M-STEP Practice Test 3

Audio transcript: Bringing Back the Night Sky

Good evening. I'm here on behalf of the Northfield Astronomy Club, and I want to ask you to look up. On a clear night fifty years ago, people in this town could see the Milky Way stretching across the sky. Tonight, most of you will see a few dozen stars at best. The reason is light pollution: light from streetlights, parking lots, and signs that shines up into the sky instead of down where people need it.

Light pollution isn't just a problem for stargazers. Many migrating birds travel at night and use the stars to find their way. Bright lights can confuse them and pull them off course. Scientists have also found that too much light at night can disrupt people's sleep.

The good news is that light pollution is one of the easiest kinds of pollution to fix. When a town switches to shielded lights that point downward, the ground stays just as bright, but the sky gets darker. Some towns have also saved money on electricity by dimming their lights late at night.

So here's my request: when our town replaces its streetlights next year, let's choose shielded fixtures. Then step outside, and look up.