`Nighttime` Earth images reveal global light pollution problem
NASA’s new ‘Black Marble’ images of the nighttime Earth reveal that our globe is heavily littered with excessive and wasteful lighting that produces light pollution.
|Last Updated: Dec 07, 2012, 09:05 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Washington: NASA’s new ‘Black Marble’ images of the nighttime Earth reveal that our globe is heavily littered with excessive and wasteful lighting that produces light pollution -- a bright glow over our cities that not only masks the stars but wastes vast amounts of energy.
Fixing the problem would cut greenhouse gas emissions, save money, lessen our impact on the natural world, and improve visibility on the ground, researchers said.
Revealed in the images, collected by the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite, is the upward-directed light emitted from our cities, highways, natural gas burn offs and more. The images show cities that are brighter than they need to be because much of our light is poorly aimed. In the United States alone, billions of dollars are wasted annually illuminating the night sky instead of sidewalks and roadways on the ground.
“The new ‘Black Marble’ images of our Earth show that there is still much work that needs to be done in tackling the problems of light pollution,” said Bob Parks, the Executive Director of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).
“The impact of our lighting at night extends well beyond astronomy,” he noted.
Excessive and poorly directed lights can create deep shadows that are unsafe for pedestrians, cause hatchling sea turtles to lose sight of the ocean, and confuse migrating birds causing them to fly into buildings.
Light pollution has other far-reaching effects unknown to many who continue to use ineffective lighting and inadvertently add to light pollution in their communities. Although the problem is serious, the solution for many is as simple as changing bulb wattage, using motion sensors, or installing hoods over bare bulbs.
IDA recommends that all outdoor lighting be directed downward. It should only be used when it is actually needed and in the amount that is necessary. With proper lighting we can dim the ‘Black Marble’ and return the stars to the skies overhead.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.