Share the night

By Axwell Ingrosso

Last night’s meteor(流 星 )shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers．According to Gabe Rothschild， Emerald Valley's mayor，people gathered in the suburbs of the city， carrying heavy telescopes， expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky．What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city's lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead．

“My family was so frustrated”， admitted town resident Duane Cosby．“We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing，but it turned out to be a huge disappointment．”

Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets—have been complaining about this problem for decades．They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past．They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it．

There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution．This population consists of birds，bats，frogs，snakes，etc．For example，outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds．According to the International Dark-Sky Association，100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers．

Countless more animal casualties(傷亡)result from the use of artificial lighting．Clearly，people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings，but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans，too．They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person’s chances of getting cancer．

Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution．For years， Flagstaff， Arizona， has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory．Similar efforts have been made worldwide，and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them，so that other creatures can share the night．