May 2025: Operation Daylight Forever!, Light Pollution News.

Join our mailing list. Follow us at LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, & Tiktok.

This Episode:

This week, how does light make you feel? Can satellites change the chemistry of our atmosphere? And, did you know that you can buy old bridge lighting? A man in Queens did just that for…well most of…the Brooklyn Bridge.

This month, we welcome back conservationist Michael Calhoun, landscaper Phyllis Gricus, and astronomer Dr. Robert Massey!

Host:

Guests:

With a lifelong private and public passion for the cosmos, Robert is part of the global campaign to avoid a world where satellites and light pollution ruin our shared heritage of an unsullied night sky. He represents the Society on the executive board of the Earth Space Sustainability Initiative, in the policy hubs of the International Astronomical Union Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference, and in the UK delegation focus group for the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
In 2019 he co-authored Moon: Art, Science, Culture with the art historian Alexandra Loske, and is the resident guest on the RAS Supermassive podcast, consistently one of the most popular in the world for astronomy.

Full Article List:

1. Rotation Of Earth Plunges Entire North American Continent Into Darkness, Onion.
2. Las Vegas sphere owners reportedly want to build “mini spheres” in other cities, Megan Townsend, MixMag.
3. Blue Light Influences Negative Thoughts of Self, Sleep.
4. Association between outdoor artificial light at night and metabolic diseases in middle-aged to older adults—the CHARLS survey, Frontiers in Public Health.
5. Personal 24-hour light exposure pattern with obesity and adiposity-related parameters in school-aged children: a cross-sectional study based on compositional data analysis, Environmental Research.
6. New ESO analysis confirms severe damage from industrial complex planned near Paranal, ESO.
7. Swarms of satellites are harming astronomy. Here’s how researchers are fighting back, Alexandra Witze, Nature.
8. ‘Space Advertising’ Could Outshine the Stars—Unless It’s Banned First, Sharmila Kuthunur, Scientific American.
9. The Brooklyn Bridge Gets a Glow-Up, Diego Lasarte, The New Yorker.
10. Étienne Léopold Trouvelot: Ecological Villain And Astronomy Artist, Kaushik Patowary, Amusingplanet.com.

Light Pollution News: May Highlights

The Onion’s Latest Satirical Spin on Earth’s Rotation

Kicking off this episode with a feature from The Onion! Their headline, “Rotation of the Earth Plunges Entire North American Continent Into Darkness!” offers a humorous take on the inevitable cycle of day and night. The article describes Earth’s uncontrollable spin through space and the dramatic effects of darkness on its victims, including hunger pangs and loss of energy.

The MSG Sphere Team: Revolutionizing Entertainment

The MSG team—known for the Las Vegas Sphere and upcoming Abu Dhabi Sphere—is shifting its focus to a new innovation: mini-spheres! With a capacity of only 5,000 people, these smaller venues aim to bring immersive entertainment while managing the electricity costs of large-scale LED displays.

The Science of Light: How Blue-Enriched Light Impacts Mood

According to a study in Sleep, exposure to blue-enriched light may boost positive thinking. The research examined how lighting affects self-perception and found blue-enhanced environments promote a more optimistic mindset, reinforcing the importance of natural light.

Metabolic Disorders and Artificial Light at Night

A Frontiers in Public Health study investigated correlations between artificial light exposure at night and metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity. With 11,729 participants, the findings suggest a connection between urban light pollution and these conditions, though confounding factors need further study.

Satellite Pollution: A Growing Concern for Astronomy

With projections of 40,000 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, astronomers face increasing obstacles. The Vera Rubin Observatory, which takes 1,000 wide-field exposures per night, may need to adjust its scheduling to avoid interference. Additionally, satellite reentries are introducing chemicals into the upper atmosphere, potentially impacting the ozone layer.

Chilean Project to Impact Observatories

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) recently analyzed how light pollution from Chile’s new energy megaproject will impact astronomy. Findings show that telescopes, including the Very Large Telescope, could experience a 35% increase in pollution, affecting image clarity and overall research quality.

