Light polution map

[sharkmelley]

One note of caution on the AVEX map.  The methodology used takes the total visible light and then maps it back to population centres - towns and villages - assuming that's where it comes from.  Near me in Kent, some villages with street lights apear completely dark on the AVEX map and some big sources of light pollution(e.g. Dungeness power station) which are very obvious on satellite images hardly show on the AVEX map because they are not centres of population.

To his credit, the author admits as much here (in broken English):
 

Quote:

Anytime, urbanization datas I have are relatively incomplete, missing some small villages that have _after checking_ urban lighting! So, in rural areas, some sources of light pollution are not on maps. I’m sorry but right now I have no way to do otherwise.

[jnb]

Perhaps some clever soul could do something with this data ...

http://unihedron.com/projects/darksky/database/?csv=true

[jnb]

Perhaps some clever soul could do something with this data ...

http://unihedron.com/projects/darksky/database/?csv=true

I've had a quick play to add data points (not all of them) but I haven't found out how to make that into a usable view rather than just a list of points which need to be clicked on to see the details. I can get colours on there but I can't control the range that is displayed by each colour

This is what I have so far

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zRKUSoEQIa_k.kkjhuh3cruGE

[Liquid360]

Please if you're able take a look at dark sky finder for iOS. If more people used its features and pinned/reviewed dark sites, it would make life FAR easier.

[hjw]

I like this one,

http://www.blue-marble.de/nightlights/2012

I just had a look at this one for Australia. While it seems to be fairly accurate around my area (just east of Melbourne), there is massive light pollution in the Gibson Desert (Central Western Australia)?! There is nothing there!

[DaveS]

Please if you're able take a look at dark sky finder for iOS. If more people used its features and pinned/reviewed dark sites, it would make life FAR easier.

Needs to be available fro Android.

[jnb]

I've had a quick play to add data points (not all of them) but I haven't found out how to make that into a usable view rather than just a list of points which need to be clicked on to see the details. I can get colours on there but I can't control the range that is displayed by each colour

This is what I have so far

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zRKUSoEQIa_k.kkjhuh3cruGE

Having a play with that data I notice that most of the results suggest that skies are not generally that bright, I suspect there may be a selection bias in the unihedron data

[Liquid360]

The great part of that app IS NOT the lp maps but the ability to review sites yourself which then shares your info/pin across all users of the platform.

[jnb]

Please if you're able take a look at dark sky finder for iOS. If more people used its features and pinned/reviewed dark sites, it would make life FAR easier.

It would probably make no real difference. The number of people who are interested in astronomy is relatively small, the number of those who would use such an app is even smaller, the number of those who would contribute data is smaller again and the number of those who would contribute accurate useful data is even smaller again. So the chance that there would be anything near you which would be helpful data is low. Look at the Unihedron data; that is from people who presumably are capable of producing useful and accurate data but there are only 13 data points for the whole of the UK

[knobby]

It would probably make no real difference. The number of people who are interested in astronomy is relatively small, the number of those who would use such an app is even smaller, the number of those who would contribute data is smaller again and the number of those who would contribute accurate useful data is even smaller again. So the chance that there would be anything near you which would be helpful data is low. Look at the Unihedron data; that is from people who presumably are capable of producing useful and accurate data but there are only 13 data points for the whole of the UK

All valid points ... We have 3 data points already .

[jnb]

Albeit that two of them I added and they are based on visual estimates, which was the point at which I looked for more data.

[Liquid360]

You've just explained exactly why it's a great idea!

It would probably make no real difference. The number of people who are interested in astronomy is relatively small, the number of those who would use such an app is even smaller, the number of those who would contribute data is smaller again and the number of those who would contribute accurate useful data is even smaller again. So the chance that there would be anything near you which would be helpful data is low. Look at the Unihedron data; that is from people who presumably are capable of producing useful and accurate data but there are only 13 data points for the whole of the UK

[bomberbaz]

wow, oopened a tin of worms here but all good, must read through this again, when I have a spare afternoon 

[Pingster]

Needless light imo is the most accurate one as you can zoom into specific locations. I have found all my best dark spots using this tool and its been very accurate so far.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DaveS]

Needless is fairly good, but I find the resolution a bit low, also the lack of map references can be a bit awkward. I use it in conjunction with the Avex-Asso site which has a better map underlay. for a more severe test I use the CCD map in Avex.

[Vox45]

"They did not know it was impossible, so they did it"

I am going to buy myself a Sky Quality Meter

http://unihedron.com/projects/sqm-l/

[ronin]

My "problem" with the Avex map is that it would seem to be based on population.

One village that I need to pass through at times is indicated as Yellow, not too bad I suppose. However the village has no street lights at all in it. If you drive through at night you have your headlights on full beam until something comes the other way. It is simply  DARK. no light pollution from it at all.

The place has no factories or anything, so no security lights in general, even the pub car park has it's light angled well down and there is just the one pub.

The big problem to a motorist is trying to pick out any pedestrians on the pathments - hence the full beam.

So a nice dark village that is shown as yellow, and that classification would seem to have to be based on a population level not an actual measurement.

[DaveS]

To be fair he does flag up those caveats, and says that it's based on a theoretical model rather than actual measurements.

[laser_jock99]

Needless is fairly good, but I find the resolution a bit low, also the lack of map references can be a bit awkward. I use it in conjunction with the Avex-Asso site which has a better map underlay. for a more severe test I use the CCD map in Avex.

The CCD map is indeed more revealing and takes into acount how much further light pollution photographically rather than visually.

http://www.avex-asso.org/dossiers/pl/uk/uk-ccd.html

For instance it puts the Brecon Beacons 'dark sky reserve' well into the yellow/green/cyan zones- whereas the actual dark skies are much further north!