@swradiogram 9455khz 2300z Good copy in STNY
Before RSID: <<2026-05-30T23:01Z MFSK-32 @ 9455000+1500>>
Welcome to program 451 of Shortwave Radiogram.
I'm Kim Andrew Elliott in Arlington, Virginia USA.
Here is the lineup for today's program, in MFSK modes as noted:
1:43 MFSK32: Program preview (now) 2:53 MFSK32: Canada's CHU time station will close 5:18 MFSK64: Cities seek to reduce light pollution, see stars 12:35 MFSK64: This week's images 28:15 MFSK32: Closing announcements
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And visit http://swradiogram.net
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Announcement from the National Research Council Canada (NRC):
As of June 22, 2026, the shortwave radio broadcast [CHU] of the NRC's official time signal will no longer be available.
The NRC's official time can still be found in the following ways:
The NRC's web clock https://nrc.canada.ca/en/web-clock/
The telephone talking clock English: 613-745-1576 French: 613-745-9426
The NRC's Network Time Protocol https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/network-ti me-protocol-ntp
Time accuracy superior to telephone time accuracy is available throughout Canada and in many other parts of the world by means of the NRC's radio time signals broadcast continuously from shortwave radio station CHU. If corrections are made for the propagation delay from CHU to the user, and for delays in the user's receiver, an accuracy of better than 1 ms can be obtained. Signal availability at a user's location depends on ionospheric conditions. CHU also broadcasts a time code which can be decoded with common computers and modems.
Three frequencies are used: 3330, 7850, and 14670 kHz.
More information from NRC about CHU: https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/nrc-shortw ave-station-broadcasts-chu
See also: https://swling.com/blog/2026/05/canadas-chu-will-go-silent-on-shortwave-on-june-22-2026/
Shortwave Radiogram now changes to MFSK64 …
Before RSID: <<2026-05-30T23:05Z MFSK-32 @ 9455000+1500>>
This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64
Please send your reception report to [email protected]
From Deutsche Welle:
Blinded by the light pollution: Cities seek to restore night Artificial lights are blotting out the moon and stars, harming human health, and disrupting the natural world. Why is this a problem? And how can we stop it without sitting in the dark?
Jeannette Cwienk May 25, 2026
A streetlight right out in front of your house can make it easier to safely get in the door at night — but good luck trying to sleep without heavy curtains. That's just one example of how artificial light is useful in many aspects of our daily lives, as well as a major problem.
Our world is illuminated by more artificial light than ever before. A recent US study found that artificial light emissions at night increased by about 16% globally from 2014 through 2022, according to research published in Nature.
Areas experiencing increased brightening also saw the intensity of the light increase, by an average of 9%.
Too much artificial light can make us sick
We can switch off light sources such as computers, phones, TVs and lamps ourselves. But other sources are beyond our control: streetlights, headlights on cars, illuminated monuments, flashing billboards, and spotlights on construction sites, storefronts, bus stops, parking lots, sports fields and stadiums, to name just a few.
Being exposed to artificial light to such an extent can disrupt our natural sleep-wake cycle, destabilizing our hormonal balance and increasing the risk of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, depression and obesity.
The color of light also has an effect. The colder, or whiter, the light, the more it resembles daylight — and the more it suppresses the hormone melatonin, which is what makes us feel sleepy in the evening.
No other environmental condition has remained unchanged over the millennia like the natural light of the sun, moon and stars. All living things have adapted to this rhythm. More than half of all species are nocturnal — if the nights become brighter, it could have devastating consequences.
Migratory birds use the moon and stars to navigate. Artificial light can distract and divert them from their routes, leading to detours and exhaustion. Other birds can be tricked into laying their eggs too early in the season, when there aren't enough insects for newly hatched chicks to eat.
Insects such as moths and beetles use the light from the starry night sky to find food and mating partners. But artificial lights are much brighter and inevitably draw them away. They continuously circle the light source until they drop to the ground, dead with exhaustion. Billions are killed in this way each year, a devastating toll when insects are already threatened by pollution, declining biodiversity and other dangers.
Nocturnal mammals such as hedgehogs and bats generally avoid well-lit places; in our brighter world, their habitat is steadily shrinking. And light can create an artificial barrier that some fish species will not cross. Lights cast on the surface of the water from an overarching bridge, for example, can prevent eels from swimming by — a major problem during their migratory spawning period.
Brightest night skies in China, India
The Nature study found that the increase in nighttime light emissions since 2014 was highest in Asia, particularly in the economically growing regions of China and India. In the United States, light pollution increased most on the West Coast because of the growing economy and population in California's cities. The East Coast, and parts of the US Midwest, by contrast, have become darker — in part because of a shrinking industrial sector, fewer residents and more energy-efficient lighting.