Space Advertising? Russian Companies Plan Laser Billboards

Two Russian companies—Avant Space and StartRocket—are developing satellites capable of laser-based advertising in the night sky. With 400 satellites planned for 370 miles above Earth, their controversial idea could transform the heavens into a billboard battleground. Fortunately, the U.S. has a federal law banning space-based ads, preventing such intrusions for now.

Not Everyone’s a Fan of Brooklyn Bridge “Glow Up”

New York’s Brooklyn Bridge recently received bright new LED lights, sparking mixed reactions. Some residents argue that the harsh glow feels more clinical and less inviting than the warmer mercury vapor lights previously in place. One collector, Joe Pilato, salvaged and resold 123 of the original fixtures to enthusiasts who appreciated their nostalgic quality.

Étienne Léopold Trouvelot: Moths, Mistakes, and Masterpieces

Étienne Léopold Trouvelot, the French illustrator, is infamous for introducing invasive sponge moths to North America. However, he later pivoted to astronomy, working with Harvard College Observatory and producing stunning lithographs of celestial events, such as the zodiacal light, the Great Comet of 1881, and the Orion Nebula. His career shift stemmed from a chance glimpse of the aurora borealis from his Massachusetts farm.

Light Pollution News: May Read Along

Let’s kick off this episode with a feature from the satirical magazine, The Onion, out of all places!

‘Rotation of the Earth Plunges Entire North American Continent Into Darkness!’, I presume it’s not limited to North America, Robert, but let’s continue on!

According to the Onion, the Earth is ‘spinning uncontrollably through space’ and ‘its rotation is utterly beyond human control’!

‘Darkness victims describe hunger pangs, lassitude, and a slow but steady loss of energy, forcing many to lie down.’

I want to revisit an old friend. It’s been a while since we heard from the folks over at MSG. You’ll recall that New York based MSG brought us the Las Vegas Sphere and, soon to be the Abu Dhabi Sphere, but fell short on their bid for a London Sphere.

Well, the MSG team looks to continue their own campaign of ‘Operation Daylight Forever’ by bringing their high tech immersive entertainment to a much smaller scale. James Dolan, owner of MSG and Sphere Entertainment Co., is reportedly shopping around the idea of ‘mini-spheres’ that would have a maximum capacity of 5,000 people, about ¼ the capacity of the full sphere. At least part of the reason for the min-sphere concept appears to derive from the electric bill of the giant LED screen facility.

Just how does light make you feel?

Well, in a new study from the journal Sleep, it was found that blue enriched light might just make you feel good!

The study looked at 35 individuals, with just under 2/3 being young women aged around 20 years old. It gauged individual responses to self-affirming and self-deprecating language in blue enriched lighting and blue depleted lighting. The study found that blue enriched light influences our mind to think of itself in a more positive manner.

Perhaps that’s not shocking considering our need for sunlight.

In other health news, a study in Frontiers in Public Health, looked at generalized levels of artificial light at night from satellite images and tried to identify a correlation between metabolic diseases like diabetes, obesity, etc. There were 11,729 participants who underwent physical evaluations and fasting blood samples. The study concludes that there were positive associations between generalized light pollution and metabolic diseases.

I will temper that conclusion somewhat as the individuals most associated with a greater propensity for these diseases appear to reside in urban areas, for which, while prone to more light at night, the study was unable to tease out confounding variables.

However, in a separate study from Environmental Research, researchers looked at 831 children with an average age of 9 years old. They measured, for five days, the children’s exposure to daytime light over 100 lux and dim light at night over 1 lux. The study found a modest but interesting association. While daytime light tended to be associated with a reduction in body fat by 3%, dim or greater light at night tended to be associated with an increase in body fat by 3%, with boys apparently showing a greater trend toward increased weight gain in dim daylight / bright nights.

Robert, on that note, an article from Nature appears to hint at potentially unforeseen effects across our whole planet from a changing chemical composition from satellites.

The future estimates are now that looking upwards of 40,000 LEO satellites to be in orbit once the space economy fully takes off. For places like the new Vera Rubin Observatory, which hopes to take 1,000 widefield exposures per night, the only game plan in place currently involves limiting the times of photography to avoid the majority of satellite streaks and spending additional time post processing data to remove satellites.

Radio observatories currently rely on community coalitions between SpaceX and local governments to help reduce the impact, but they are still affected by stray leaky satellites that transmit signals outside of the spec’d range.

