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Montreal Aims to Create Starry Sky Reserve Amidst Light Pollution Challenges
Montreal is planning to transform the Grand Park of the West into a starry sky reserve, but the city faces obstacles due to its complex patchwork of municipal, provincial, federal, and private entities. As the Perseids meteor shower approaches, the issue of light pollution becomes particularly relevant.
Light pollution, primarily caused by excessive artificial lighting, significantly diminishes the visibility and experience of the Perseids. In urban and suburban areas, the effect often makes it impossible to observe meteor showers in their full splendor because the many faint meteors are washed out against a brightened sky. Even with perfect weather conditions, bright artificial lights drastically limit the number of meteors visible each hour.
The 2025 edition of the Perseids will have its challenges due to the Moon being 80% bright during the peak night, further reducing the number of visible meteors. In contrast, the 2028 edition is expected to be a particularly good show, as it will occur during the new moon, with no interference from the Moon.
The significance of light pollution in the context of the Perseids is twofold: it reduces the awe-inspiring visual impact of the meteor shower, which is central to the festival’s celebration of the night sky, and it acts as a reminder of the broader environmental issue that threatens public appreciation and scientific observation of night skies.
For the best experience of the Perseids meteor shower and similar celestial events, observers are encouraged to seek out dark-sky locations away from city lights, and to time their viewing for the late night to early morning hours, when the radiant point of the shower is highest and any ambient light interference is minimized.
Elsewhere in Quebec, Martin Aubé, a physics professor at the Cégep de Sherbrooke, has mentioned the creation of a "starry night oasis" at Mont-Bellevue Park in Sherbrooke to combat light pollution. The area around Mont Mégantic is recognised as an international dark sky reserve.
The borough of Saint-Laurent has adopted a policy against light pollution, and the borough of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve has published a guide of best practices to minimise the harmful effects of lighting. Montreal has made progress in reducing light pollution by replacing old sodium streetlights with light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights.
The Perseids is an annual meteor shower that spans several nights, featuring different stars. The high rate of Perseids meteors in 2028 could be due to the Earth hitting a "current" in the dust cloud left by Halley's Comet. The maximum rate of Perseids meteors in 2028 could be significantly higher than the maximum of 100 in the current year, potentially reaching an "avalanche" of meteors with a potential rate of nearly 1000 per hour.
The Perseids is a public favourite event, happening in summer when many people are on vacation and children aren't in school. Night workers, particularly women, may feel their sense of security is diminished in a dark city, and their perspective should be considered in discussions about light pollution.
Olivier Hernandez, director of the Montréal Planetarium, speaks of an "ADS+ approach" (for "differentiated analysis according to sex in an intersectional perspective") when discussing the concerns of night workers. Each edition of the Perseids is unique and requires a "festival-goer's guide" to make the most of it.
The Perseids can be enjoyed for free, without an entrance fee or joining crowds, by simply spreading a blanket on the ground. On Saturday in 2025, the Moon won't appear until 23:26, providing better observation conditions with fewer meteors. However, on Tuesday evening in 2025, the Moon won't rise until 21:36, leaving a small observation window after sunset.
References: 1. Light Pollution and the Perseids Meteor Shower 2. How to Watch the Perseids Meteor Shower in 2025 3. The Impact of Light Pollution on the Perseids Meteor Shower
- The proposed starry sky reserve in Montreal's Grand Park of the West aims to combat the issue of light pollution, which significantly impairs the visibility of celestial events like the Perseids meteor shower.
- Light pollution, a concern in environmental science, is primarily caused by excessive artificial lighting and can wash out faint meteors against a brightened sky, making observation of events like the Perseids challenging.
- Montreal has taken steps to reduce light pollution, such as replacing old sodium streetlights with light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights, but the challenge remains due to the city's complex governance structure.
- In addition to affecting the aesthetic appreciation of meteor showers, light pollution also impacts the scientific observation of the night sky, causing a broader environmental concern.
