What is that beam of light?

**rb336** · February-05-20, 09:34 AM

I keep seeing a beam of light going straight up - like the Twin Towers tribute lights - somewhere near downtown. Where is it coming from?

**mikefmich** · February-05-20, 09:41 AM

Are you sure it's not coming straight down?

**EGrant** · February-05-20, 09:46 AM

Beacon Park has a literal beacon.

**401don** · February-05-20, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by mikefmich

Are you sure it's not coming straight down?

Good one! Probably best not to stand in it just in case.

**rb336** · February-05-20, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by EGrant

Beacon Park has a literal beacon.

That would fit the directionality of it.

**EGrant** · February-05-20, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

That would fit the directionality of it.

I tried to find a good photo of it, but that's 100% what you are seeing.

**yaktown** · February-05-20, 06:56 PM

I saw this in a movie once. You should go stand directly underneath it and see what happens. Please let us know how the anal probing went.

**ParisianLesion** · February-05-20, 11:25 PM

I'm always surprised when the topic of this "beacon" comes up in conversation, it never seems to occur to anyone how ironic it is that the local energy company operates such a blatant example of energy waste and light pollution...

**1953** · February-06-20, 02:56 PM

Waste of energy? It got you talking about it....

Light pollution? Doesn't seem all that diffuse...

**EGrant** · February-06-20, 09:21 PM

In the grand scheme of "leaving the lights on in every single downtown building at night" I don't think the beacon has a huge impact.

**rb336** · February-07-20, 09:48 AM

I hate the light pollution. I miss stars. When I was a kid, we could actually see the Milky Way from the burbs. Now you have to get way into the hinterlands.

Whenever I see or hear someone comment about how pretty city lights are, I feel like I'm listening to someone praising a forgery a thief has left in place of a masterpiece.

**bartocktoo** · February-07-20, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by rb336

I hate the light pollution. I miss stars. When I was a kid, we could actually see the Milky Way from the burbs. Now you have to get way into the hinterlands.

Whenever I see or hear someone comment about how pretty city lights are, I feel like I'm listening to someone praising a forgery a thief has left in place of a masterpiece.

On the far east side, depending where you are at the northeast or east side of the sky is dark at night because of Lake St. Clair.

**Wheels** · February-07-20, 11:33 AM

On an episode of “Pickers” they went to a warehouse somewhere in Detroit that had a number of old school beacons. The kind they used for grand openings and big events back in the day. I think the city should buy them all and place them in a ring around beacon park. When they have an event they could light them and have them articulate. It would be a great display!

**Jimaz** · February-07-20, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

I hate the light pollution. I miss stars. When I was a kid, we could actually see the Milky Way from the burbs. Now you have to get way into the hinterlands....

I used to live at the north edge of Phoenix near I-17. Most of Arizona's population is concentrated in Phoenix so most of the light pollution is too. I'd bet that stretch north on I-17 has the steepest light pollution gradient in the country.

I'd pack up a 10" telescope and head north to do some serious dark sky astronomy. After your eyes get dark adapted, not only can you see the Milky Way, but you can see it's shadow! If you hold your forearm parallel to the galaxy you can see the shadow. If you twist it perpendicular to the galaxy, the shadow vanishes.

I'm not making that up.

**Ray1936** · February-07-20, 04:00 PM

Meanwhile, Las Vegas has its own beam of light from the Luxor Hotel/Casino. You can see it from anywhere in the valley.

**401don** · February-07-20, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by EGrant

In the grand scheme of "leaving the lights on in every single downtown building at night" I don't think the beacon has a huge impact.

Kind of like when environmentalists complain car racing is wasting valuable oil. More oil is wasted by fans driving to the track in their trucks.

**leapfrog** · February-07-20, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

Kind of like when environmentalists complain car racing is wasting valuable oil. More oil is wasted by fans driving to the track in their trucks.

That just reinforces the idea that auto racing is bad for the environment.
No race, no need for all those fans to drive and congregate.

**401don** · February-07-20, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by leapfrog

That just reinforces the idea that auto racing is bad for the environment.
No race, no need for all those fans to drive and congregate.

Kind of missed the point. It's no worse than movies, ball games or going for groceries in the big picture.

**rb336** · February-09-20, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by bartocktoo

On the far east side, depending where you are at the northeast or east side of the sky is dark at night because of Lake St. Clair.

Considering that Chicago's lights blot out the stars in New Buffalo from across Lake Michigan, I am skeptical of that being the case. What area are you speaking of? Algonac? I can see, maybe, at the far end of the Ontario side, but that whole 94 corridor is lit up like a stage.

**ct_alum** · February-09-20, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

On an episode of “Pickers” they went to a warehouse somewhere in Detroit that had a number of old school beacons. The kind they used for grand openings and big events back in the day. I think the city should buy them all and place them in a ring around beacon park. When they have an event they could light them and have them articulate. It would be a great display!

They weren't beacons, they were search lights. Back in the 60's car dealers on the east side like Ted Ewald would have them outside the dealership on the night that the new models were officially unveiled. A couple of days before, they would paper over the windows so you couldn't see the cars in the show room.
Ring of lights? Kind of reminds me of the Nuremberg Rally - Ugh! I get the same queasy feeling whenever "Homeland Security" is mentioned - A little to close to the "Fatherland" for me.

**Pat001** · February-10-20, 08:16 AM

Alien spaceships beaming people up to implant devices in their brains so they can be remotely controlled.

**makischr** · February-10-20, 01:38 PM

Pardon the momentary sidetrack. What is the new construction on the north side of the DTE headquarters, and across from the MGM parking structure? Are they just expanding the headquarters?

**Zacha341** · February-11-20, 07:15 AM

Hmm, I thought my iPhone tracking and analytics took care of that already!?

Originally Posted by Pat001

Alien spaceships beaming people up to implant devices in their brains so they can be remotely controlled.

**Jimaz** · February-18-20, 10:11 PM

The Strange Scourge of Light Pollution

Light pollution -- it's not just the bane of light sleepers and frustrated astronomers. It also is tinkering with the biological cycles of all kinds of living things, including us! SciShow takes you behind the glare to understand the effects of artificial light and how we can fight this pollution of the night sky.

Dim it, Damn it!