Ever wonder why the starlight is so dull in Rochester? This is the effect of light pollution. According to NPR, in the United States alone, 99 percent of people look up and see light-polluted skies.
What is Light Pollution?
Light pollution is known as the artificial light that affects how much of the sky can be seen at night. Michael Richmond oversees the RIT Observatory and is a professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy. Richmond explains light pollution to Reporter. Indoor light and outdoor light bounce off the ground and up into the sky. The light then bounces off clouds or particles in the air and goes back into the viewer’s eyes. As a result, the human eye can’t see the light from the stars as brightly. On a cloudy Rochester night, it is very easy to see the surroundings from the light pollution both on campus and in the city.
Richmond also added how outdoor light is the main problem, more specifically, light that points up at the sky. Indoor lights play a smaller role but are easier for people to conceal with blinds or curtains.
Light pollution also has a negative effect on the environment.
Light Pollution on the RIT Campus
As RIT grows, more buildings are being built, and more parking lots are going up, all of which means more light coming from campus. Because of this, RIT is producing more light pollution.
With students advocating for more environmentally friendly light options, an effort has been made to reduce light pollution. In October of 2024, a PawPrint was submitted by Benjamin Marr, urging the student government to do something about light shining upward.
“I have noticed how poorly managed outdoor lighting is; the vast majority of lights, especially over parking lots, have no shields on them to direct light downwards,” Marr wrote.
Student Government responded, saying all lights down the quarter mile, in parking lots and lights attached to buildings now either have covers to direct the light downward, and the light is pointed at the ground. They also noted that this is the most that could be done, as the lights need to be left on for safety reasons.
While Student Government has attempted to cut back on light pollution, RIT is going in a different direction. The Performing Arts Center and Judson Stadium, both of which will finish construction this year, have lights that are directed up into the sky. The Performing Arts Center has lights pointing up at the building to illuminate the architecture. From this, the building is causing a significant amount of light pollution.
What Can Students Do?
There are many small things students can implement to cut back on the amount of light pollution. Students can be mindful about turning lights off in their dorms and apartments when they aren’t in the room. Curtains or blinds can be used to cover the windows while the lights are still on. Lights coming from inside buildings only take up a small percentage of the overall light pollution.
Ruby James Madden, a first year Mechanical Engineering student who is minoring in Astronomy and Dance, is very passionate about reducing light pollution. In September 2025, Ruby had a letter to the editor published in the Rochester Beacon, urging people to be more mindful of lights at night.
She mentioned using warm lights and investing in motion sensor lights for the outdoors. As far as RIT, Madden mentioned cutting back on big screens and lights that aren’t needed during the night. A big thing was the blue light public safety call boxes, which produce a blue color, which contributes up to four times more light pollution compared to warmer color lights. The color of those lights could be changed to still provide safety, but also be mindful of the light that is going into the sky. Madden also stressed the importance of talking about light pollution.
“Talk about it, educate people around you, and pay attention to the legislation and talk to your representatives,” said Madden.
Places to View the Stars
While the Rochester sky is either polluted with light or covered in clouds, there are other locations nearby where students can see the stars better.
Richmond gave suggestions on where to view the stars better, “If you go up to the lake, there aren’t any lights on the lake because it’s all just water. So, standing on the lake shore looking north. You’ll see a darker sky.” He also mentioned that heading south will also result in darker skies.
On campus, students can go to the RIT Observatory when they have public events to view the sky through telescopes. The observatory is located on John St. on the southeastern side of campus and is concealed from much of the campus light.
The greater Rochester area contains many locations to see the stars. Some of the best spots include the Finger Lake National Forest, Gannett Hill, Hemlock Lake Park and Letchworth State Park.
The best spot to view the stars on the East Coast, and ranked as one of the eight best places to stargaze in the world, is a little over two hours away and located at Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania.
More resources about light pollution and more places with dark skies can be found at darksky.org.
While light pollution is a large issue, students can seek out more light-conscious options and continue to urge RIT to find safer light options for lighting the campus at night.
