logo
Dim lights so stars can shine bright

Dim lights so stars can shine bright

The Star12-07-2025
It takes about 30 minutes for eyes to fully adjust to total darkness and only then does the night sky reveal its hidden constellations.
Most nights, the city's glow keeps regular folk from viewing the stars.
Under Kuala Selangor skies, on a recent trip with Tourism Malaysia and Sahabat Langit Utara (Salut), I found myself in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by darkness and silence.
With no lights to distract from the stillness of the night, the stars slowly showed themselves.
An app called Stellarium, with its gyroscope feature, helped us navigate the sky.
Moving my phone around, the app named each star and traced how they join together to form constellations.
After an hour, the sky grew clearer.
Away from light pollution, the human eye begins to grasp the vastness of the universe.
Staring at the Milky Way reminds us that we are just specks of dust and what we see is far more complex than the mind can truly comprehend.
The Milky Way can be seen on a clear, cloudless night from places with minimal light pollution.— Filepic
As Salut founder Nurul Fatini Jaafar explained, 'The Milky Way appears as a thin band of cloud that stays still and does not fade away.
'It is something we often forget to be grateful for, a natural wonder now hidden from much of the world by one main culprit: light pollution.'
To measure darkness, astronomers use the Bortle dark-sky scale, which ranges from Class 1 (the darkest skies where the Milky Way shines brilliantly) to Class 9 (city lights drown out all but the brightest stars).
In Kuala Selangor, areas far from city lights can reach Class 3 or 4, dark enough to reveal thousands of stars and the Milky Way's delicate band on a clear, cloudless night.
One of Salut's goals is to establish more dark-sky areas, far from urban glow, so our eyes can fully adapt and the cosmos can shine through.
According to a 2016 study by scientific journal Science Advances, Singapore's entire population lives under skies too bright to see the Milky Way, with 100% of its territory affected.
San Marino (100%) and Malta (89%) face similar levels of light pollution that keep the galaxy hidden from view.
It's at a level of light pollution that prevents eyes from ever fully adapting to true darkness.
Light pollution in Malaysia is also a concern.
A recent Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) study found that fireflies could mistake artificial lights for the flashes of other fireflies, leading them to abandon traditional mating grounds.
This shows that light pollution affects not only people but also wildlife.
However, there is hope. Earlier this month, the Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) announced it was working on a light pollution guideline to help preserve astronomical activities, including astrotourism.
Expected to be ready by 2026, the guideline aims to minimise the impact of artificial lighting at night, supporting astronomy initiatives and the conservation of our natural environment.
In parts of Malaysia, such as rural Kedah, it is still possible to experience a Class 1 sky.
Fraser's Hill, near Kuala Kubu Baru, also offers spectacular stargazing conditions.
These locations are among the highlights in Tourism Malaysia's upcoming stargazing packages that open the door to astrotourism.
Over time, we forget that stargazing once guided sailors to safe shores and farmers, in terms of changing seasons.
The stars are something worth looking up at and preserving for generations to come.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Normal to have to build your confidence'
'Normal to have to build your confidence'

Yahoo

time18 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

'Normal to have to build your confidence'

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot says pre-season wins can "build confidence" for upcoming campaign. The Red Devils came out 2-1 winners over West Ham United in their opening game of the Premier League Summer Series in the United States on Saturday, with captain Bruno Fernandes netting twice. This preparation for the new campaign is the first time boss Ruben Amorim has had the chance to have a pre-season with the team after arriving in November. Speaking after the game at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Dalot said: "It's been good [having pre-season with Amorim]. We train a lot, we train hard. Today you saw also what kind of intensity we can bring. "I think we're still at the beginning. We have a lot more potential to show in that aspect, but I think for today it was good intensity and a good performance. "Last season was not good enough, we know that, and now we have to find a way to improve. I think we've made some good signings already. You saw already Matheus [Cunha], he can bring a lot to the team. "I like the mentality of us today, high pressing, a lot of intensity." After just 11 league wins and a 15th-place finish, 2024-25 was regarded as the club's worst campaign since the 1973-74 relegation season and Amorim and his players will know they need to do better this time around. "After a season like that, it's normal to have to build your confidence," Dalot added. "That's why I think a win like today is really important. I think with winning, you become more confident. You start to believe more in what you're doing. "[This win] was a good example of what we can show, and hopefully with this the group becomes even better."

Piastri wins Belgian GP, extends championship lead
Piastri wins Belgian GP, extends championship lead

Yahoo

time18 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Piastri wins Belgian GP, extends championship lead

Oscar Piastri held off his McLaren teammate Lando Norris to win the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came third as Piastri stretched his lead in the drivers' standings over Norris to 16 points. Heavy rain delayed the 13th round of the season by 80 minutes, with organisers eventually allowing a rolling start after four laps behind the safety car as the sun finally appeared. Pole sitter Norris was quickly passed by Piastri as Norris complained he had a problem with his car's battery. Piastri then produced a controlled race from the front to lead home McLaren's sixth 1-2 of the season. "I knew lap one was going to be my best chance of winning the race," said Piastri. "Rest of race we managed really well," the Australian added. "Oscar did a good job, nothing more to say," said Norris. Max Verstappen, winner of Saturday's sprint, took fourth in Laurent Mekies' first race weekend as Red Bull team principal after the sacking of Christian Horner a fortnight ago. nr/lp

China proposes global cooperation body on AI
China proposes global cooperation body on AI

Yahoo

time18 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

China proposes global cooperation body on AI

SHANGHAI, July 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from The Chinese government has proposed the establishment of a world AI cooperation organization as part of its efforts to bolster open, inclusive and equitable artificial intelligence development and governance globally. Premier Li Qiang announced the initiative when addressing the opening ceremony of the 2025 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai. Li emphasized the need for collaborative approaches to global AI governance to ensure that intelligent technologies are developed for the good of all. More than 1,000 high-level representatives from upwards of 40 countries and international organizations attended the opening ceremony of the three-day event, themed "Global Solidarity in the AI Era". Li said that the risks and challenges brought by AI development, such as machine hallucinations, deep fakes and AI proliferation, have aroused widespread attention. There is an urgent need to further consolidate a societal consensus on how to achieve a balance between development and security in the AI sector, he said. Li said greater emphasis should be placed on collective governance to ensure that AI ultimately benefits humanity. Given that global AI governance appears fragmented, it is essential to enhance coordination and alignment among countries around the world to establish a framework and rules for global AI governance with a broad consensus, he added. Noting that China places great importance on global AI governance and actively participates in promoting multilateral and bilateral cooperation in this regard, the premier said the nation is willing to offer more Chinese solutions to the international community and contribute more Chinese wisdom to global AI governance. In 2023, China proposed the Global AI Governance Initiative to promote an open, inclusive and fair approach to the development and governance of AI technologies. Last year, China proposed the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All to bridge the AI and digital divides, and to ensure the Global South benefits equitably from AI development. China actively promotes open source development, and is willing to collaborate with countries around the world to promote progress in software and hardware technologies, intensify open source initiatives, and collectively propel AI development to higher levels, Li said. Also on July 26, the conference adopted the Global AI Governance Action Plan, which calls on all parties to work in solidarity to advance AI development and governance. For more information: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Sign in to access your portfolio

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store