Jump to content
  • Join the online East Midlands astronomy club today!

    With active forums, two dark sites and a knowledgeable membership, East Midlands Stargazers has something for everyone.

New LED 'white light' street lights


Guest nickyb

Recommended Posts

Guest nickyb

Hi members,


 


Recently the street lights in my village have been replaced from the orange sodium lights to these new low energy 'white lights', I think they are LED.


 


I did note that even though they are brighter, there light is more directional, i.e. beamed down towards the road and not in the sky. The skies certainly don't appear any worse, but being a white light I'm not sure if there is any filter avaliable.


 


Does anyone know of any LED white light filter? I guess there probably won't be as the band will also blot out the sky objects, but interested to hear what other forum members think of them?


 


Clear skies,


 


Nick


;)


Edited by nickyb
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm all for directional lighting to reduce sky pollution - but those led things are horrible - especially the high intensity headlights they put on cars nowadays. There's just something freaky and unnatural about them that I just don't like. Then again - maybe it's just me being freaky and unnatural - those leds are the way things seem to be going - so I guess I'll have to get used to them. :)


 


I'm sure there must be a suitable filter for them - so I'll wait with interest for someone who knows.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sorry to say as far as I am aware they are broadband spectrum and cannot be filtered out.


 


They are OK as long as they point at the ground and you are out of the direct spill of light, unless the roads etc are damp and then they throw a lot of reflected light upwards again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The new LED lights are usualy better designed - they point the light only at the ground and are generally lower power, as they are only lighting in that direction, unlike many older lights which spill everywhere. Fingers crossed you won't get too much pollution from them.


 


HID lamps on cars are xenon arc lights. Excellent colour rendition if you are behind them, not so nice if they are coming your direction though.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

the ones fitted down the road are also about 1m higher than the older ones


 


if they replace the one outside here I will be in its light path and effectively observing or imaging from here will be finished


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest nickyb

thanks for the comments. Yes, it does appear very directional to me and if necessary they can fit a small shade to prevent stray light affecting homeowners, we got one (although not for astronomy).


 


Interesting to see if some company does design some sort of filter, but like someone already said its broadband spectrum so I guess that might not be easy.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our area has been re-lit for a while now but not with LED's, just some form of white light, but they are very much more directional. It has improved the sky quite noticably once out of the direct light of the damned things.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest nickyb

Our area has been re-lit for a while now but not with LED's, just some form of white light, but they are very much more directional. It has improved the sky quite noticably once out of the direct light of the damned things.

..thats good news Mike. Mine might not be LED but they are certainly ain intense white light, changed about 3 months back, like a lot of areas in cambs. As you say they are directional and there is not that orange glow anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Over the last few weeks the HPS street lights on our road have been replaced by the more directional but bright LED lights.

Looks like less pollution but the light is a cold white and I prefer the warmer yellow light we had.

Think the new lights use high output Cree LEDs.... Expect there will not be a filter due to the wide spectrum unlike discharge lamps where the spectral lines can be filtered out.

Ade

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the ones fitted down the road are also about 1m higher than the older ones

 

if they replace the one outside here I will be in its light path and effectively observing or imaging from here will be finished

Thinks yours might develop a "mystery" fault :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.