This episode's guests:

• Randy Nelson, PhD, Circadian Rhythm Researcher.
• Scott Lind, Electrical Engineer, CEO Redshift Lighting.
• Rushil Kukreja, Founder of Princia.

Bill's News Picks:

• New York’s Skyline Has a Bold New Look, Nicholas Mancall-Bitel, New York Times.
• Switching off public lighting: a study on local authority practices, Samuel Busson, Cerema.
• Exposure to more artificial light at night may raise heart disease risk, American Heart Association. 
• ‘My Neighbor’s Christmas Lights Shine into My Bedroom, What Should I Do?, Philadelphia Inquirer. 
• Reaffirming sensory ethnography: sensing regenerative tourist practices in dark-sky protected zones, Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 

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A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

Find today's articles at LightPollutionNews.com.

Happy Holidays friends! It's our annual Holiday Potluck show! This is the show where guests return to discuss their favorite stories of 2025! 

We welcome back to the show:

• John Barentine, Dark Sky Consulting
• Yana Yakushina, Lawyer
• Dr. Mario Motta (absentia)
• Michael Calhoun
• Steve Mariconda
• Patrick Sommer

 Article List: 

1. Citizen science illuminates the nature of city lights, Nature Cities.
2. Personal night light exposure predicts incidence of cardiovascular diseases in >88,000 individuals, Jama Network.
3. Light Pollution as Antichrist, Columba Silva, The Imaginative Conservative.
4. Federation Chamber | 24/11/2025, Australian Parliament House Streaming Portal.
5. Lincoln City Hopes to Become First on Oregon Coast Designated Dark Sky Community, Oregon Coast Beach Connection.
6. Adirondack residents work to preserve dark skies, Holly Riddle, Adirondack Explorer.
7. Hopewell Neighbors Work Together for Darker Skies, Carolyn Jones, Mercer Me.
8. Dark Sky Week deemed dangerous, fails in North Dakota Senate, Jeff Beach, North Dakota Monitor.

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Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

 This episode's guests:

• Dr. Amardeep Dugar, Lighting Designer.
• Dani Robertson, Author / Dark Sky Officer.
• Stephane Picard, CEO of Cliff Valley Astronomy.

Bill's News Picks:

• Remote Welsh island with population of three people searching for new tenant family, BBC News. 
• Headlight complaints abound, but glare-related crashes haven’t increased, Joe Young, IIHS. 
• Spatio-Temporal Variation in Aerial Arthropod AbundanceRevealed by Weather Radars, Global Change Biology. 
• Nocturnal flight call monitoring reveals in-flight behavioral alteration by avian migrants in response to artificial light at night, Biological Conservation. 
• The Space Mirror Mirage: Physics, Economics, and the Glow of Investor Illusion, Charles Rotter, WattsUpWithThat.

Send Feedback Text to the Show!

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

 This episode's guests:

• Dr. Amardeep Dugar, Lighting Designer.
• Dani Robertson, Author / Dark Sky Officer.
• Stephane Picard, CEO of Cliff Valley Astronomy.

Bill's News Picks:

• Ikea just made a mini bed for your phone, Grace Snelling, Fast Company. 
• Individual-Level Exposure to Light at Night and Sleep Health: A Comparison between Real-Time Mobility-Based Measurements and Indoor Residence-Based Measurements, Environmental Science & Technology. 
• We’ve Lit Our Way Into a Complex Problem, Inside Lighting. 
• In the dark: Streetlight fight divides Florida neighborhood, Susannah Bryan, Tampa Bay Times. 
• Artificial outdoor light at night and depression in older adults in the USA, England, Northern Ireland, and Ireland, Environment International. 

Send Feedback Text to the Show!

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

This episode's guests:

• Tatsiana Thomson, Brome Bird Care.
• John Barentine, Dark Sky Consulting.
• Lynne Peeples, Author of the Inner Clock.

Bill's News Picks:

• Environmental Commission applauds progress on bird-safe buildings, Amy Smith, Austin Monitor. 
• Great River Bridge goes dark for birds, Hawk Eye.
• Puffins, petrels, and places: Understanding human perceptions to prevent seabird mortality due to light pollution, Ornithological Applications.
• Light does not phase shift the circadian clock of subcutaneous adipose tissue in vitro, Biological Timing and Sleep. 
• Brighter bedroom light at night predicts risk for earlier pubertal onset: a two-year longitudinal study, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 

Send Feedback Text to the Show!

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

 This episode's guests:

• Tatsiana Thomson, Brome Bird Care.
• John Barentine, Dark Sky Consulting.
• Lynne Peeples, Author of the Inner Clock.

