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Light pollution
You are in the middle of a nature park at night. The sun is far below the horizon and no moon and no stars can been seen, because it is cloudy. Yet you can see your immediate surroundings fairly well; where does this light come from? Even in the darkest parts of the Netherlands the sky gives a little light; the sky can be compared to a kind of weak lamp, but because of its enormous size the amount of light it gives is quite significant. Some light comes from the universe; in the Netherlands, however, artificial lighting is the main source of light, to be seen from 50 kilometer afar sometimes. Measuring such small quantities and identify its sources, are the specialty of Sotto le Stelle. Method The measurement of such quantities of light and the identification of its sources, are the specialty of Sotto le Stelle. Regular light meters do not function well, because it is too dark. Wim Schmidt uses the brightness of the stars in his photographs to evaluate the amount of light. As a seasoned amateur astronomer, he uses his knowledge in that area. The method will be documented on the website in the near future. To trace the light sources which contribute to the lighting of the sky, several tools are used such as the already existing data for public lighting, Google Earth, satellite data and on-site inventories. Municipalities and provinces that need a (zero) measurement of darkness for their territory, can expect a thorough investigation with maps well comparable to other parts of Holland and can better stand to policy change or public planning. In recent years Sotto le Stelle has investigated light and darkness in the provinces of Overijssel, Gelderland, Utrecht, Zeeland and most of the province of South Holland and some smaller municipalities. All maps are under Netherlands by night. |
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Rapporten
Down load the reports (in Dutch) of some assignments here: - Donkerste locatie Nederland - Overijssel - Utrecht - Rivierengebied Gelderland - Zeeland - Zuid-Holland |
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Sotto le Stelle, |
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