Skyglow - How to combat

I'm just writing about a subject that currently has me more than annoyed at the moment, it's about that orange skyglow put up into the air by polite or otherwise neighbours of mine - re:friends of the irish environment post

For those who did'nt read it - a neighbour of mine has obtained a very strong sodium streetlamp, and has put it shining directly into my backyard and my bedroom windows! - HORIZONTALLY!!! :evil: :evil: :evil:

I just though that i'd post to show you the effect - this is a shot of Auriga with star clusters M36, M37, and M38. This is 5 minutes exposure, before this, the sky would be qiute dark, but this guy has done this :evil:

How can this be processed to get rid of it? (by computer I mean ), and not the good old shotgun solution!

Seriously, I'll approach ny neighbour and see what he/she says
Thanks, Keith..

www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/fi...ral%20Auriga_web.jpg

How can this be processed to get rid of it? (by computer I mean ), and not the good old shotgun solution!

The simplest way (ie the way I would do it ) is to load it in gimp/photoshop create a duplicate layer. Use a strong gaussian blur on the duplicate until you just get a brown image of skyglow. Then set the duplicate layer to 'difference' and it will subtract (technically I think it divides) the glow from the main image.

www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/fi...36223275-auriga2.jpg

The max exposure i could take without orange anywhere in the sky would be 1 min. I tried 3 in dark sky last night and the LCD screen was 100% orange

.22 or an air-rifle usually sorts that kind of skyglow. Only kidding!!

Seriously have you tried talking to your neighbour, maybe even offer to replace his nasty streetlamp with a properly calibrated halogen which would illuminate his garden and nothing else. You could show him your work and explain how it ruins it and maybe he will be sympathetic. You could also point out that a constantly on street light is costing him a fortune in electricity. Failing that you could politely explain that he probably doesnt have planning permission to erect something like that in his garden, but hopefully you would only have to use that as a last resort.

As AL said a duplicate layer blurred till you cant see any more stars and then subtracted from the image works well on constellation shots, doesnt work so well on nebulas.

Hi Keith I cant give you any suggestions for reducing the glow but Ijust wanted you to know tha I myself am in almost identical situation with the neighbour could you let me know what your approach is going to be and does it work :evil:

I feel for you keith but i have a feeling you will get it sorted soon