GoKawiilNight sky brightness rising nearly 10% annually, studies find
Research cited by The Guardian shows the average night sky brightened by about 9.6% per year between 2011 and 2022, roughly doubling every eight years. A separate study found four in five people now live under light-polluted skies, largely due to LED lighting and satellite-reflected sunlight.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The trend suggests dark, star-filled skies could become increasingly rare experiences for most people, with potential effects on nocturnal wildlife navigation and human circadian rhythms. Local efforts like Flagstaff's lighting ordinances and New York's proposed rules may curb ground-based light pollution, but they cannot address satellite-driven sky brightness, indicating a gap in current regulatory approaches.
- Night sky brightness increased about 9.6% yearly from 2011-2022, doubling roughly every eight years.
- About 80% of people live under light-polluted skies, per cited research.
- Local light ordinances like Flagstaff's address ground lighting but not satellite-based light pollution.
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Published there as: “We're losing the night sky as light pollution makes it 10% brighter every year”
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