Residents urged to curb light pollution during total solar eclipse

Residents are being asked to turn off outdoor and automatically controlled lights ahead of a total solar eclipse visible in western Iceland on Wednesday, mbl.is reported. Forecasts currently call for cloudy weather across the country, although people may still experience the darkness as it arrives even if the Sun is not visible.

Kristján Bjarki Jónasson, a project manager at the capital area marketing office, said municipalities plan to switch off most streetlights in the city so the eclipse can be experienced as fully as possible.

He warned that automatic lighting at homes and businesses, including lights in apartment stairwells and private gardens, could create significant light pollution. Residents are being encouraged to check outdoor, garden and other lights and switch them off if they are controlled to turn on automatically.