Natural Night
The night sky is a map of possibilities, each star a potential dream waiting to be realized. — Unknown The Milky Way Click Here to View A 5-Minute Journey Through The Night See also PBS’ Northern Nights, Starry Skies Succeed and Soar‘s Thrive! shares insights that can improve life’s quality. This post presents ways star-filled skies help both personal and the planet’s health. Goal: Limit light/photo pollution. It’s the excess, artificial light in urban and industrial areas. Main forms are: Glare: Light that causes discomfort. Trespass: Light that enters unwanted places [like from bathroom into bedroom]. Clutter: Too many lights in one place. Dark Sky reported that migratory birds rely on natural light to guide them. Artificial light can cause collisions and misdirection. Not only are the patterns of nocturnal animals like owls, badgers and frogs affected. Studies show that artificial lights confuses internal human clocks. Worse, fake light has been connected to lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancers. Of Blue Light, Harvard Medical School wrote, Not all colors of light have the same effect. Blue wavelengths—which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood—seem to be the most disruptive at night. And the proliferation of electronics with screens, as well as energy-efficient lighting, is increasing our exposure to blue wavelengths, especially after sundown. Here are protections from blue light at night: Use dim red lights for night lights. Red light is less likely to shift circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin. Avoid looking at bright screens two to three hours before bed. More Paul Bogart is a great, dark-sky resource. His books include, Where Are All the Wild Things, Daddy? Let There Be Dark Night Vision More Here’ are 60 Dark Sky Places for Great Star Gazing.[Gorgeous photos] The article Light Pollution, Health Risks & Facts has a great bibliography. The Museum of Natural History’s temporary exhibition “Lights Out: Recovering Our Night Sky” stated that star stories connect us through time and across cultures. Here are several more reflection, The night was made for lovers, dreamers, and visionaries. Stars can’t shine without darkness, just as we can’t appreciate the light without the night. COMMENT Succeed and Soar! Sandra Gould Ford Presenting arts experiences to encourage, refresh, enrich creative thinking and inspire. Buy Succeed & Soar Sweat Shirts Featured hoodie contains art and the wisdom from the April 9, 2022 Sub-Optimal Decisions post, “You are not the mistake you made unless you continue to do it.” Hoodies are 75% cotton/25% polyester. Five different background colors available. Machine washable. Buy featured item. View All Hoodies Thanks for shopping!
Einstein # 12: The Difference Between Clever and Wise
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein I can’t add to Einstein’s words but want to share that this is International Dark Sky Week. It encourages us to enjoy starry skies and reduce light pollution. This week, those who rise before the sun can see the crescent skim Saturn, then Jupiter, backed by the constellation Capricorn. Read more. Since 2002, the third Thursday in April has been National High-Five Day. It began when students at the University of Virginia gave away lemonade and happy hand slaps. BTW, the High Five uplifted the earlier ‘low five,’ also called “slip-slapping”, “slapping the plank” and “soul shake” Read more. Whether by clever means or wise, succeed and soar enjoy high-fiving folks Thursday and star gaze all week … always! Shop “Hydrangea,” this week’s Featured Art. Blessings & best wishes. Ramadan This week’s new crescent launches Ramadan. These thirty days are best known for prayer and fasting, when Muslims eat and drink nothing from daybreak to nightfall. As a month that focuses on the inner life, these four weeks and two days offer much to any spiritual practice. Gossip and arguments are avoided. Patience, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and gratitude are highlighted. What a wonderful way. This year, Ramadan starts at sundown, Monday, April 12. Read more. Photo Credit: PNGTree.com