I think it is great that it gets dark early now! This is the best time of year to enjoy the starry nights of Maine. You can see the Milky Way (at least in Cape Elizabeth)!
But because of light pollution, many areas in Greater Portland are too bright to see these marvels. It used to be posh to flood your “estate” with bright lighting. Now with LEDs, we can all afford to, and still use very little power. But should we?
Research has shown that bad lighting results in a decrease in wildlife and vegetation well-being, is actually less safe and blinds us to our sky. So please put a timer and sensor on your flood and porch lights.
Better yet, trade them in for dark-sky-friendly versions, and let us all enjoy the night sky. Read more at darksky.org.
Steev Sutton
Cape Elizabeth
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