What is Light Pollution?
Where are the stars?
Light pollution is the artificial modification of natural outdoor light levels caused by human activity.
It might be surprising to learn that, just like smog and industrial waste are considered pollutants, light is also considered a pollutant!
Excessive lighting, lack of timers and sensor utilization, or the use of inappropriate light colors can have adverse impacts on many aspects of our environment!
Light pollution poses a challenge, yet assigning blame to a specific country, group, or industry is not feasible. Instead, it emerges as a consequence of the global dependence on outdoor electrical lights that has been expanding for over 150 years.
Light pollution can come from:
Cities
Outdoor lights
Greenhouses
Electronic advertising
Parking lots
Factories & industrial
Satellites
Causes of Light Pollution
The Components Of Light Pollution
Excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort.
Glare
Brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas.
Sky Glow
Light falling where it is not intended or needed.
Light Trespass
Bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light sources.
Clutter
How Bad is Light Pollution?
According to the 2016 groundbreaking “World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness,” 80 percent of the world’s population lives under sky glow. In the United States and Europe, 99 percent of the public can’t experience a natural night.
Losing the Dark
Starry skies are a vanishing treasure because light pollution is washing away our view of the cosmos. It not only threatens astronomy but also disrupts wildlife and affects human health. The glows over cities and towns — seen so clearly from space — are testament to the billions of dollars spent in wasted energy by lighting up the sky.