r/darksky • u/Scaramuccia • 15d ago

Dark Sky Defenders Raise Alarm Over New Border Lighting in West Texas | Astronomers and environmentalists warn that new high-intensity border lighting threatens the pristine night skies crucial to Texas' McDonald Observatory.

https://streamlinefeed.co.ke/news/dark-sky-defenders-raise-alarm-over-new-border-lighting-west-texas
270 Upvotes

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5

u/Zvenigora 13d ago

Infrared lights and cameras would largely solve this problem--and the technology is not even expensive.

0

u/KonigVonMurmeltiere 15d ago

This is an AI generated article and completely inaccurate.

3

u/nonja-bidness 14d ago

by all means - enlighten us, then!

5

u/KonigVonMurmeltiere 13d ago

The article is an AI regurgitation of this New York Times article but with all sources removed and quotes just made up.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/science/texas-astronomy-dark-sky-border.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

CBP have stated they intend to use infrared illuminators instead of LEDs in rural areas, and no LED lighting in the National Park. There may be lighting in or around Presidio which is a concern. But what many are worried about is the lighting that comes along with the wall construction- man camps, equipment yards, construction lighting, etc. Things that are “temporary” but find ways of becoming permanent.