Light Pollution | Stockport - street light pollution

2002

Stockport - street light pollution

This photo shows the light beams from the relatively new white street lights on the A6 in Heaton Chapel, Stockport. The misty conditions show the direction of the light beams quite well and it can be seen that light is being emitted well beyond the boundaries of the road, even above the horizontal. The excessive lighting is causing the red glow that can be seen in the sky - visible with the naked eye.
Picture Added on 03 November 2005.

Comments

How can White light show a Red Glow? Please explain.

As I See t they are directed downwards and not above the horizontal.
Added by PHIL on 26 March 2006.

I do not know why the lights show a red glow. However, if you are ever in Heaton Chapel on a cloudy evening I suggest that you look up and see the red glow for yourself - it is quite visible. The lights, whilst called white (they are around 3000 kelvin colour temperature), are not as white as white light (6000 kelvin colour temperature) and do have a red component. In addition, due to the actual 92% overlighting (1.92 cd/m2 cf 1 cd/m2 recommended by the code), there is an element of light pollution due to the light reflected off the road surface. There is an element of light above the horizontal which this photo does not show too well. Another of my photos does show the light above the horizontal but because of the dense mist it does not show any detail in the backgorund - film (this is not a digital photo) has a limited latitude that does not equal the range of the human eye. If you are not too far away, Phil, come and see - we are in Heaton Chapel Stockport. You can then witness the light shining onto roofs even now that some lights have been pointed properly downwards!
Added by John S Lewis on 04 August 2006.