NEWS FEED
New detailed satellite maps of light pollution in England show that the New Forest boasts some of the darkest skies in the south east.
Maps produced by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), use satellite images captured at 1.30am throughout September 2015.
The satellite images show that the New Forest National Park is the 7th darkest out of the 10 National parks within England. It has a high percentage of dark skies with minimal light pollution – 89 per cent of the skies above the National Park fall into the three darkest categories, compared with 63 per cent in the south as a whole.
Dark night skies are one of the special qualities of the New Forest, which has several tranquil areas with few houses and streetlights.
This research into light pollution seeks to increase awareness of the effect it can have on the night sky and on the health of people and wildlife. The National Park Authority works to keep light pollution at a minimum through the planning process and raising awareness of the issue among local people.
The light pollution maps for England were produced by CPRE from data gathered by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in America whose satellite captured visible and infrared imagery to determine the levels of light spilling up into British skies. These maps help to identify areas with severe light pollution as well as identifying existing dark skies that need protecting.
Emma Marrington, senior rural policy campaigner at the CPRE, said, “Councils can reduce light levels through better planning and with investment in the right street lighting that is used only where and when it is needed.”
To use the interactive maps and find out more about light pollution visit nightblight.cpre.org.uk
