Shows
Light Pollution NewsOctober 2025: 50 Tons a Day! This episode's guests:Yana Yakushina, Lawyer and Researcher.James Lowenthal, Astronomer.Vicky Derksen, Night Sky Tourist.Bill's News Picks:The endangered night: the challenge of light pollution within the international environmental legal context, Journal of Environmental Law. On National Space Day, Fadnavis pledges India's first state Dark Sky Policy, and what it could unlock for Maharashtra, ANI, Tribune. Appeals court rules Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" detention site can stay open, Joe Walsh, CBS News.Is Starlink Bad for the Environment? FCC Doesn’t Think It Should Weigh In, Michae...
2025-10-0655 min
Light Pollution NewsWhy It's So Bright at Night? Interview with Vasudev Menon on Stargazr.org In this episode, Bill McGeeney interviews Vasu Menon, a NC State computer science student who created Stargazer.org - a revolutionary web app that solves every amateur astronomer's planning nightmare. Born from a frustrating full-moon stargazing trip to Virginia's Stanton River park, this tool combines dark sky locations, weather forecasts, and lunar data into one simple interface. The ProblemMultiple apps needed for stargazing planningMoon interference ruining viewing experiencesDifficulty finding certified dark sky locationsThe Solution: Stargazer.org FeaturesZip code-based dark sky location finderIntegrated weather forecasting via Ope...
2025-09-2910 min
Light Pollution NewsWhy It's So Bright at Night? Interview with Alona Rodeh on Street Lamps with Hats!Episode SummaryDiscover how one artist is tackling light pollution through whimsical street art. Berlin visual artist Alona Rodeh joins the show to discuss her viral "Nightcaps" project - 3D-printed "hats" that transform unshielded street lamps into community art while reducing light pollution.Key Topics CoveredThe Nightcaps Project: 15 sculptural lamp covers installed throughout Berlin's Brunnenvierteljat neighborhoodCommunity engagement: Workshops with local families and children incorporating cultural designsEnvironmental impact: Practical solutions for reducing artificial light at night (ALAN)Placemaking through art
2025-09-2933 min
Light Pollution News PodcastWhy It’s So Bright at NightIn this episode, Bill McGeeney interviews Vasu Menon, a NC State computer science student who created Stargazer.org - a revolutionary web app that solves every amateur astronomer's planning nightmare. Born from a frustrating full-moon stargazing trip to Virginia's Stanton River park, this tool combines dark sky locations, weather forecasts, and lunar data into one simple interface.
2025-09-2900 min
Light Pollution NewsSeptember 2025: 10 Point Scale!This episode's guests:Steve Mariconda, MPH.Frank Turina, Educator / National Park Service / Night Sky Resource Center.Bill's News Picks:Natural experiments from Earth Hour reveal urban night sky being drastically lit up by few decorative buildings, Scientific Reports.Night lights versus conservation dreams: balancing human preferences with conservation goals in protected areas for sustainable nature-based noctourism, Journal of Sustainable Tourism.Noise pollution and artificial light at night alter selection pressures on sexual signals in an urban adapter, Journal of Evolutionary Biology.Association between outdoor artificial light at night, circadian...
2025-09-1546 min
Light Pollution NewsSeptember 2025: Quit Messing With My Meridian Flip!This episode's guests:Steve Mariconda, MPH.Frank Turina, Educator / National Park Service / Night Sky Resource Center.Bill's News Picks:‘This is a big win’: Planning Commission embraces ‘dark skies’ for Rappahannock County, Bob Hurley, Rappahonnock News.A CT man claims state courts don’t comply with a certain law. Why he says it matters., Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courient.City denies environmentalists’ appeal, greenlights new Oaks Park ride and lights, Maddie Khaw, The Oregonian.Fears over impact of wind farm lights on Dark Sky Park, BBC News.Caring China shop owner keeps...
2025-09-031h 06
Light Pollution NewsAugust 2025: Keep Knocking!This episode's guests:Kelly Beatty, Sky and Telescope.Kerem Asfuroglu, Dark Source.David Smith, BugLife.Bill's News Picks:Darkness is crucial to Everglades habitat: Could Alligator Alcatraz threaten it?, Max Chesnes, Phys.org. A183 Coast Road cycleway to get new street lighting to boost safety despite wildlife and dark skies fears, Nic Marko, Shields Gazette. Lunar cycle and moonlight intensity influence nocturnal migration patterns in a small songbird, Scientific Reports. Bogong moths use a stellar compass for long-distance navigation at night, Nature.Sub...
2025-08-1852 min
Light Pollution NewsAugust 2025: Establishing PrecedentThis episode's guests:Kelly Beatty, Sky and Telescope.Kerem Asfuroglu, Dark Source.David Smith, BugLife.Bill's News Picks:Citizen science illuminates the nature of city lights, Nature Cities. Does darkness increase the risk of certain types of crime? A registered report article, Plos.org. To Determine if Changing to White Light Street Lamps Reduces Crime: A Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis of Crime Occurrence during the Relighting of Leeds, a UK City, Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy. Lipid metabolic adaptations during inflammation are controlled by the circadian clock and impair...
2025-08-041h 02
Light Pollution NewsWhy It's So Bright at Night? Interview with Citizens for Responsible Lighting (Norfolk, Va) In this episode of Why It’s So Bright at Night, host Bill McGeeney explores the growing movement in Norfolk, Virginia, led by Citizens for Responsible Lighting, a grassroots group advocating for smarter, healthier, and more environmentally responsible LED streetlighting.The group formed after residents were disturbed by overly bright 3000K–4000K LEDs installed across the city starting in late 2023 as part of a $5 million retrofit project funded by a $3 million federal grant. Rather than thoughtfully implement the upgrade, Dominion Energy inserted high-CCT LEDs into existing fixtures—including decorative ones, causing excessive glare, poor light distribution, and widespr...
2025-07-2828 min
Light Pollution NewsJuly 2025: Identity.This episode's guests:Babak Tafreshi, Photojournalist for National Geographic.Tom Reinert, Past President of Dark Sky International.Jeffrey Calta, President of the Pennsylvania Firefly Festival.Bill's News Picks:How Atlanta’s ‘Light Up the Night’ program is making streets safer—one LED at a time, 11Alive. ‘The right light:’ Pittsburgh begins installing LED streetlights, Ed Blazina, Pittsburgh Union Progress.Photographer captures ghostly ripples over Colorado night sky. 'It is rare to see it directly overhead and moving like that' (photo), Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com. Light Pollution Solutions - A Brazilian P...
2025-07-141h 05
Light Pollution NewsJuly 2025: Know, But Don't Know Your Fireflies! This episode's guests:Tom Reinert, Past President of Dark Sky International.Jeffrey Calta, President of the Pennsylvania Firefly Festival.Bill's News Picks:See photos of Manhattanhenge as seen from 42nd St. in Manhattan, Seth Harrison, Iohud. Space-time cube reveals escalating light pollution in China's national parks: impact of boundary geometry and human activities (1992–2021), Environmental Pollution. Streets going dark to deter mayflies, Caitlin Hunt, News5. Nocturnal pollinators just as important as their daytime colleagues, study finds, Phys.org. How LED lights can help birds avoid fatal run-ins with windows, NPR.
2025-06-301h 06
Light Pollution NewsJune 2025: Cozy Lychnology.This month's guests:David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of the Astronomy Magazine.Nancy Gonlin, Professor of Anthropology at Bellevue College.Michael Colligan, Host of Restoring Darkness.Bill's News Picks:Light pollution’s impact on Indigenous cultures, Abbe Whitford, Astrobites. Perinatal Exposures to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and Outdoor Artificial Light at Night and Risk of Pediatric Papillary Thyroid Cancer, Environmental Health Perspectives. Associations between light at night and mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Science of The Total Environment. Being a parent can be dizzying. To reorient, I look t...
2025-06-161h 09
Light Pollution NewsJune 2025: Gucci Bag Deep State!This month's guests:David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of the Astronomy Magazine.Nancy Gonlin, Professor of Anthropology at Bellevue College.Michael Colligan, Host of Restoring Darkness.Bill's News Picks:This is Why You’re Afraid of the Woods at Night, Blair Braverman, Outside. Artificial light pollution could fuel growth of toxic algal blooms, James Dinneen, New Scientist. Street lights to be switched off across major roads to slash pollution levels with new AI cameras, GBNews. The enduring glow of London's historic gas lamps, CBS Sunday Morning. LED Street Lights Killing...
