Good Night: Flipping the Switch on Light Pollution

By Kelli Anderson
Appears in the November 2022 issue of Naperville Magazine

Fifty years ago in the Fox Valley, 2,000 stars glittered across the night sky. Today, only about 40 remain visible to the naked eye. “I have spent decades under the stars,” says Drew Carhart, founding member of the Naperville Astronomical Association. “And I have been gradually watching the night sky disappear.”

The star-stealing culprit? Light pollution. The innovation of powerful LED light technology has been both a blessing and a curse. When used excessively, artificial light disrupts wildlife, harms human health, costs billions in wasted energy, and obscures our view of the universe. To combat light pollution, cities like Chicago—once one of the most light-polluted city in the world—and its nearby communities are beginning to implement changes with the help of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), a leading authority on solving this modern global problem. 

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