Bill's News Picks:

• Spectacular drone show over Vatican recreates Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam,’ Virgin Mary, Ariel Zilber, New York Post.
• As more cities get Dark Sky label, these Indigenous communities apply the same tenets, Mark Brodie, KJZZ-FM.
• The First Dark Sky Map of Thailand: International Comparisons and Factors Affecting the Rate of Change, PrePrints.org.
• Our night skies are worth fighting for: petition for national action, Mandy Ellis, Western Plains App. 
• Why Sleep Tourism Is The Trend We’ve Been Dreaming About, Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes. 

Send Feedback Text to the Show!

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

 This episode's guests:

• Yana Yakushina, Lawyer and Researcher.
• James Lowenthal, Astronomer.
• Vicky Derksen, Night Sky Tourist.

Bill's News Picks:

• Randomised trial reveals a mismatch between preferences for and hormonal responses to anthropogenic light colour temperatures, PLOS One. 
• Light Wavelength Modulates the Effects of Lighted Nights on Sleep, Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Female Zebra Finches, Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology. 
• The Great New Zealand Road Trip: ‘You New Zealanders take your stars for granted’ - the striking words of a tourist that helped turn this Kiwi region dark, Shayne Currie, The New Zealand Herald. 
• This Chappell Roan song boosted interest in a Canadian dark sky preserve by 1,800%, Elizabeth Howell, Space.com. 
• Inside New Brunswick's ambitious plan for the world's densest dark-sky corridor, Jamie Carter, Space.com. 

Subscribe:

• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Youtube

Send Feedback Text to the Show!

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

 This episode's guests:

• Yana Yakushina, Lawyer and Researcher.
• James Lowenthal, Astronomer.
• Vicky Derksen, Night Sky Tourist.

Bill's News Picks:

• The endangered night: the challenge of light pollution within the international environmental legal context, Journal of Environmental Law. 
•  On National Space Day, Fadnavis pledges India's first state Dark Sky Policy, and what it could unlock for Maharashtra, ANI, Tribune. 
• Appeals court rules Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" detention site can stay open, Joe Walsh, CBS News.
• Is Starlink Bad for the Environment? FCC Doesn’t Think It Should Weigh In, Michael Kan, PC Mag. 
•  Light Pollution as Antichrist, The Imaginative Conservative. 

Subscribe:

• Apple Podcast
• Spotify
• Youtube

Send Feedback Text to the Show!

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

 In this episode, Bill McGeeney interviews Vasu Menon, a NC State computer science student who created Stargazer.org - a revolutionary web app that solves every amateur astronomer's planning nightmare. Born from a frustrating full-moon stargazing trip to Virginia's Stanton River park, this tool combines dark sky locations, weather forecasts, and lunar data into one simple interface. 

The Problem

• Multiple apps needed for stargazing planning
• Moon interference ruining viewing experiences
• Difficulty finding certified dark sky locations

The Solution: Stargazer.org Features

• Zip code-based dark sky location finder
• Integrated weather forecasting via OpenWeather API
• Lunar phase and brightness tracking
• Percentage-based scoring system for optimal viewing conditions
• Mobile-optimized interface

How It Works

• Enter your US zip code or use browser location
• Browse certified Dark Sky parks with distances
• View optimal dates with weather/astronomy scoring
• Plan trips based on comprehensive data

Future Development

• Community-submitted locations with reviews
• Upvoting/downvoting system for spots
• Open source GitHub repository for contributors
• Expanded Bortle scale coverage

Episode Quotes

"I realized like there has to be like a kind of like a one stop solution to like, you know, for like amateur people just to click a button and see the best times to go stargazing." - Vasu Menon

"This right here... I just punch in my zip code, it brings up some good spots, and then it tells me even better what the opportunities might be, what percentage opportunities I have at those nights." - Bill McGeeney

Send Feedback Text to the Show!

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

Episode Summary

Discover how one artist is tackling light pollution through whimsical street art. Berlin visual artist Alona Rodeh joins the show to discuss her viral "Nightcaps" project - 3D-printed "hats" that transform unshielded street lamps into community art while reducing light pollution.

Key Topics Covered

• The Nightcaps Project: 15 sculptural lamp covers installed throughout Berlin's Brunnenvierteljat neighborhood
• Community engagement: Workshops with local families and children incorporating cultural designs
• Environmental impact: Practical solutions for reducing artificial light at night (ALAN)
• Placemaking through art: How creative interventions build neighborhood identity
• Night walks: Guided darkness experiences as feminist environmental practice
• Future expansion: Plans for Israeli kibbutzim and sports stadium applications

Notable Quotes

"Instead of throwing away these lanterns and putting in new ones... thinking of adapting and of raising awareness"

"It does what is called in public art placemaking - it brings things out of their anonymity"

Guest Info

Alona Rodeh specializes in light-based installations at the intersection of visual, virtual, and physical space. Her work includes nocturnal walks, immersive environments, and community-driven environmental art.

Send Feedback Text to the Show!

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you.

Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more!

But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.