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Dear Editor;
We all love looking up at the night sky. But no longer can we all see the stars. There are too many bright lights left on all night. Evenings later this month are moon-free. It's a great time to star-gaze.
Unfortunately, we have neighbors whose lights cause light pollution. If you are causing light pollution, you can fix it. 1) Turn off outdoor lights when not needed 2) Install motion sensors 3) Set timers 4) Use lower wattages and lower-temperature bulbs (2700K max) 5) Shield lights to shine straight-down.
Our children and grandchildren deserve to see all the stars.
I'm hopeful that my neighbors in the Driftless will help. Businesses new and old on Military Ridge from Mount Horeb to Blue Mounds to Barneveld and beyond use too much light all night long. We all love our rural landscape by day and by night. We all need to work to keep it looking rural, especially as we grow.
Look up these evenings and high overhead you'll see the Big Dipper and Leo the Lion. Setting in the west are the bright winter constellations, and rising in the east are Arcturus in Bootes and the summer constellations. Early mornings this month are great, too. That's when you can see Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn.
Here's a reference to learn more about discovering the night sky during International Dark Sky Week, April 22-30, 2022 https://www.darksky.org/
Sincerely, Mark Sturnick,
Town of Moscow, WI