A helicopter’s spotlight traces a golden reverse-S in the sky and airplanes leave behind thin red streaks. Coachella Valley glows above the desert landscape, its lights creating a halo that washes out the Milky Way.
The botched photos taken by night sky photographer Everett Bloom contrast the natural night sky with sources of light pollution, defined by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) as the “inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light.” Photographers, who often travel just to photograph the untouched night sky, said their work raises awareness of light pollution’s impacts by depicting what the night sky is supposed to look like.
In 2016, 80% of the world could not see a dark night sky, with that figure rising to 99% with regards to the U.S. and Europe specifically. The world lives under skyglow, a sky of washed-out stars illuminated by man-made technology.
Bloom said he first became aware of light pollution’s effect on the night sky as a high school freshman, when he noticed the stars were “unusually bright” as he passed through Central California during a road trip.
“The stars were even brighter than I’d ever seen before,” Bloom said in an email. “I could not believe this is how they’re supposed to look.”
Bloom now travels to dark sky areas to avoid light pollution, which he considers the “number one factor” affecting night photography. International dark sky places, as designated by the IDA, include Grand Canyon and Big Bend National Parks. But even in dark sky parks like Death Valley National Park, Las Vegas’ glow sometimes wipes out the stars along the horizon.
“It’s concerning because cities continue to expand and ‘stargazing’ is put on the back burner as it’s not considered serious or something people see as a child’s hobby,” he said.
Bloom said night photography raises awareness of light pollution, helping people realize the impact cities and artificial light have on a natural sky. He said people who have experienced dark skies better appreciate the natural sky, but added that hikers at night should avoid using light — and if light is necessary, to use dimmer red light. Flashlights and headlights from idling cars are “beyond bright,” he said.
Bloom said people can decrease light pollution by reducing the lighting around their home and turning off porch lights at night. But he said raising awareness is currently the best way to address light pollution, since people would largely prefer keeping their porch lights on for safety to preserving a dark sky.
“Most people honestly don’t care about this or consider it a non-issue,” he said. “They need humans to progress as a civilization and continue to evolve and expand.”
Orange lights, using cone rings that restrict where the light shines or simply pointing light downwards are all ways to reduce light pollution, according to Bloom. The IDA also recommends using motion sensor lights and keeping blinds drawn to trap indoor light inside.
“It’s hard to say cities should turn their lights out, but I don't disagree that there’s probably way more lights on than needed in larger urban centers particularly,” said Canadian photographer Shawn Moreton.
He said night photography allows city-dwellers to see that difference between a natural and a light-polluted sky in digital images, but encouraged people to seek out dark skies for themselves.
“Just to see the difference, it’s really shocking,” he said. “People that have lived in cities their entire lives may have no idea there's so much more you can actually see when there isn't light pollution.”
Photographer Aaron Priest, who lives in Northern Maine, is in the one percent living under a natural sky. He shoots 360-degree panoramas that allow viewers to experience the scene with virtual reality technology, and said he hopes those photos encourage people living under skyglow to visit a dark sky area.
“When you’ve got a picture of an earth landscape with the Milky Way overhead and it’s a real photo, not a composite or a faked one, it really puts it into scale,” Priest said. “It brings a human element to it.”
Press 'Start' to view a 360-degree panorama of the night sky near Priest's home in Northern Maine.
He said satellites, like those launched in SpaceX’s STARLINK initiative to expand internet access, can “destroy” photos. He said he is “not necessarily opposed” to technology — he lives in a rural area and said he “would love” more stable internet access — but wonders about the costs of technology.
Satellite trails can be removed from images but on certain days with more satellites in the sky, Priest cannot shoot photos of the Milky Way. Astronomers have voiced similar concerns, as satellites interfere with their observations and predictions.
SpaceX has launched nearly 200 satellites, with plans to launch 1,584 satellites by the end of 2020 and approval from the Federal Communications Commission to launch 12,000 satellites in total. The night sky has 9,096 stars — only half of which are visible even in the darkest of skies, since that figure encompasses the stars in both hemispheres.
Of being in places away from his home in Northern Maine, places under skyglow, places where the Milky Way isn’t visible, Priest said: “I think we take it for granted maybe, we don’t realize what we’ve got until we don’t have it.”