Astronomer asks MRC for a light pollution by-law

Too much light in the skies

Barely see Milky Way

“When I first moved to Hudson, and, looked up at the night sky with my telescope, I could see some of the stars in the Milky Way. Now, 12 years later, I can barely see any of the Milky Way. When you look up at the sky, no matter where you are, you see the sky is grey. The sky should be black. If you look towards Montreal you will see a great dome of light, which is one hundred per cent (100%) wasted light, for, who needs to light up the sky? On a province-wide scale, we light up the sky with 760 billion watts per year. It is a total waste to generate that amount of electricity which is worth $ 50 million of electricity a year, ” says Mr. Tournay

Montreal is brightest

“It is appalling that we send so much light up into the sky. Satellite photos from the International Space Station show the night sky around Montreal from Trois-Rivières to Ottawa. The small towns and municipalities appear as little yellow blobs, which is the light they are sending up into the sky. The International Dark Sky Association reports that Montreal is brighter than Toronto and New York City,” Mr. Tournay explained.

What is light pollution?

“A lot of people who saw my exhibition, reported that they were not aware of the problems of light pollution. I am trying to create awareness on the municipal level. Light pollution is when you send light beyond its intended spot. It is all right to light your own back yard, but, when you send your backyard lights to the neighbor’s yard and their house, the light goes beyond its intended spot.

“People don’t realize that parking lots, car dealers, factories are sending lights from their buildings across the streets and highways. The glaring light shines into the eyes and faces of the car drivers. Lights from soccer and baseball fields, municipal buildings, churches, cemeteries, ski mountains, flags and trees light up the entire neighborhood, too much lighting is bad for public security,” Mr. Tournay claimed.

“I have been giving demonstrations to young people in schools, the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. About a year ago, when a young girl of five asked me why people were lighting up the sky, making it grey, and, what people were doing to make the sky black again, I decided to start this project,” Mr. Tournay reported.

Point lights downwards

“I decided to find a way to light up properly so that we would stop wasting light. We have been sending light sideways across our backyards, our homes, public buildings, and highways. The solution is extraordinarily simple. If you can see the glare of your light bulb beyond the boundary of your property, then the light fixture is probably too high. You should point it downwards. By directing the light downwards, and, not spreading it sideways, we can lower the wattage in the bulbs we use in our backyards,” suggests Mr. Tournay.

Hudson Lunatic Society

“If we use our common sense, in time we can again behold the beautiful sight of the Milky Way and the millions of stars in the black sky. It is a stunning sight,” concluded Mr. Tournay. The Hudson Lunatic Astronomy Club meets every second Tuesday at the Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre, 394 Main Road, Hudson. When the weather permits, the group goes outside to observe the sky through their telescopes. For information, telephone 450 458-7050