Learn how to dim light pollution for bright night skies
DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR
MARBLE FALLS — The stars are big and bright over the Highland Lakes, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way — or that they couldn’t be just a bit brighter.
The Hill Country Alliance is hosting “Better Lights for Starry Nights” to help property owners, community members and even businesses reduce light pollution to keep the stars shining bright.
“It’s not about not lighting your grounds, it’s about lighting your grounds properly so (the light) goes in the right areas, and you get the security and protection you need,” said Christy Muse, the alliance’s executive director.
Light pollution is basically the excess unnatural outdoor lighting that reduces the amount of natural starlight you can see at night. If you compare the night sky in a major city such as Austin to a less populated place such as Enchanted Rock State Natural Area between Llano and Fredericksburg, chances are the intensity of the stars will be greater out in the middle of nature.
During the program, the McDonald Observatory’s Bill Wren, who is known as “the ambassador of the night sky,” will share techniques and ideas on reducing light pollution.
“Unlike many other pollution topics, this is one where you can feel like you’re making a difference and actually see it,” Muse said.
The key, she said, is learning how to properly shield your lights or direct them so excess light doesn’t escape upward while still reaping the benefits of well-directed light for your home, business or property. And, she pointed out, it doesn’t necessarily cost a lot of money.
Muse said one of the big reasons people are flocking to the Hill Country is because of the natural beauty, and a big part of that is the night sky. But as more people move here, the additional outdoor lighting can reduce the natural night light from stars and the moon.
“This has been an issue people have been grappling with all over the Hill Country,” Muse said. “But it doesn’t take much to change.”
The “Better Lights for Starry Nights” programs are:
- May 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Llano County Library, 102 E. Haynie in Llano
- May 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lakeside Pavilion, 307 Buena Vista Drive in Marble Falls (pie from Blue Bonnet Café and coffee from Starbucks will be provided)
- May 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the group pavilion in Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, 16710 RR 965 between Fredericksburg and Llano (there will be a Hill Country Astronomers star-gazing party after the meeting.)
Go to www.hillcountryalliance.org for more information on light pollution and other issues impacting the Hill Country and the Highland Lakes.
daniel@thepicayune.com