Light Pollution & the Nighttime Environment
SSLS is a light pollution expert and a recognized leader in responsible outdoor lighting and the measurement of light pollution — protecting naturally dark night skies while keeping lighting safe and effective.
SSLS conducts night lighting audits and absolute light pollution measurements at national parks, seashores, protected areas, and urban environments. Dr. Lisa Pattison leads the firm’s field-measurement work, and Dr. Morgan Pattison is the founding and current chair of the IES Outdoor Nighttime Environments (ONE) Committee.
What we do
- Night lighting audits — assessment of outdoor lighting and its impact on the nighttime environment.
- Absolute light pollution & sky-radiance measurements — quantitative, spectrally-resolved measurement of sky glow and artificial light at night.
- Responsible outdoor lighting — best practices and specifications for parks and protected areas, eco-resorts, and cruise ships.
- Ranger & staff training — equip your team to make the best lighting decisions for safety, dark sky, and ecological considerations.
- Dark-sky resort & ecological-tourism lighting — lighting for eco-resorts and nature-tourism destinations that protects the night sky and the guest experience.
- Ecological lighting audits — evaluating lighting deployments for ecological impact, including sea-turtle-safe coastal lighting.
Measurements & Audits
Dark-sky and light pollution measurements across national parks and seashores nationwide, including:
- Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
- Cape Hatteras National Seashore
- Maui County, Hawaii
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Channel Islands National Park
- PacWave — Newport, Oregon
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
- Mauna Kea & Aiopio, Hawaii
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Carrizo Plain National Monument
- Congaree National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Key West, Florida
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Lookout Mountain, Georgia
- Pawnee National Grassland
- Santa Barbara, California
- Iroquois Dam, New York
Clients & partners
- National Park Service
- PNNL / DOE Marine Energy Program
Selected projects & roles
- NPS Lighting Handbook and ranger lighting training
- Founding & current Chair, IES Outdoor Nighttime Environments (ONE) Committee
- Absolute, spectrally-resolved measurements of night-sky radiance to baseline lighting conditions
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