Inspired by their FOCUS Faculty Mentor Cindy Blaha’s (Professor of Physics and Astronomy) love for the stars, FOCUS 2016 researched light pollution and measured night sky brightness in downtown Northfield and the Carleton campus over the 2013-2014 academic year, investigating the impact of night lighting on the environment and human health.
Highlights of the year:
- Fall 2013
- Paul Bogard, Carleton alum and author of “The End of Night“, visited with the class to discuss light pollution and helped kick off the research year.
- Winter 2014
- FOCUS 2016 surveyed Northfield residential streets and the Carleton campus, taking measurements and creating a map of light pollution density within the community.
- Based off research interests, students began compiling literature on light pollution and its impacts on sky quality, environmental health, human health, and policy making.
- Spring 2014
- FOCUS 2016 presented their research to the Northfield City Council and discussed lighting ordinances within the community, as well as good lighting design for urban areas.
- Students finished writing and compiling research, publishing the first FOCUS Journal of Science.