I never thought I'd say this but the light pollution is getting better!

[sallystar]

Living as I do in west London light pollution has always been the biggest obsticle when using my telescope.

I've read the books and know what I should be seeing but I've spent hours in vain looking for something that's not a planet or the moon and until yesterday I haven't found any Messier objects however hard I try.

During the summer my local council have been replacing the old orange street lights for well shielded led lights and the sky appears to be darker.

This proved to be the case when I got my scope out last night for the first time in months.

Saturn looked wonderful with its bands clearly visible so I tried to locate M42 which has always eluded me in the past. I found it easily with my binoculars and saw it in detail through my scope. Absolutely brilliant!

I then spotted the Pleiades with my naked eye. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! When I looked at it through my scope it was amazing.

I was on such a high by the time I went indoors. My new found darker sky has rekindled the excitement of being in the garden with my telescope and I just thought I would share the moment with you all!

[Miranda]

Fantastic news  

[cussine]

That's great news for you, must be a double "wow"

[Pig]

I think the whole country is benefiting from the new style lights, not only is the light directed downward and shielded from the top but there are also 50% less lights

[Beulah]

Hopefully from this year onwards, if I go out at midnight, all the surrounding towns will have their lights actually off until 5am. A few of them are operating part-night already, I'm just waiting for the main culprit to turn theirs off........

I live over five miles from the nearest town, so I am very much looking forward to darker skies, providing I can stay up!!

[LukeSkywatcher]

Sounds great. One thing though....................

You said you saw Saturn with its bands. Do you mean Jupiter?

[Cath]

Hopefully from this year onwards, if I go out at midnight, all the surrounding towns will have their lights actually off until 5am. A few of them are operating part-night already, I'm just waiting for the main culprit to turn theirs off........

Can you see the town I'm in from where you are Beulah? .. if so have you noticed any difference?

Can't say as I've seen them changing any of the old lights (as yet). Certainly not round us anyway.

[Astro Imp]

That's great to hear.

Good luck and enjoy your new found dark(ish) sky.

[sallystar]

Sounds great. One thing though....................

You said you saw Saturn with its bands. Do you mean Jupiter?

I meant Jupiter but the excitement affected my fingers!

[happy-kat]

In my town there is more like 50% more lights, they have installed new lights as well as changing existing lights to led. It's like the contractor has been printing money!

[SteveNickolls]

Excellent news-enjoy seeing these new wonders.

Cheers, Steve

[Beulah]

Cath, 

PM sent.  

[northwalesparry]

Some lights in north wales too have been replaced with shielded LEDs . Its just a matter of time and money to replace the orange lights ,over time councils will save money and energy by having LEDs installed everywere . (Ive been told that councils no longer replace orange lights anymore).

[Naemeth]

Good to hear, the less light pollution we all have to deal with the better .

[frugal]

Recently the street light that shines directly into our back garden has been turned off at midnight. They seem to be turning off every other light at midnight.

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[DaveS]

I noticed the same on Saturday, very dark overhead but less so towards the horizon where more of the surrounding streetlights are still sodium. I even convinced myself that I could glimpse the Milky Way, but I may have been imagining things.

Ealing council say they are replacing all their streetlights with LED, all 21,000+. so far only the main roads, I'm waiting for them to get round to the side roads.

[K3ny0n]

Very surprised when you said M42 has eluded you all this time and also that you seen M45 for the first time naked eye, I knew it was bad in London but I think that is incredible. I thought I had it bad in Middlesbrough with a lot of the industrial works in the area.

It's about time there is a happy story so I hope things get even better for you.

Rob

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[rowan46]

Unfortunately all the new led light posts round us appear to be 10-15 ft higher which means if you look up you get blinded. 

[CFC]

Unfortunately all the new led light posts round us appear to be 10-15 ft higher which means if you look up you get blinded. 

Same here. They're worse than the old ones, in fact. I don't think they are shielded in any way either

[Kirscovitch]

I couldn't imagine having LP as bad as some of you have. 

When I first got my scope I was worried about living in town and having a big street light right on the corner about 100 feet away from my viewing area. I can't see M31 naked eye but I can find it almost any night with bins and my scope. Even with a half moon I can still spot it. I'm assuming that the LP isn't that bad here after all. 

I'd go crazy not being able to see the stars. We have friends that visit from big cities and they can not believe how many stars are actually in the sky.