Keeping Our Dark, Starry Skies
Did you know? The darker your property, the less light you need to see — a little light goes a long way.
By making smart decisions about our outdoor lighting, we can retain Montana’s rural heritage by keeping out the blight of unnecessary light. Lighting that is “night sky friendly” is also good for your neighbors, good for the planet, and good for your wallet as it will use less electricity.
You can look forward to the Flathead’s dark night skies scattered thick with stars for generations. If we turn off the outdoor lighting, we can see stars, northern lights, comets, and the beautiful nightscape. Let’s not take our starry skies for granted.
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Light pollution is artificial light that can cause unintended ill effects. Bright lights (like LEDs) and light clutter create blinding glare, cause our pupils to constrict, and reduce our ability to see at night.
Improperly shielded fixtures dump nuisance light trespass onto nearby private properties and can create a dome of skyglow over towns and cities. These can cause serious health issues, disorient birds during migration, and blind us to the stars above.
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“Montana is blessed with patches of still-dark, rural night skies.
If light pollution would stop increasing, Montana would be in better shape than most states. But Flathead’s population and infrastructure has grown fast, and the need for outdoor lighting is increasing.
Worldwide, light pollution is expanding at double the rate of population growth. In the U.S., light pollution is increasing at 6% per year.”
-International Dark-Sky Association | Montana Chapter
Responsible outdoor lighting
Visit Montana DarkSky Common Sense Solutions
Lights Out for Migratory Birds. Learn why it is important to turn off unnecessary lights during bird migration to protect these feathered travelers.
