Lighting of Flags
BEST: LOWER YOUR FLAG AT SUNSET
The universal custom is to display the U.S. flag from sunrise to sunset, according to the U.S. Code (Title 4, Section 6(a)).
The Code of Nantucket says that “it is preferred that all flags be lowered at sunset" (Chapter 102 of the Nantucket Code, Section 102-4A(2)).
If you lower your flag at sunset, there’s no need to light it!
NEXT BEST: DOWN LIGHTING
The most environmentally responsible way to light a flag at night, if you can’t follow the custom of lowering it at sunset, is to light it from above using a fixture certified by the International Dark Sky Association as dark-sky friendly. This will light only the flag without sending light into the night sky.
Examples
StarGazer Downlight
https://emflag.com/lighting/stargazer-led-downlight/
American Beacon
https://www.concordamericanflagpole.com/lighting/american-beacon/
WORST: UP LIGHTING
Up lighting is the worst for our dark skies because light spills beyond the flag into our night sky.
If you use this kind of lighting, under Nantucket’s outdoor lighting bylaw, no more than two fixtures are allowed per flagpole; the total lumen output can’t exceed 2600 lumens; and the light source can’t be visible beyond a 15 ft radius. Chapter 102 of the Nantucket Code, Section 102-4A(2).
Violation of this bylaw is subject to a penalty of $100 each day that the violation continues.
Suspected violations should be reported to Nantucket’s Lighting Enforcement Officer:
Marcus Silverstein
508-325-7587, Ext. 7021
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