Harrow , Nw London streetlighting

[nitram100]

Not sure if this has been posted, but it is great news considering how urban Harrow is.

http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/9340870.Council_ask_for_opinions_on_streetlighting_policy/

Potentially complete darkness from 2am - 4am in a London suburb, didn't think I would ever see the day.

Lets hope it goes ahead! There are 4 options they are considering, but whatever one is chosen it will result in better skies.

[SteveNickolls]

This is great news-let us all know how things progress. Take every opportunity to put astronomy's case forward :-)

[swamp thing]

Brilliant news, at last a London suburb coming to its senses.

It's taken long enough.

[vlebo]

Good news ! provided I can stay up that late.

[Carbon Brush]

That does look promising.

Turn off is really the only viable solution. Dimming controls are quite expensive as retrofit. So dimming is only viable when installing new fittings.

Here in Nottinghamshire a number of villages are having midnight to 5am turn off in a 4 year programme. I have though yet to benefit. Note it is only villages, not towns. But it is a start. If you have a wander round Nottinghamshire County Council web site, you can see the schemes in detail.

When the ill informed realise that crime doesn't increase, perhaps things will spread.

I remember reading somewhere that 40% and more of housebreaking takes place in daylight. Well I never. Perhaps burglars are frightened of the dark?

[Monty]

Here in Cheshunt they turn off the lights from midnight. It's totally changed my viewing, so much so I'm drooling over websites planning on new equipment.

[nitram100]

I only found out about it by chance as the street light right outside my house has been turned off for 3 weeks.

I assumed it was just faulty, but after ringing them up they informed me that they were testing the new scheme on a few lights and I tell you, this one street light being turned off outside my house has drastically improved my sky so I can only imagine what it will be like when the entire street is turned off!

[obscura]

Mmmm. Illuminating.

Hampshire has been changing street lights for more than a year now.

The old low sodiums have been replaced by high white lights which I assume are cheaper to run. The two that are on my boundary blasted light into bedrooms but now have diffusers to reduce that impact.

But note white light. Isn't this the perfect colour for observing and imaging alike?????

They do reduce intensity after midnight though but none are switched off.

Might be worth checking out exactly what they intend - colour and height.

[Stargazer_00]

They are implementing the big switch off throughout my county this month. My town already has half of its lights switched off from 12-6am. My street/area is not yet off but even without my immediate area off I noticed a significant amount of new stars after 12 as a percentage of my local LP drops.

Simply can't wait till it's all off.

[lucjam]

Good news if it happens.

I'm in the next Borough but close to the border of Harrow so it should help, here's hoping Hillingdon follows suit and all other councils for that matter.