Tekapo - NZ

mercsport

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090208/ap_ ... the_dark_1

Have just come across the above link and thought - ' yessss ! '

Not bikes , I know , but this is 'cake stop' .

I write as one who has , at various times , seriously thought about sueing my local council of time-servers - and in particular the underemployed rotters who man the municipal lighting department - for their intemperate employment of the highest powered and blinding of street lights in the most inappropriate places around the borough ( unbidden , outside of my house for example :shock: ) . Additional to which - here the paradox is sublime - I wonder at the reasoning of those that initiated the policy of strip lighting the entire motorway network of this country and at the same time bleat about the need for energy conservation and the rest of their tommyrot .

I'll spare you anymore of my particular 'casus belli ' . But , Tekapo NZ ,' good on ya ! '

SCR Pedro

And that's fair enough, but there are plenty of places to gaze at the night sky in NZ.

I slept on a beach on the east coast and enjoyed the most amazing night sky. You'd be surprised at how many moving objects there are up there.

New Zealand, you've got to love the place 8)

Pedro

mercsport

There are in this country , surprisingly maybe , plenty of transparent places to view the majesty of the sky without the tiresome 'security and safety' issue of rottweiller lighting . Of course our near ever present cloud cover louses up most nights hereabouts , but when it is clear it's pretty good .

NZ : never been down there . Enjoyed your pic's of the place .

Noted your affinity to the Telecaster also . Here's a fascinating - to me- but near useless fact : http://japanjin.blogspot.com/2009/01/ma ... r-has.html

P.S. Re. pic' of the Wetterhorn : the other peak is either the Rosenhorn or Mittelhorn .

SCR Pedro

Oh, thank you
New Zealand is awesome. Unfortunately the total cost of a 2 week visit could possibly buy you a very well specced bike. So you have to consider where your priorities lie

Thanks for the link too. I didn't know that. What a life's work eh?

Pedro

The Kennington Kaiser

I stayed near lake Tekapo almost five years ago to the day and it's still the most stunning night's sky I've ever seen (in NZ or anywhere else). And the colour of the lake on a clear day is amazing - bright, bright turquoise, a real sight to behold. Add in that tiny church on the lakeside and it's quite a special place.
Crikey, forgotten how much I missed it over there. But, yes, I could get a new bike with the money spent on a decent trip back :?

jimmypippa

Bloody impressive spot.

I'm not spiritual, but the church in the picture dosn't have (or need) stained glass windows...

synchronicity

Believe it or not, but Tenerife also has a few rules regarding light pollution. :idea:

http://www.iac.es/servicios.php?op1=28&op2=69&lang=en

On the 31st October 1988 the Spanish Government passed the Law for the Protection of the Astronomical Quality of the IAC Observatories (Law 31/1988), which was proposed by the parliament of the Canary Islands. On the 13th March 1992 the government approved the Regulations for the law (R.D. 243/1992).

The IAC's Sky Quality Protection Technical Office regulates the application of the law and provides advice to residents on compliance.

The law deals with four main areas:

Light pollution
It regulates exterior lighting on the island of La Palma and the area of Tenerife directly visible from it to prevent light pollution. Light pollution is a generic term for all of the undesirable effects of artificial light.

One of the most damaging effects for astronomy is brightness or glare in the night sky caused by artificial light reflecting off gases and particles in the air. Unsuitable light fixtures shining upwards or outside the area they are intended to illuminate and excessive lighting are responsible.

Radioelectrical pollution
It sets limits for electromagnetic radiation so that it does not interfere with equipment or corrupt results at the observatories and prevents radioelectrical pollution. The Law sets electromagnetical radiation limits to ensure that equipment and measurements at the observatories are not corrupted.

The installation and operation of radiocommunications stations are regulated, with a power flux density limit of W/m2 in force over the observatories of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.

Power flux density for any frequency must not be greater than 2x10-6 W/m2 in any part of the observatories, equivalent to an electric field intensity of 88.8 dB (mV/m).

In order to control radioelectrical pollution, agreement has been reached with the Secretary General of Telecommunications for regular radiofrequency background testing at both of the observatories. Continuous radioelectricity monitoring equipment is in use at the Observatorio del Teide.


Atmospheric pollution
It controls activities which could damage the atmosphere over the observatories to prevent atmospheric pollution. Activities that could result in damage to the atmosphere over the observatories are regulated by the Sky Law.

The law places limits on the amount of industry and polluting activities permitted at altitudes of more than 1,500m above sea level. There have not been any attempts to build industrial facilities above this altitude yet, largely because it is a protected natural area.

Aviation routes
It regulates air traffic over the observatories to prevent interference from aviation routes. Aviation routes cause pollution in the form of clouds of condensed exhaust gas and other combustion gases, which can affect the clarity of the sky.

One of the IAC's greatest successes in its work to protect the observatories was the designation of the airspace above them as an "Ecological Protection Zone” on 17th May 1998.

mercsport

I believe it .

Impressively far - sighted of the Spanish there . I particularly enjoyed in your link to the 'iac.es' the acknowledgement that road safety is improved when street lighting is subtracted . Now , if only we could convince the lighting security zealots here in the UK . :roll:

It makes no mention though of the media led notion of the bogeyman in the dark waiting to fulfil our worst nightmares . The vanishingly remote risk that a buck toothed psycho might be waiting in the dark to do their 'thing' - whatever that may be . Therein , regrettably , my ideal of a world without street lights lies ruined . I cannot imagine that the innate fear of the dark will ever be overcome .

Still , every little bit helps .

'Edit' : 'Nyctohylophobia' . I just looked it up . :shock: