Earth Hour Conserves Electricity, Helps Night Sky Observers

At 8:30 PM Saturday night, lights on the Kentucky state capitol grounds will go out for an hour.  Lights at the Acropolis, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and the Empire State Building will also go out.  It’s all part of a symbolic gesture to raise awareness about climate change, and it’s called “Earth Hour.”  In some areas, participants may even get a better view of the night sky.  And that’s something Louisville Astronomical Society president Ken Alderson would like to see more than once a year.“If you take a look at city parks in Louisville, they close after 10 o’clock and yet all the lights stay on all night.  And there are billions of dollars that could be saved by stopping unnecessary lighting," says Alderson.Alderson says Saturday’s global showing will help more than the environment.  It will save on electricity costs as well as give observers a chance to marvel at the night sky—a chance he says is dwindling quickly as more and more spots around the planet are lit up.