With no streetlights in the bulk of the village, the sea on one side and no large towns for over ten miles in any direction, the night skies in Lulworth are truly spectacular. In the winter, the milky way is clearly visible and the Andromeda galaxy is a naked eye object.
We all need to work together in order to maintain this wonderful resource and the good news is that by ensuring light only goes where it needed, the environment is protected, and it costs you less in electricity!
There are three main issues to consider:
1: Light should only be directed to where it is needed! Security lights that point out into the street not only contribute to light pollution, but they also make it easier for burglars by making your property hard to see!
2: Security lights should be set to come on when people approach your door, not when people simply walk down the road, and certainly not all the time. A typical 500W security light uses as much electricity as a microwave oven!
3: Consider switching lights off in rooms you are not using. Once again, not only will this prevent unwanted light from spilling out into the night sky, but it will also save you money! It is also worth thinking about closing curtains after dark. This improves the insulation of your house, and once again prevents unwanted light pollution.
For more information about preserving the night skies, please take a look at the website below...
http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/
