The Serious Global Problem of Light Pollution

Composite picture of the Earth at night

(Source: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001127.html, picture credit: Credit: C. Mayhew & R. Simmon (NASA/GSFC), NOAA/ NGDC, DMSP Digital Archive)

From the composite picture of the Earth at night taken by satellite imagers, we can see that artificial lighting from human activities all around the world is illuminating our night sky wastefully.

You can also use Earth Light on Google Earth to explore the global problem of light pollution.

People now pay much attention on the global light pollution problem, in particular at the astronomical observatory sites. The brightness of the night sky is being constantly monitored at the following astronomical observatories:

  • Cerro Paranal Observatory
  • Lowell Observatory
  • Hawaiian Mt. Mauna Kea Observatories
  • Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
  • C Dome C, Antarctica
  • Mount Wilson Observatory
  • Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
  • Lick Observatory
  • Mount Graham International Observatory
  • Kitt Peak National Observatory
Composite picture of the Earth at night

(Source: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001127.html, picture credit: Credit: C. Mayhew & R. Simmon (NASA/GSFC), NOAA/ NGDC, DMSP Digital Archive)