I love our neighbours!

[TheThing]

They've been having a massive extension built for months which involved them having to put scaffolding on our drive for long time.

They've always asked before accessing our property, been very apologetic and their builders have regularly swept up all of drive without asking.

Now I have discovered that they have had some pretty large lights put on the back of the extension which light up our garden as well.

Popped round yesterday and explained that they were a bit of interference (they know I'm astronomer) and they couldn't have been nicer. They given me their mobile no so I can text them if they are on when I need to be out and have promised to turn them off straight away - I don't want to ring their home number or knock because they've got little ones.

I'm so glad they decided to extend and not move! Who knows who might have moved in instead? It always pays to just chat it over in a friendly manner first cos you never know how accommodating your neighbours will be when you ask nicely.

[Beulah]

That's really good.

But then it works both ways - they turn the lights off, and your presence in your garden late at night deters any trouble.

You are very lucky to have good neighbours and it's an extra bonus they are staying. It would be grim to have to start all that "can you..." malarky all over again, I'd rather move!

It seems the LP problem is getting worse in my garden - the neighbours have installed very bright solar lights on their wall and they are bright! The other neighbours down the road have a halogen light that shines across many gardens. I would become VERY unpopular overnight, having to knock on people's doors to ask them all to tone down the lighting.

What's crazy is that we have a very clear view of the Milky Way - it stretches right across the sky to the southern horizon.

I fear that the streetlight issue is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to LP reduction. When that gets sorted, it's a darnsight harder dealing with neighbour's lights!

Time for an obs of some kind. I've had enough.

[iamjulian]

Sam, I know you have had a tough time of it with your neighbours and you are probably right, private lighting is as much if not more of a nuisance than street lighting. However, private lighting is covered by the light pollution legislation, so you have the law on your side if neighbours are being a pain. With street lighting the can, and do, tell you to whistle dixie about intrusive lights.

I am lucky that non of my immediate neighbours have outside lights at the back, though next door have about 300 kids and the bathroom light kept going on and off last night. Could still see the Milky Way though so I cannot complain.

[Beulah]

Sam, I know you have had a tough time of it with your neighbours and you are probably right, private lighting is as much if not more of a nuisance than street lighting. However, private lighting is covered by the light pollution legislation, so you have the law on your side if neighbours are being a pain. With street lighting the can, and do, tell you to whistle dixie about intrusive lights.

I am lucky that non of my immediate neighbours have outside lights at the back, though next door have about 300 kids and the bathroom light kept going on and off last night. Could still see the Milky Way though so I cannot complain.

Thanks for your post, Julian. WOW, that's some going, 300 kids.... That's got to be some strobe effects with the bathroom light, enough to affect anyone's visual accuity...

If it was just one neighbour, as it was recently with more direct *ahem* 500w source of lighting, I'd deal with it in a diplomatic way as I did with those neighbours. However when it comes to several other people....

I have a cunning plan with some blackout material and poles anyway...

As an aside, it is incredible how sensitive your eyes are to light, when you've adapted to night sky levels. When I went inside, a single blue LED light on an applicance seemed to cast light into the whole room! People need to get outside and get dark adpated to see how polluting artificial light can be. Otherwise it's like talking to a brick wall....

[LukeSkywatcher]

Great outcome there TT. My neighbour (a good friend) put up about 3 foot high solid fencing along the top of the wall between our gardens so she and her family had a bit more privacy when in the garden. I had no problems with this.She asked if she could do it anyway (if she didnt ask i still would be ok with it). The fencing has blocked most of the stray light that comes from her house into my garden.

[Beulah]

Great outcome there TT. My neighbour (a good friend) put up about 3 foot high solid fencing along the top of the wall between our gardens so she and her family had a bit more privacy when in the garden. I had no problems with this.She asked if she could do it anyway (if she didnt ask i still would be ok with it). The fencing has blocked most of the stray light that comes from her house into my garden.

Ahhh, high fences...... Sounds ideal, Luke.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Yeah nothing fancy. The solid trellace(sp?) fencing you buy in sheets is all it is.

[Aldebaran5]

I had one neighbour years ago who kept his outside light on all the time, when asked to tone it down the family just turned all the lights on, hence, I moved.

Keith

[george7378]

I've got no neighbours at all! A mile-long street to ourselves. The cows next door can be a bit noisy though.