Artificial Nighttime Light Contributes to Light Pollution, Says New Study
A new study by a German physicist communicates the large amount of unnatural light used at night across the globe.
- By Nikki Johnson Bolden
- Oct 30, 2020
A study published in the Lighting Research & Technology journal found that a large portion of light used at night is artificial, according to BBC News.
Dr. Christopher Kyba, a physicist at the German Research Centre for Geosciences, conducted an experiment at 1:30 a.m. over the course of 10 nights to determine the amount of light emissions that are caused by streetlights. Dr. Kyba found that the bulk of artificial nighttime light is not, in fact, from streetlights.
A satellite in space was used to measure the amount of artificial light coming from Earth. Floodlights, advertisements and lit buildings were among the main sources of light found.
“Late at night, when people are sleeping–that is exactly when we can save a lot of energy,” said Dr. Kyba.
The United States spends around $3 billion dollars a year on energy for lighting the sky at night.