science
Artificial Nighttime Lights on Earth Increased 16% Between 2014 and 2022
A University of Connecticut study using NASA satellite data shows global brightening with regional variation, led by the United States in total luminosity. The research, published in Nature, challenges the view of steady increase and documents darkening in Europe linked to the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict. Light pollution affects nearly 80 percent of Americans living in urban areas.
May 6, 4:01 AM·2m read1 source
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Artificial nighttime lights have brightened Earth by 16 percent between 2014 and 2022, according to a study that analyzed satellite images. Researchers from the University of Connecticut found that nights are gradually becoming brighter worldwide. Trends in nighttime brightness vary by region, particularly in areas affected by war or natural disasters.
The study was published in Nature. In 2022 the United States had by far the highest total luminosity of any country, followed by China, India, Canada and Brazil. "For decades we've held a simplified view that the Earth at night is just getting steadily brighter as human population and economies grow," said Zhe Zhu, director of the University of Connecticut's Global Environmental Remote Sensing Laboratory.
Nearly 80 percent of people in the United States reside in urban areas. In many locations the brightness of artificial light sources obscures the beauty of the night sky. Artificial light levels decreased in areas affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The conflict triggered a regional energy crisis and caused European nights to darken dramatically. A decade of daily NASA satellite imagery was used to build an image comparing 2012 with 2023 that highlights shifts in human nighttime activity. Excessive artificial lighting outside is known as light pollution.
There are four ways that light pollution can happen: glare, skyglow, light trespass and clutter. Glare is intense, uncomfortable light that shines directly at the viewer and obstructs their eyesight. Skyglow is the brightening of the night sky due to light distributed in the atmosphere by human-caused lighting.
