Go slow on LEDs while astronomers study impacts, costs

LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting has become more popular for its lower energy use and longevity — low-pressure sodium lights favored by astronomers last only four years vs. up to a decade for LEDs. And the city’s streetlight poles were not built to hold heavier low-pressure sodium and are starting to fail in high winds. But cost isn’t everything. Astronomers are worried that Flagstaff will see its low-glare lighting standards eroded by LEDs — the city even installed some LED streetlights on a test basis in 2012, to the surprise of local astronomers.