The Importance of Dark Skies

Why light pollution harms humans and the environment.

2 minute read

October 11, 2023, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


View of dark night sky with visible Milky Way over dark forest.

pozdeevvs / Adobe Stock

A Q&A in the Daily Yonder between Anya Petrone Slepyan and astrophotographer Peter Lipscomb explains the importance of dark skies for humans.

Lipscomb calls the night sky ‘the world’s oldest natural resource,’ saying, “the night sky is both a global ecosystem and something that has informed and inspired our kind for all the thousands of years of human history.” From using it to create calendars and navigation to its spiritual significance across cultures, humans have relied on the sky and the stars throughout our history.

Now, “What was common to the human experience across the globe less than 150 years ago has now become the domain of a few.” For Lipscomb, this means that we are “losing an opportunity to connect to a part of our natural world that defines what it means to be a creature on this planet.” Additionally, the loss of dark nights can disrupt our rest and sleep cycles, leading to health problems.

Lipscomb supports efforts to mitigate light pollution. His suggestions: “Light things only to the level they need to be lit;” “Keep the light facing downwards;” “Avoid light trespassing by setting and shielding the light properly so that it is contained within the property of its origin;” and “Avoid blue-spectrum LED lights.” For Lipscomb, “All it takes is just being sensible as far as how we use our outdoor lighting.”

Friday, October 6, 2023 in The Daily Yonder

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

5 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

7 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine