WORKING TO PRESERVE THE NIGHT SKY IN THE HEBER VALLEY
With the population of the Heber Valley steadily increasing, our night sky is becoming more and more polluted with unnecessary light.
The most effective way to reduce light pollution in Wasatch County is through citizen participation. As we promise to retrofit and update city lights to be dark sky approved, we ask you to update your own exterior lights. Widespread residential light reduction would tremendously improve our dark sky.
Heber Valley’s light pollution can be effectively reduced if citizens participate in these 3 steps.
1 - INVEST IN WARM, LOW KELVIN LIGHTS
The kelvin color temperature scale measures the wavelength of light being produced by a light source. The scale ranges from 1000k to 10000k, with 1000k being the warmest light and 10000k being the coldest light.
Low kelvin lights are better for the night sky.
Energy usage and total luminance are the same across the spectrum.
High kelvin and low kelvin lights produce the same amount of light. The higher the kelvin temperature, the higher the wavelength of light, and the more it pollutes the sky.
Lights 3300k and lower are great for exterior use.
2 - INVEST IN FULL CUTOFF LIGHT FIXTURES
Aiming light at the sky is useless and ineffective. “Full cutoff” fixtures direct all light towards the ground, lighting our streets, not our skies. Purchasing these for your own home will make your exterior lights more effective and reduce your light pollution footprint.
3 - TURN ‘EM OFF!
Simple, right? Let’s work as a valley to turn our exterior house lights off when we don’t need them. Turning them off at 10pm or when you go to bed is great.