Reducing lighting not only provides for a clearer view of the skies, but it also saves energy and money.

That's why the Astronomy Club of Augusta asked North Augusta about a year ago to consider helping eliminate light pollution. On Monday the North Augusta City Council will meet to approve a final reading of its new lighting ordinance.

It would restrict lighting in new or renovated commercial and multifamily residential buildings and ban high-intensity light sources for outdoor advertising. Businesses would be required to reduce lighting by 50 percent after they close.

Tedda Howard, chairwoman of the astronomy club, said Aiken County has already adopted a lighting ordinance and that the next step will be to ask Augusta to do the same.

Reducing light pollution benefits both residents and business owners, Mrs. Howard said.

Excessive use of lighting at night affects visibility, is an extra expense to the city and creates health risks, she said.

Members of the club who live in the Augusta area have told Mrs. Howard that views of space are restricted as a result of light pollution, keeping some people from observing the planets Venus and Jupiter, which can be seen now. The club uses Mrs. Howard's home in Windsor on the Nine Mile Range Skies Observatory farm for star parties.

"We want to increase safety, improve good health, reduce light pollution and reduce cost to the community for unnecessary lighting," she said. "We think having an awareness and being educated on responsible lighting will be very helpful to the community."

The United States cannot afford to waste energy with unnecessary lighting, Mrs. Howard said.

"We can reduce our energy costs by reducing wasted lighting," she said.

Mrs. Howard suggests using motion-activated lights or timers.

Motion detectors can be used to provide safety without lighting an entire area, she said.

"People think lighting an area makes them safer, but in reality the opposite is true," she said. "Lighting, generally at night, creates light and shadows, and criminals can hide in shadows and the light can show them what they're interested to see."

The use of lighting by businesses, particularly gas stations, to compete with one another is a problem, Mrs. Howard said.

"The (excessive) light is not really necessary for seeing, and it's costing everybody a lot of money," Mrs. Howard said.

Protecting health is another reason to consider lighting restrictions, Mrs. Howard said.

"Sometimes lighting goes farther than just your property, onto someone else's, sometimes through their windows," she said. "A good night's rest is important for our health, and there are health issues regarding too much lighting."

Mrs. Howard recommends keeping blinds shut at night to keep lighting from escaping homes.

Billboards are an example of misused lighting, she said. Instead of having bulbs shine up on the sign, they should shine down to keep excess light out of the sky.

Some observatories in the U.S. have been closed because of light pollution.

The Mount Wilson Observatory in California has lost 90 percent of its viewing capability, Mrs. Howard said.

Reach Crystal Garcia at (706) 823-3409 or crystal.garcia@augustachronicle.com.