode, Jennifer Huygen started a petition in Stevenage, England to add lighting to a park. We explore why the lighting is needed, what types of lighting...
Feb 2024: A Space for Celebration
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by freelance writer, Lauren Collee, astronomer, Tim Brothers, and film maker, Tara Roberts Zabriski.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Jan 2024: Walking in a Freakily Large Planetarium.
Host Bill McGeeney is joined by AstroBackyard's Ashley Northcotte, lighting designer and founder of Dark Source, Kerem Asfuroglu, and educator and advocate, Diane Turnshek.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Happy Holidays! Here's Your Holiday Bonus!
Text Light Pollution News!
Happy Holidays from Light Pollution News! Here's a special gift episode as a thank you for your continued support in 2023!
In this special mini-episode, host Bill McGeeney shares seven articles left out of the normal month to month cycle! Stay tuned to for a post-show wrap up montage!
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Dec 2023: VIP Session Under the Bridge!
Last Episode of 2023! Host Bill McGeeney is joined by 2023 Dark Sky Int'l Rising Star Award Recipient, Bonnie Peng, photographer of the new book, Spirits Dancing, Travis Novitsky, and Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator for the McDonald Observatory, Stephen Hummel.
See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!
Bill's Picks:
Nov 2023: Asphalt Dreams!
This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Ben Chappell, of the Narrowband Channel, Matthias Schmitt, Cedar Breaks National Monument Night Sky Program Manager, and environmental educator / blogger, Frank Turina.
See Full Show Notes at LightPollutionNews.com.
Oct 2023: The Perma-Noon Super Highway
This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Ziz Knight, cofounder of the newly formed, Dark Skies Los Angeles, and Drew Evans, of the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition / Astrophotographer.
See Full Show Notes at LightPollutionNews.com.
