Reducing light pollution requires first that we understand where and how bad it is. If you’d like to help scientists characterize the amount of light pollution at any location, try using the Dark Sky Meter app on your phone. It’s ridiculously easy! Go to darkskymeter.com to learn more, and download it for iPhone or Android. Before first use, read the instructions on the website as they are more comprehensive than the brief instructions in the app. The idea is to cover your camera lens and take a “dark frame,” then point at the sky and take a sky frame, then upload the result. Repeat two more times and you’re done! Once you get the hang of it, do it every night! At present there aren’t many data points in Kitsap County or on Bainbridge Island. Let’s change that, and help defeat light pollution!
