Light Pollution

How I did this

Under Construction

The original picture was altered using a program called IRAF (Image Reduction and Analysis Facility). In order to change the picture to show the difference between different lighting, I had to find the change in the flux (Δ F) from the change in mag/arcsec² (Δ M). We calculated that the original flux was 298.6, so we used the equation

F_B = F_A * 10^{(Δ M/2.5)}

Where F_B equals the new flux, F_A equals the original, or 298.6, and Δ M equals the change mag/arcsec². As an example, here is
how you would find out F_B for the first site, Mr. Wilson.

Δ M = 20.7 – 19.8
Δ M = 0.9
F_B = 298.6 * 10^(0.9/2.5)
F_B = 684.1

Then you would subtract 298.6 from 684.1 to find Δ F, which would be 385.5.

I also used that program to alter the pictures a little to make the transitions between sites a little easier to see, so I made the background sky darker. In the "real" pictures, the background almost fades into white.

Go back