2025-06-021h 01
Light Pollution NewsMay 2025: Operation Daylight Forever!This month's guests:Robert Massey, of the Royal Astronomical Society.Phyllis Gricus, Principal of Landscape Design Studio, LLC.Michael Calhoun, Conservationist and Advocate.Bill's News Picks:Las Vegas sphere owners reportedly want to build "mini spheres" in other cities, Megan Townsend, MixMag. Blue Light Influences Negative Thoughts of Self, Sleep. Swarms of satellites are harming astronomy. Here’s how researchers are fighting back, Alexandra Witze, Nature. ‘Space Advertising’ Could Outshine the Stars—Unless It’s Banned First, Sharmila Kuthunur, Scientific American. Personal 24-hour light exposure pattern with obesity and ad...
2025-05-1953 min
Light Pollution NewsMay 2025: Mother Snowy Owl!This month's guests:Robert Massey, of the Royal Astronomical Society.Phyllis Gricus, Principal of Landscape Design Studio, LLC.Michael Calhoun, Conservationist and Advocate.Bill's News Picks:As a lamp you wear a hat, Stefan Oberwalleney, RBB24. From fireflies to fish, light pollution is damaging the environment – what can we do about it?, Emma Charlton, World Economic Forum. How young salmon navigate a gauntlet of danger en route to the sea, Science Daily. This trend for lighting up gardens may seem an inviting one, but it needs to be do...
2025-05-0549 min
Light Pollution NewsWhy It's So Bright at Night? Interview with Art Hushen on #9PMRoutine.Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Art Hushen, founder of the National Institute of Crime Prevention.The seemingly harmless advice to leave all your exterior lights on overnight might not be the crime deterrent you think it is. Host, Bill McGeeney, reconnects with Art Hushin, a 30-year law enforcement veteran and founder of the National Institute of Crime Prevention, to dissect the popular #9PMRoutine campaign sweeping across police departments in the US and Canada.What started in Florida in 2017 as a well-meaning initiative has attempted to craft people's habits into a...
2025-04-2812 min
Light Pollution NewsApril 2025: Typewriters and Candlesnuff!This month's guests:Stephanie Vermillion, Travel Journalist and Author.Traci Cardinal, President of Dark Sky Ohio.Shane Ludtke, host of the Actual Astronomy Podcast.Bill's News Picks:World Becomes Brighter as Trump Reverses Biden’s Incandescent Light Bulb Ban, Leslie Eastman, Legal Insurrection.E Ink's color ePaper tech gets supersized for outdoor displays, Paul Ridden, New Atlas.Portsmouth Neighborhood Wins Light Pollution Battle with Tiverton Boatyard, Michael Rock, Fun107.It Pays to Sit Tight: Stable Night-Time Incubation Increases Hatching Success in Urban and Forest Great Tits, Parus ma...
2025-04-1449 min
Light Pollution NewsApril 2025: Shadow Cast!This month's guests:Stephanie Vermillion, Travel Journalist and Author.Traci Cardinal, President of Dark Sky Ohio.Shane Ludtke, host of the Actual Astronomy Podcast.Bill's News Picks:China: Eerie jellyfish-like streetlight spotted in China, Stingers Hub. Dark Sky Week deemed dangerous, fails in North Dakota Senate, Jeff Beach, North Dakota Monitor. This New ‘Astro Trail’ in Arizona Is Located in One of the ‘Astronomy Capitals of the World'—and Makes Stops at Observatories, State Parks, and More, Evie Charrick, Travel + Leisure. Inside the Private Astronomy Village Hidden in the Dark...
2025-03-3157 min
Light Pollution NewsMarch 2025: Follow Where Others Are Going.This month's guests:Art Hushen, founder of the National Institute of Crime Prevention.Jeff Schmalz, founder of r/DarkSky.Spencer SooHoo, Los Angeles Astronomical Society Secretary and Dark Sky Advocate.Bill's News Picks:An Evaluation of Citywide Street Lighting Upgrades on Gun Violence, Crime Justice Lab.Street lighting environment and fear of crime: a simulated virtual reality experiment, Virtual Reality.Rural students hit jackpot in dark sky, to be trained in astronomy, New Indian Express.Energy megaproject in Chile threatens the world’s largest telescopes, Daniel Clery, Sc...
