In short
- Nine-year-old Sarah Meldrum of Victoria won the job of Chief Star Counter at Australia’s newly christened Sunshine Coast Hinterland Dark Sky Reserve.
- France’s Mercantour Dark Sky Reserve expanded to cover all of Mercantour National Park, adding 1,400 square kilometers and 15,000 residents.
- Los Angeles property owners voted down a streetlight assessment, with just under 80% opposed on June 26.
- Boston spent $750,000 in 2024 operating 2,800 gas streetlights, about $261 each per year, while LED equivalents cost an estimated $30 per fixture per year.
- Marine conservationist Mona Khalil, who protected loggerhead and green sea turtles along Lebanon’s coast for decades, died after injuries from an Israeli airstrike in June.
This month, I was very happy to be joined by the CEO of DarkSky International, Ruskin Hartley; an amazing ecologist, Dr. Kaori Yokochi; and the co-host to one of my favorite podcasts, the Actual Astronomy podcast’s Shane Ludtke, for the episodes Fundamental Rhythms! and Sustainable Regeneration? Or is it Regenerative Sustainability? As always, you can find all of the links to this show and beyond over at LightPollutionNews.com. Light Pollution News is a listener-supported show. See LightPollutionNews.com/Support to learn more. If you like what we’re doing, please consider sharing this update.
Nine Year Old Sarah Meldrum Wins the Chief Star Counter Job at Sunshine Coast Hinterland Dark Sky Reserve
Maybe you’re not an executive, but down in Australia’s Sunshine Coast Hinterland Dark Sky Reserve you could be a Chief Star Counter. The newly christened reserve ran a contest that included round-trip flights, a rainforest retreat, and guided stargazing. Nine-year-old Sarah Meldrum from Victoria won the job! Not a bad gig if you can stay awake for it!
Ladakh’s Dark Sky Reserve Draws Astrotourists as Night Sky Erosion Continues
I bet you haven’t heard of Ladakh, India. The area, which averages 270 clear nights a year, draws comparisons to the Atacama Desert. It hosts a dense array of astronomical observatories. A study in Sustainable Earth asked whether protecting the night sky served as sustainable development. Since receiving a Dark Sky Reserve designation in 2022, over a third of 28,000 visitors participated in astrotourism. Despite responsible lighting efforts though, night sky erosion has continued, complicated by military presence near the India-China border.
France’s Mercantour Dark Sky Reserve Expands to Cover All of Mercantour National Park
France’s Mercantour Dark Sky Reserve expanded to entirely envelop Mercantour National Park, adding 1,400 square kilometers and 15,000 residents.
Los Angeles Property Owners Reject a Streetlight Assessment Amid Copper Theft
Los Angeles property owners voted down a streetlight assessment targeted to raise $125M annually. Apparently, the purported crime-fighting ability of streetlights fell short as over 200,000 streetlights remain damaged by copper thieves. Just under 80% of residents rejected the proposal on June 26th. When people realize they’re footing the bill, streetlights suddenly become less of a priority.
Boston Spent $750,000 in 2024 on 2,800 Gas Streetlights, About $261 Each
And did you ever wonder about the cost savings from LED lights? Here’s a comparison. Boston spent $750K in 2024 operating 2,800 gas streetlights at $261 each annually. LED equivalents cost an estimated $30 per fixture, per year. The math isn’t subtle.
Zebra Finches Under Even 2 Lux of Night Light Shift Eating and Show Metabolic Disruption
Zebra finches exposed to any nighttime light, even as low as 2 lux, shifted eating into dark hours and showed metabolic disruption despite eating the same daily food intake. Timing drove the harm, not quantity.
Leach’s Storm-Petrels Were 9 Times More Likely to Collide With Lit Surfaces
More evidence that glare is a chief culprit in bird collisions. Leach’s Storm-Petrels proved 9x more likely to collide with lit surfaces than unlit ones. Black surfaces reduced collisions 66%. Textured surfaces showed promise.
Gulf of Aqaba Reef Fish Show Light-Related Sleep Disruption and DNA Damage Markers
Reef fish in the Gulf of Aqaba showed sleep disruption from artificial light correlated with elevated DNA damage markers in brain neurons, with effects persisting across five months.
Marine Conservationist Mona Khalil, Protector of Lebanon’s Sea Turtles, Dies at 76
Sad news from Lebanon. Marine conservationist Mona Khalil, who protected loggerhead and green sea turtles along Lebanon’s coast for decades, passed at 76 from injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike this past June. Her work will continue through the people she trained.
Attilla Danko’s 25-Inch Obsession Telescope Gets a Home at Lennox and Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area
In space tourism and astronomy news, Clear Sky Chart’s Attilla Danko will live on at the Lennox and Addington County Dark Sky Viewing Area in Southern Ontario. Attilla’s wife, Ingrid, donated his 25-inch Obsession telescope to the site. The telescope has officially been dubbed the “Attilla Danko Telescope” and will be housed in a storage facility called the “Attilla Danko Space Port.”
Heatherwick Studio Designs a Public Observatory in AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, a kingdom known for grand ideas, has the grandest observatory idea of all time. As if a scene right out of Dune, the Kingdom plans to build an observatory for the layman, not the scientists (though the site will house scientific telescopes). The facility contains a series of protruding tubes that extend out from a center area in any number of lengths. Think refractor spaghetti. Heatherwick Studio did the design for this unique space in AlUla.
Quick Answers From This Month’s Light Pollution News
What is a Chief Star Counter?
It is a contest-won job at Australia’s Sunshine Coast Hinterland Dark Sky Reserve. The contest prize included round-trip flights, a rainforest retreat and guided stargazing, and nine-year-old Sarah Meldrum from Victoria won.
What happened with Los Angeles’ streetlight assessment vote?
Property owners voted down a proposed streetlight assessment that was targeted to raise $125 million annually. Light Pollution News reported that just under 80% rejected it on June 26.
How much cheaper are LED streetlights than gas streetlights?
Light Pollution News reported that Boston spent $750,000 in 2024 operating 2,800 gas streetlights, about $261 each annually, while LED equivalents cost an estimated $30 per fixture per year.
How does nighttime light affect birds?
Zebra finches exposed to even 2 lux of nighttime light shifted eating into dark hours and showed metabolic disruption. Leach’s Storm-Petrels were 9 times more likely to collide with lit surfaces than unlit ones, and black surfaces reduced collisions by 66%.
Who was Mona Khalil?
Mona Khalil was a marine conservationist who protected loggerhead and green sea turtles along Lebanon’s coast for decades. She died at 76 from injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike in June, and her work continues through the people she trained.
