Thursday night at Wagman was one of the most transparent nights I’ve ever seen at Wagman. The MW was easily visible and dipping further into the south than usual. I took a few pictures around the observatory to try and show how nice the view was.
Development of our rural countryside is rapidly increasing due to emergent industries like oil and gas. A single industrial site is often lit up like a little town on the map making one wonder if residential, commercial, or industrial development is the true light pollution problem?
Click on the Images below for an animation comparing Light Pollution levels in 2003 to 2012.
AAAP Greene County Site with Light Pollution growth from 2003 to 2012
Pittsburgh Area Light pollution growth from 2003 to 2012.
Two of us spent Wednesday night at the Greene County Observing Site. It had been almost 6 months since we’d been there last due to this years cold and snowy winter. As always the light pollution continues to grow everywhere so I took panoramic shots of the site in daylight and at night to show the current lights in the SE and S primarily. Unfortunately, I didn’t take them from the same spot or at the same focal length so they aren’t 100% comparable but they give you an idea.
Being unemployed gives me a little more time to travel the countryside and give Bill Snyder a hand with his Astrophotography booth at some Art Festivals. The show ran Dec 13th-Dec 15th, thankfully indoors unlike the last show where we nearly froze to death. It’s a great opportunity to talk astronomy with the general public and get a snapshot of who is interested in astronomy.
Here are a few pictures of the King of Astrophotography, Bill Snyder. He forgot to pack his cape and crown 🙂
On 8/29/2013 I visited my dark site, a 2 acre plot outside West Finley, PA near the PA / WV border. There is a huge increase in traffic, road construction, heavy equipment excavation, etc. occuring in the region due to the new fracking technologies that have allowed the gas industry to go after the vast gas stores within the Marcellus Shale. Several hillsides near me have been leveled off for drill pads and 3 wells have been drilled with 2 more permitted in the very near vicinity. My darkest sky to the south is now my brightest horizon with a bright light dome extending up to 60+ degrees completely blocking out the southern Milky Way. It is now difficult to see the Milky Way except at zenith and in the north east (where the other 2 are permitted!)
My dark site previously resided in a “yellow” zone bordering green on the light pollution map with a SQM measurement of 21.1 on a typical night at zenith. It is now an “orange” zone at a SQM measurement of 20.2. I am including a widefield shot of M8, the Lagoon Nebula, from 2 years ago vs. one taken last night in order to show the difference the light pollution impact has on astrophotography / astronomy.
I would note that the SQM reading at my home in Franklin Park is 20.1 on a good night; nearly the same as an average night at my darksite now that the drilling boom as begun. I should note that uplit drill rigs, flaring, and other activities are temporary. Unfortunately, the infrastructure that goes along with processing the gas is not and my site is affected by the permanent installation 1.7 miles to my south pictured below.
While I support energy independence, local jobs, and fracking in general, it is hard not to stop and wonder when every month sees major new excavation on your quaint country dirt road.
M8 Before the Gas Companies began drilling
M8 After the gas companies
Here you can see the massive changes in infrastructure directly to the south of me in just the last year in satellite views.
2012
2013