2025-03-1753 min
Light Pollution NewsMarch 2025: Gateway Topics!This month's guests:Art Hushen, founder of the National Institute of Crime Prevention.Jeff Schmalz, founder of r/DarkSky.Spencer SooHoo, Los Angeles Astronomical Society Secretary and Dark Sky Advocate.Bill's News Picks:Streetlight upgrade to help protect dark skies, Richard Edwards, BBC.The War Against Headlight Brightness, Nate Rogers, The Ringer.Atlantic puffins are perilously attracted to artificial light, new study shows, Spoorthy Raman, Mongabay. Nocturnal camouflage through background matching against moonlight, PNASNational Park visitors perceive benefits for themselves and wildlife under blended red-white outdoor lighting, S...
2025-03-0359 min
Light Pollution NewsFebruary 2025: Pie Tins!This month's guests:Mark Baker, founder of the Soft Lights Foundation.Nick Mesler, civil engineer specializing in traffic and pedestrian safety.Isa Mohammed, President of the Caribbean Institute of Astronomy.Bill's News Picks:This Famous designer changed the way cities think about public lighting, Diana Budds, Fast Company. Electric Utilities Sued Over Lighting and Wildlife Issues, Inside Lighting. Artificial Light Increases Nighttime Prevalence of Predatory Fishes, Altering Community Composition on Coral Reefs, Global Change Biology. We’re losing sight of the night sky. This First Nation is tryin...
2025-02-1753 min
Light Pollution NewsFebruary 2025: Share Cookies and Be Friendly!This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Mark Baker, founder of the Soft Lights Foundation, Nick Mesler, civil engineer, and, Isa Mohammed, President of the Caribbean Institute of Astronomy!See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:Why Soccer Players Are Training in the Dark, RM Clark, Wired. Light Pollution Control: Comparative Analysis of Regulations Across Civil and Common Law Jurisdictions, Laws. ‘Neurologic hazard’: Group sues over Bay Bridge lights, Phil Mayer, KRON4. Outdoor light a...
2025-02-031h 11
Light Pollution NewsJanuary 2025: Fly to the Right.This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Dr. Mario Motta, lighting designer Glenn Heinmiller, and, advocate, David Lefevre!See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:Reducing light pollution, this city 'went dark' to save birds — and it worked, Good Good Good. Cool' white car headlights more likely to dazzle moths, Science Daily. Town Pilots New Streetlights On Main Street To Combat Light Pollution, Nantucket Current. DarkSky International launches new light...
2025-01-2057 min
Light Pollution NewsJanuary 2025: .02 Microwatts!This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Dr. Mario Motta, lighting designer Glenn Heinmiller, and, advocate, David Lefevre!See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:Here are 5 major threats to Ireland's remaining dark skies, George McMillan, RTE. Young People Are Losing Their Cultural Heritage to Light Pollution, Paige Cromley, Sierra. Rethinking Occasional Outdoor Lighting: A Kinder, Gentler, More Nature-Friendly Glow, Kendra Wilson, Gardenista. Brighter nights and darker days predict hig...
2025-01-0658 min
Light Pollution News2024 Holiday Potluck!Find today's articles at LightPollutionNews.comA panel of guests from 2024 reflect on their favorite news stories of 2024 They discuss significant victories, such as the community-led opposition against the MSG Sphere project and the introduction of regulations in various countries addressing light pollution.- Community success in opposing MSG Sphere project - United Nations addresses satellite constellations’ impact on astronomy - New Zealand aims for dark sky continent with light pollution regulations - Astrotourism trends and their economic potential - Health implications of light pollution linked to mortality rates - Increas...
2024-12-261h 27
Light Pollution NewsDecember 2024: Say Light PollutionThis month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Travis Longcore, Adjunct Professor and Co-Chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering Program at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, and Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light, a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award!See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:Brightness of the Qianfan S...
2024-12-1649 min
Light Pollution NewsDecember 2024: Patterns of Activity.This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Travis Longcore, Adjunct Professor and Co-Chair of the Environmental Science and Engineering Program at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, and Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light, a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award!See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:It’s Almost Halloween. Tha...
2024-12-0254 min
Restoring DarknessWe’re a Diurnal Species That Rides Bikes with Bill McGeeneyBill hosts the Light Pollution News Podcast. Some might see that as competition to the Restoring Darkness Podcast. We don’t see it that way. The more awareness brought to the issue of light pollution, the better. Let’s ALL make podcasts about the subject! Bill McGeeney is the host of the Light Pollution News podcast. He’s a dark sky advocate, member of the Pennsylvania chapter of Dark Sky International, a master watershed steward, and a Mid-East Region of the Astronomical League Representative. McGeeney started Light Pollution News to further explore topics associated with the environmental and ecological plight...
2024-11-2739 min
Light Pollution NewsNovember 2024: Dopamine Rush.This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Kevin Beare, whom you may know better as CapeMayAstro, Michael Rymer from Dark Sky makes a return visit, and the always insightful, Frank Turina of the Night Sky Resource Center joins us once again!See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:Beaker Street Science Photography Prize, Beaker Street Science Festival.Lights Out Greenwich! New Town Lighting Regulations Target Light Pollution, Greenwich Free Press.‘Clear message’ from comm...
2024-11-1855 min
Light Pollution NewsNovember 2024: Looking Up Matters![Editorial Correction: AST sent up the Blue Bird satellites incorrectly noted as Blue Walker satellites]This month, host Bill McGeeney is joined by Kevin Beare, whom you may know better as CapeMayAstro, Michael Rymer from Dark Sky makes a return visit, and the always insightful, Frank Turina of the Night Sky Resource Center joins us once again!See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:SpaceX launches 5 giant BlueBird smartphone satellites for AST SpaceMobile, lands rocket, Avery...
2024-11-041h 12
Light Pollution NewsOctober 2024: See the Stars, Share the Stars!A lot to discuss this month! Host Bill McGeeney is joined by an expert panel featuring the astronomer and artist, Dr. Tyler Nordgren, photographer and Youtuber, Nico Carver, and, thought leader and CEO of Visibility Innovations, Nancy Clanton.See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:Rehabilitation outcomes of bird-building collision victims in the Northeastern United States, PLOS ONE. The effects of artificial light at night on spider brains, Biology Letters.
2024-10-1455 min
Light Pollution NewsOctober 2024: Stargazing on the Bomber!A lot to discuss this month! Host Bill McGeeney is joined by an expert panel featuring the astronomer and artist, Dr. Tyler Nordgren, photographer and Youtuber, Nico Carver, and, thought leader and CEO of Visibility Innovations, Nancy Clanton.See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:Teen Captures Jaw-Dropping Photo of North America Nebula From His Backyard, Lydia Patrick, NewsweekTurning down streetlights at night shown to reduce light pollution and...
2024-09-301h 05
Light Pollution NewsSeptember 2024: What is Safe?A lot to discuss this month! Host Bill McGeeney is joined by an expert panel featuring the equitable conservationist, Shelana deSilva, lawyer and satellite researcher, Yana Yakushina, and, consultant, John Barentine.See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:It’s always sunny in space: Michigan startup hopes to beam solar power to Earth, Lucas Smoicic Larson, MLive. Spatiotemporal Analysis of Nighttime Crimes in Vienna, Austria, ISPRS Int J. Geo-Inf. ...
2024-09-1643 min
Light Pollution NewsSeptember 2024: Totality of Impact!A lot to discuss this month! Host Bill McGeeney is joined by an expert panel featuring the equitable conservationist, Shelana deSilva, lawyer and satellite researcher, Yana Yakushina, and, consultant, John Barentine. See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:Environmental impact (light pollution and energy wastage) of artificial grow lighting to replenish grass pitches in sports stadiums, World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews.Court Upholds FCC Approval of Starlink’s LE...
2024-09-031h 01
Light Pollution NewsAugust 2024: A Right to Night?Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Betty Buckley who made this great film, the Stars at Night and by Leo Smith, who is now starting up a new Coalition to Reduce Light Pollution!See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:'Security' lights intrude on dark skies, Trisha Hussey, Santa Fe New Mexican. Feelings of safety for visitors recreating outdoors at night in different artificial lighting conditions, Journal of Environmental Psychology. Pe...
2024-08-1953 min
Light Pollution NewsAugust 2024: Checking the Box!Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Betty Buckley who made this great film, the Stars at Night and by Leo Smith, who is now starting up a new Coalition to Reduce Light Pollution!See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!Bill's Picks:Will a former landfill become PA's next stargazing mecca?, Tanisha Thomas, Spotlight PA.Astronomy tourism business ready to fight Hydrostor's billion-dollar Broken Hill renewable energy project, Grace Atta, Oliver Brown and Andrew...
2024-08-0556 min