The following emails and product information came to the CNYO inbox recently and are reproduced below as received. CNYO does not endorse any particular product or service, but is happy to provide a forum for astronomy-related merchandise and services. Members of the CNYO board will also consider reviewing products on a case-by-case basis (please contact info@cnyo.org for more information).
Environmental Impact Of Lighting, from www.ledlights.co.uk
From the email:
Our choice of lighting can have a significant impact on the environment. Overly bright lights can disrupt hunting patterns, confuse baby turtles as they try to make their way out to sea, disrupt mating habits, and make it more difficult for birds to navigate. In addition to the effects of the lights themselves, how we produce light can have a significant impact on the environment. Fossil fuels and toxic materials can have a direct, disruptive effect on the environment, as well as contributing to global warming. There are a number of steps both individuals and companies can take to reduce the effects of light pollution on our environment. Limiting when exterior light is used, choosing more energy efficient bulbs, reducing the amount of street lighting after certain hours, and finding more environmentally friendly sources of energy can all improve the situation for wildlife.
Whether you make changes to your own habits at home or lobby for companies to be more responsible with their light usage, any steps to create more environmentally friendly lighting can help wildlife in your area.
And their very organized environmental impact poster is provided below (click for a larger copy):
Night Sky Star Stensils™
The following email and brochures were sent courtesy of Dick Shimmin of Bridgeway, Inc. (facebook), located in Galesburg, IL. For additional information (or to purchase), the product reviews on amazon.com may be useful.
Click HERE For The Product Announcement (in PDF Format)
Click HERE For The Product Brochure (in PDF Format)
The Night Skies Star Stencils can create a relaxing and romantic display of a real night sky in any darkened room of anyone lured by the attraction to or are studying the night time sky, particularly those associated with CNY Observers. The Night Skies Star Stencils are available in two sizes featuring accurate and educational winter or summer night time displays over the Northern Hemisphere. Luminous paint and a corresponding star map are included with each Night Skies Star Stencils to enhance their educational value. The stencils can be used more than once and additional luminous paint is available. They can be purchased from many retailers who can be found by searching “Night Skies Star Stencils” on the Internet.
The Night Skies Star Stencils are a portion of the Ursa Major stencil selection (ursamajorstencils.com) produced by Bridgeway. Bridgeway, headquartered in Illinois, is a not-for-profit agency that provides an assortment of services to disabled people. Sales of its American made products help fund those programs.
* Night Sky Star Stencil™ transforms the ceiling of your darkened room into a dramatic replica of the real night sky while leaving the lighted room unchanged (no posters or noticeable markings).
* Dazzling and romantic. Guaranteed bedtime fun for everyone.
* Soothing and relaxing. Finally a simple cure for fear of the dark. The peaceful comfort of a starry night inspires a feeling of “connectedness” with the universe. Enhance your sense of peace with our new tape, Night Sounds™.
* Accurate and educational! Stars and constellations are in proper positions with accurate relative brightness. You also get a hand-held Star Map and Constellation Finder that shows the names and locations of hundred of stars–an entire hemisphere! In addition, the star map is an excellent take-along item anytime you’re star gazing outdoors.
* Easy! You simply affix the stencil to the ceiling or wall–the adhesive won’t stain or remove paint or wallpaper–and paint the stencil holes with the special glow-in-the-dark paint. Then you remove the stencil. Works on both smooth and textured ceilings!
* When you’re ready for the stars to shine, expose them to normal room light. Turn out the lights, and the stars glow and keep glowing for up to 30 minutes. They can be recharged indefinitely and are unnoticeable in lighted rooms or on light-colored surfaces. The 8-foot stencil takes one hour to apply; the 12-foot takes two hours. The stencil can be saved and reused.
* It’s all here! Your kit contains everything you need. The Night Sky Star Stencil (either 8- or 12- feet in diameter), adhesive, a special formula luminous paint, brush, and easy-to-follow instructions.
* No projectors, no batteries, no black lights…nothing to clutter the room.
* Completely safe non-toxic paint and adhesive (certified by O.S.H.A.).
* Available in winter or summer Northern Hemisphere sky, and 8- or 12-foot diameter. Choose one to fit your room.
NASA has released 56 formerly-patented agency technologies into the public domain, making its government-developed technologies freely available for unrestricted commercial use. In addition to the release of these technologies, a searchable database now is available that catalogs thousands of expired NASA patents already in the public domain.
NASA’s Kepler mission has verified 1,284 new planets – the single largest finding of planets to date.
A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 2:51 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 11, about 261 miles southwest of Long Beach, California, with more than 3,700 pounds of NASA cargo, science and technology demonstration samples from the International Space Station.
NASA has selected eight technology proposals for investment that have the potential to transform future aerospace missions, introduce new capabilities, and significantly improve current approaches to building and operating aerospace systems.
Media and social media followers are invited to watch as NASA tests the largest, most powerful booster in the world for the agency’s new deep space rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), on June 28 at Orbital ATK Aerospace System’s test facility in Promontory, Utah. SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft will launch astronauts on missions to explore multiple destinations on the journey to Mars.
Corey N. White is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Syracuse University. He earned his B.S. in Psychology from 
