Light Pollution

  

This is not something I usually ponder, but an event from a night or so ago made me do so. 

Where I live, though a problem, its not nearly the issue it is in many other urban areas. In the map above, the first significant patch of green west (or to the left) of Winnipeg is my home blob. Compared to much of the east coast (even Eastern Manitoba) this is a great location. The light is easy to escape. 

Some cloudy nights illustrate this small area well, as you can watch moving clouds enter the orange glow of the city to the west and then go dark to the east (normally in winter, which makes everything brighter). 

But it was yesterday that I noticed something really interesting. I was walking home from a friends at around 3:45 to 4am. Not something I normally do, but did that night. 

Looking to the north east of my location, I seen a faint whitish hue to the sky. I at first interpreted it as the sunrise.  

But a few moments later, I realized that it was not the sunrise, the moon, nor any other natural source of light. On the contrary, it was the parking lot lighting from a local supermarket. They have lighting pointed skyward to illuminate flags, as well as parking lot lighting that spills TONS of light upward (they are worse then streetlamps since this lighting is not even facing the ground. Note that streetlamps are also horrible for leeching light up). This white hue is visible in many areas, when looking in that direction. 

Around here, its an island. But it makes me wonder about what it must be like in places where the island, is the norm. 

It also makes me miss camping out alongside Lake Manitoba. Not really, the “camping” part persay lol. But more, the tranquility. 

Out there, you escape 2 of the scurges of modern civilization. The light pollution, and the constant background noise. Some times quiet, sometimes loud, but ever present.