Dark Sky Guide

Tips anyone can follow to cut light pollution — start at the top and work down.

Porch light glowing above a house entrance after dark
Step 1

At home tonight

Things you can do in the next five minutes, with no shopping needed.

  • Switch off any outdoor light that nobody is using right now.
  • Close curtains and blinds after dark to stop indoor light spilling outside.
  • Turn decorative and landscape lighting off after a set hour.
  • Dim screens and porch lights instead of running everything at full brightness.
Street lamp glowing against a dark sky, throwing light in all directions
Step 2

Upgrade your fixtures

When a bulb or lamp needs replacing, choose the dark-sky friendly version.

  • Choose fully shielded fixtures that direct all light downward.
  • Use warm bulbs at 2700K or lower — amber is best for wildlife and skyglow.
  • Pick the lowest brightness that does the job; more lumens rarely means more safety.
  • Never aim uplights at trees, flags, or walls where the beam escapes into the sky.
Quiet rural landscape at night under a star-filled sky
Step 3

Automate the dark

Let sensors and timers remember so you do not have to.

  • Fit motion sensors on security and garage lighting instead of leaving it on all night.
  • Add timers or dusk-to-midnight controls rather than dusk-to-dawn.
  • Use dimmers so paths and patios can run at low output most of the evening.
  • Check your settings seasonally — timers drift as sunset shifts.
City skyline at night glowing under a bright orange haze
Step 4

In your community

The biggest wins are shared ones: streets, schools, and parking lots.

  • Ask your school, workplace, or landlord about shielding parking-lot and sign lighting.
  • Support local lighting ordinances with curfews, shielding rules, and colour-temperature limits.
  • Report broken or misaimed streetlights to your municipality — many are simply pointed wrong.
  • Organise a star party or lights-out night so neighbours can see what they are missing.
People observing the night sky through a telescope at an astronomy camp
Step 5

Keep learning and contributing

Measure it, see it, and pass it on.

  • Log sky brightness with citizen-science projects like Globe at Night to build the public record.
  • Visit a certified Dark Sky Place to see a natural night sky for comparison.
  • Share what you learn — most excess lighting exists out of habit, not need.