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Letter: Bright billboards and Dark Skies make an odd couple

Zach Schierl | National Park Service The sky in Utah's Cedar Breaks National Monument, a Dark Sky Park, as seen in this night-time photo shot from Point Supreme Overlook.

How ironic to read in the same edition of The Tribune that Utah got three new Dark Sky areas, and that billboards may be converted to all digital lights.

These massive overlit digital signs are terribly distracting, disrupt both wildlife and human diurnal rhythms, and make it nearly impossible to see any stars from city backyards.

Humans in cities have lost the beauty, wonder and awe of looking up at the cosmos.

I fervently hope that not only will further digital sign construction be blocked, but that we can all work together to design lighting that is smarter and will bring Dark Skies to urban areas.

Susan Reese, West Valley City

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