Led lights coming to north east

[JonnyK]

The ones in Scunthorpe would apear to be restricted to the main roads and they simply replaced the light 'pod' so the pole is the same. Im not sure if they will start replacing side streets or not?

[spaceboy]

I've not seen these LED lights, but I imagine they would be brighter than the orange sodium lights.

They are insanely bright and it is also a sharp white light that has you squinting the moment you look at them. I have to admit astronomy aside they are very impressive lights. A single light throws the light a good 20 - 28 meters either side of it and almost similar distance forwards which is odd to see given they are basically pointing at roughly a 10° angle to the ground. I would say it only illuminates around 2-3 meters behind the light but in most the cases I have see the positions of the lighting has been moved more path side than curb side. As for the skies being any darker I wouldn't be able to tell you as the glare is so intense from the lights being up so high there is a white haze of light you have to look through before you can even see the sky. The thing that really winds me up is I spoke to the guys installing the lights and they informed me that all the new lights are computer controlled and can be easily dimmed if a genuine reason for complaint is made. As my garden isn't a public footpath I consider my complaint genuine enough that I don't want it lit so and I do not like the lack of respect for my privacy being ignored. We have flats over looking our garden and I don't want them watching me bring laptops and other expensive items in and out of my garden. I plan to visit the offices to see what they have to say as all other forms of communication fall on deaf ears. I have always said that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer in the UK and this is no different. Put me in a BAND 'H' property and I'm sure my complaint would be dealt with in a timely and respectful manner but as I am a council tenant I clearly have no human rights.

[Etoille]

That's quite a difference and if the 70% saving is anywhere close to being realistic then in these austere times it would seem unlikely that a Council could resist such a cost saving - Daily Mail enhancement of the image notwithstanding. (One of the comments on the article complains that the LED lit scene employs HDR. Don't think that's the case with the video though although it still looks like a couple of tricks have been used to make the LED clips look better but the more uniform nature of LED light along with the greater spectural range of white light would allow the camera to pick up more detail anyway).

Judging from the comments above, LED lighting might be bad news if you live close to one or more of these new lights but might be good news if you are outside of their range. Having said that, we have yet to fully experience the level of collective glow of reflected light from hundreds or even thousands of LED lights in a large town or city and the effect this has on light adaptation, so I guess only time will tell whether they are generally better or worse for astronomy.

Funnily enough, I was thinking of buying a scope and/or some large bins but having seen this, I am having to re-consider the matter so I guess its having an effect already!

[acey]

Hi guys been away for a while but back

Anyway was just watching the news and it looks like the northeast will be getting new led street lights in the near future and they say our night sky will have a lot more stars to view

I hope they roll these lights out soon if it is the case

What do you guys think ?

Where in NE (I assume you mean England:)). Newcastle upon Tyne completely upgraded street-lighting over the last 5 years or so, to supposedly "sky friendly" fixtures. Light pollution has massively increased as a result - the lamps send a lower percentage of their light into the sky, but they're brighter and there's more of them.

Most light pollution is from reflected light (from ground and buildings), not from above-horizontal direct light from streetlights. The only "sky friendly" type is the old-fashioned orange sodium ones which could be filtered. And the only way to reduce light pollution is to reduce the number and/or brightness of light sources.

So pardon me for being sceptical, but I think the news item was a bit of PR.

[Etoille]

Trouble is LED's would not be so easy to put out with a catapult...

(Not that I'm suggesting anything of the sort of course)

[sunshine185]

Full scale replacement going on in Oldham and Rochdale, I think for visual it will be beneficial, not so sure for AP.

[Tinker1947]

A village 4-5 miles away used to show a orange glow, the new lights whilst being bright when your under them, from my location 4-5 miles away, the horizon is black, also have these in my village on the main road and i'm sure its darker in the garden, plus there planned to turn off at midnight....