There’s also this issue!  Reentries add chemicals into the upper atmosphere. This past February, Starlink reentered an average of four satellites a day, which would burn up in the atmosphere. According to the article, some studies have measured small but negative impacts on the ozone layer.

Well, there was big, albeit disheartening, news this month. The European Southern Observatory released a technical analysis of the impacts of the proposed megaproject site, only 11 km away. If you’ll recall, the Chilean government has a conundrum on its hands. On one side, they want to promote green energy. On the other hand, they are home to major astronomical research facilities. And to add further difficulty to this, both are policies backed by the government.

According to the ESO, light pollution would increase by a minimum of 35% for the Very Large Telescope and by 50% for the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory South. The Extremely Large Telescope would expect to see a 5% increase in light.

Air turbulence, as any amateur astronomer is familiar with, would degrade the current stable seeing conditions by 40% due to the proposed wind turbines. Construction and operations may also create vibrations that could render equipment like the Very Large Telescope’s Interferometer moot.

The last item I have on astronomy tonight comes from one of my favorite magazines, Scientific American. And I apologize in advance b/c this one is no less depressing. Robert, I hope you guys aren’t resorting to copious amounts of tariffed Kentucky whiskey to get you through these times!

There are two Russian companies, one named Avant Space and the other, StartRocket, that are joining forces to aim lasers down to the earth with the intent of showing us Earthlings something that none of us at all want…and that is more advertising!

The companies plan to deploy up to 400 satellites at 370 miles above Earth, which would be app controlled exclusively for advertisers. Vlad Sitnikov was quoted saying, “space is not just for scientists, not just for the military, it is entertainment, too. And people like entertainment.”

That makes light of what the two companies are really trying to do, and that is, at least to me, to turn our night sky into a hell scape of billboards.  In the US, there’s a federal law banning the launch of space advertising that was passed back in 2000, stemming from a Georgia based company that wanted to display a space billboard back in the ’96 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Well, let’s take a step back from the ledge here. It’s not often that I find an interesting piece of news from the New Yorker, but here’s one.

Over in Queens, not all residents were excited about the city’s “glow up” of the Brooklyn Bridge. Some took to social media to express dismay, claiming that the new LED lights imparted a harsh, “blindingly bright” glow on the bridge. One Instagrammer even stated of the oppressive new LEDs – “It’s like my 19^th Century Brooklyn Bridge is under interrogation by a belligerent cop!”

So, New York being New York, a Queens resident named Joe Pilato decided it was his calling to purchase the old mercury vapor lights from the New York Department of Transportation’s auction.

For the price of $35 each, he purchased 123 of the 150, of which he was able to resell all of them to various collectors.

And this line, I think, sums it up – Per Pilato, “The white lights are certainly more clinical…I can see people being, like, ‘Bleh!’ They were warmer and cozier before.”

I want to close out tonight with a story about the guy who, sorry Phyllis, brought proverbial havoc and hellfire on many of our North American trees and shrubs in the form of an invasive moth…and that would be the French immigrant Étienne Léopold Trouvelot.

Prior to his stint as an illustrator, he attempted to sew silk from gypsy moths, now called sponge moths – which he transported to the US from France. Obviously, for those living in North America, the rest is history…But he’s not all bad. Just hear me out, Phyllis!

In 1870, Trouvelot started down a road that eventually would lead him to work with multiple observatories, including the Harvard College Observatory (which housed a 15” telescope), the 26” telescope for the UVA Leander McCormic Observatory, and the US Naval Observatory; plus he would go onto to publish many scientific articles.

Trouvlet, though, got his start in astronomy after Harvard College Observatory director Joseph Winlock took notice of his detailed lithographic prints of local events he noticed on his Massachusetts farm, such as streaky illustrations of green and blue auroras.

Obviously, time and technology would catch up to him. However, in between then and there, what is stunning is the quality of these lithographs, including a breathtaking capture of the zodiacal light, astounding renditions of the planets, the great comet of 1881, and even the Orion Nebula! There is more to see in the article link in the show notes, including a super detailed moon illustration. I highly recommend if you’re interested to take a look at the link.

And you know what got him started down this road? A chance glimpse at the aurora borealis from his Massachusetts farm.