…there area a number of farms in the area that have taken to illuminating their yards/barns/fields to such a degree that the Sun is no longer needed, in fact I’m sure some of those installing lights are trying to bounce their lights back off the Sun.

It’s perhaps not instantly evident from the photograph but I’m positioned slightly above this farm, not only am I slightly higher in altitude but I’m on a road around a mile from the barn. I wonder at the mentality of some folk, not only do they feel the need to illuminate every inch of their surroundings but they need to illuminate the sky spoiling it for everyone in the area. There’s one thing we can be sure of though, this particular farmer can’t claim to be hard up financially, if they can afford to illuminate the sky then they must have money to burn.

After photographing the farm I turned to the horizon with Penrith beyond the tree line. It’s shocking really to think that the photograph I took looked more like a sunset/sunrise all because of the light pollution created by poorly installed and thought out lighting

Have you ever stood outside on a crisp clear night and looked up at the night sky and found yourself lost in wonder? A few years ago in a rural location as the Sun dropped beneath the horizon the sky became a source of inspiration not only for astronomers but for writers and artists everywhere. Now as the Sun vanishes for the day you hardly notice as factories and houses become illuminated by a myriad of lights. Some factories need hundreds of lights even when they’re closed, and householders have taken to lighting every nook and cranny of the houses exterior either through vanity or a misguided attempt at increasing security (I say misguided as lighting the outside of your house normally gives burglars more of an opportunity to gain entry than a normal house. Standing in my garden this morning I took the following photograph…

That white glow above the tree line on the right is Burdens depot, the yard is illuminated by more lights than a football pitch even when they’re closed.

Looking further East we see the glow from Langwathby…

All those pools of light in the valley illuminating the sky above, for a relatively small village the light pollution from Langwathby is perhaps the worst in the area. It’s made worse by horrendous security lights on a property located on the edge of the village (opposite Frank Birds factory another source of light pollution). The house is so badly illuminated at night that the security lights blind drivers approaching the village.

It’s worth remembering that all the light that pollutes the night sky is energy that has been wasted, in a time when we are trying to reduce energy consumption many people appear intent on wasting energy every night. Perhaps people are content to throw money down the drain?

Without the pollution interfering too much the night sky really is a source of wonder and inspiration, it’s just a pity that the next generation will never see it as it should be seen but through a haze of light from every other house and factory in the Country.

Oh yes, this morning was a partial success with the camera as I managed to capture three planets in one frame…

Labeled version link.