From Chris Godfrey
Chislehurst, Kent
Referring to your article “Are we killing astronomy?” (24 August, p 28), I
thought I might tell you a story of a village in southern England where there
aren’t any streetlamps. It’s a very attractive village. Recently, some newly
moved-in retired persons put before the parish council a proposal to make the
place more like what they’d just paid good money to move out of, by installing
streetlights.
The idea was rejected by a large majority because the residents would not be
able to see the stars; and secondly, you could put them in, but couldn’t stop
resentful citizens taking them out with air guns, tractors, or whatever was
needed.
There still isn’t a streetlamp within ten miles, you can still watch the
Milky Way evolve when the Moon is down, it’s still the best place to camp in
England, and I’d be mad to tell you where it is.
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The point is, these people aren’t astronomers, just farmers and the like.
They are very clear about not wanting their celestial observations mucked about
with. A lot more places could follow their example.