In Europe, overall light intensity compared to 2014 had decreased by 4%, with researchers noting a drop in light pollution across the region as a whole. That decline was most noticeable in France (33%), the United Kingdom (22%) and the Netherlands (21%).
Unlike in the United States, the darker night skies in Europe aren't always the result of economic decline.
In France, for example, new bylaws now require lighting on all commercial buildings, storefronts, parking lots, public parks and cultural heritage sties to be turned off by 1 a.m., at the latest.
Other European nations took on the issue of the brightening night sky much earlier. The Czech Republic passed the world's first law against light pollution in 2002, which stipulates, among other rules, that streetlights may only be directed toward the ground, at risk of a fine of over €3,000 ($3,500).
Slovenia has been combating light pollution since 2007, with a regulation limiting the annual electricity consumption for lighting per resident to 50 kilowatt hours. Other rules also ensure that streetlights don't shine too brightly at night in residential areas.
Germany's 'star city,' Fulda, lights the way
Germany has yet to pass any nationwide rules against light pollution. The Federal Nature Conservation Act is, however, currently being updated in an attempt to rein it in. At the state level, Baden-Württemberg has already passed a law that prohibits facade illumination from April to September — the months when wildlife is most active in Germany.
The city of Fulda, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Frankfurt, is a forerunner when it comes to lighting. The Fulda Cathedral is illuminated with precisely targeted spotlights, instead of the standard floodlights. In new neighborhoods outside of the city center, walkways and cycle paths are only lit to 20%; when someone comes by, motion detectors briefly bring the streetlights up to maximum.
"Insect traps installed before and after these measures were put into effect have shown that the new lights kill 90% fewer insects," said Marcel Cire, environmental engineer with Fulda's city planning department. He said Fulda was starting to install the new streetlights in the city, replacing old lamps as needed to keep costs down.
Fulda has been recognized for its efforts to bring back the night. DarkSky International, a US-based nonprofit raising awareness about the harmful effects of excessive artificial light, designated the city as Germany's first "star city" in
It joined 11 other certified locations in the country with "outstanding dark sky conditions and protection practices." Bringing back the firefly
As shown in the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Fulda, lights should only illuminate where absolutely necessary — walkways, for example, and not the entire night sky. Lights regulated with motion sensors are a good alternative to always-on outdoor lighting.
The warmer the light, the less harmful it is — for humans and other creatures. Conservation organizations recommend using a light temperature of no more than 3000 Kelvin for outdoor lighting, a warm, yellow-white light commonly used in living rooms and bedrooms.
Following these recommendations could help bring fireflies back to our parks and gardens. The firefly is another insect threatened by light pollution, with artificial light keeping the male and female insects from finding each other.
Simply closing the curtains in your house at night can help not only to block out any annoying outdoor glare, but also prevent indoor light from disturbing the nightlife outdoors.
Artificial lights are blotting out the moon and stars, harming human health, and disrupting the natural world. Why is this a problem? And ho
Image: Illustration by Bärbel Busch showing stars over the reduced lighting of Fulda, Germany …
This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64
Please send your reception report to [email protected]
This week's images …
We saw this black bear during our recent visit to Yellowstone National Park. Photo by our guide Kevin …
Looking up at the stairway at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, Scotland. tinyurl.com/24b67q7m …
Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River in Washington DC at sunrise, May 26. tinyurl.com/25m2udet …
Candles lighting the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery on the evening of Memorial Day, May 25. tinyurl.com/2ywnt7f8 …
A desert cottontail rabbit at the Los Angeles Arboretum, photographed in May 2026. tinyurl.com/27x52zg3 …
A performer in Sydney wears a coral-inspired costume to show to raise awareness of threats to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. tinyurl.com/2yxxyfhh …
Brenton Balentien, known as Blue Face, a leading supporter of Curaçao’s national soccer team, doing well in early World Cup competition. tinyurl.com/25ga6482 …
A magnolia bloom at the Dominion Arboretum on Ottawa, Ontario. tinyurl.com/28s2ayjf …
Our art of the week is "The Chicago Bungalow" by Phil Thompson. rb.gy/pnidsh …
Shortwave Radiogram returns to MFSK32 …
Before RSID: <<2026-05-30T23:28Z MFSK-64 @ 9455000+1500>>
This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK32 …
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Transmitting text and images via analog shortwave radio broadcasting. See http://swradiogram.net . Produced and presented by Kim Andrew Elli
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I'm Kim Elliott. Please join us for the next Shortwave Radiogram.
