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@senanthic I remember seeing the milky-way like that with the naked eye. These days, you need HDR on your phone-camera. 
#LightPollution
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On Friday, 30th May, along with two of my lighting design colleagues, I'll be putting on a HalfMoon Education webinar "Residential Lighting Design: Function, Sustainability and Energy Systems". Participants can earn American Institute of Architects CE credits.
Registration & info: https://halfmoonseminars.org/product/webinars/residential-lighting-design-function-sustainability-and-energy-systems/
HalfMoon Education, IncResidential Lighting Design: Function, Sustainability and Energy SystemsThis continuing education course covers Residential Lighting Design: Function, Sustainability and Energy Systems, including exterior, interior, and more.
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@koen_hufkens @nick_appleyard VIIRS DNB is sensitive to the IR peak in HPS lighting, but not to the blue light (below 500 nm) from "white" sources like LED. So a complete switch from HPS to LED that kept everything else constant could result in a decrease of up to around 30%.
But NOT ALL LIGHT COMES FROM STREETLIGHTS! If we're talking about cities, we're not even talking about most of the light! See for example:
1) https://doi.org/10.1177/1477153520958463
2) https://doi.org/10.1177/1477153520958463
And especially Table 1 here: https://doi.org/10.26607/ijsl.v25i1.133
The decreases in France are presumably real, and most likely due to a combination of the national #LightPollution law and the movement to completely turn off streetlights late at night (1/3 of French communities now do this). Keep in mind that DNB observes late at night - it's entirely possible that France at 10pm is as bright or brighter than ever.
"Many Indigenous traditions and knowledge systems around the world are based on the stars, and the peoples' ability to observe and interpret stellar positions and properties is of critical importance for daily life and cultural continuity. The erasure of the night sky acts to erase Indigenous connection to the stars, acting as a form of ongoing cultural and ecological genocide."
Whitening the Sky: light pollution as a form of cultural genocide
https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.11527
arXiv.orgWhitening the Sky: light pollution as a form of cultural genocideLight pollution is actively destroying our ability to see the stars. Many Indigenous traditions and knowledge systems around the world are based on the stars, and the peoples' ability to observe and interpret stellar positions and properties is of critical importance for daily life and cultural continuity. The erasure of the night sky acts to erase Indigenous connection to the stars, acting as a form of ongoing cultural and ecological genocide. Efforts to reduce, minimise, or eliminate light pollution are being achieved with varying degrees of success, but urban expansion, poor lighting design, and the increased use of blue-light emitting LEDs as a cost-effective solution is worsening problems related to human health, wildlife, and astronomical heritage for the benefit of capitalistic economic growth. We provide a brief overview of the issue, illustrating some of the important connections that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia maintain with the stars, as well as the impact growing light pollution has on this ancient knowledge. We propose a transdisciplinary approach to solving these issues, using a foundation based on Indigenous philosophies and decolonising methodologies.
“Using photometric and spectroscopic sensors, we observed up to 50% night sky darkening during Earth Hour from 2011 to 2024 in Hong Kong, primarily as a result of a small but critical number of lights-out instances in central business districts, as evidenced by crowd-sourced photography records. The emission reductions mostly occurred in the 445–500, 500–540, and 615–650 nm spectral ranges---corresponding to peak emissions from LED billboard screens--- and in the 585–595 nm range, associated with metal halide floodlights used for facades and billboards. Our study identifies these sources as major contributors to urban light pollution.”
(Note: not yet peer reviewed, but the authors are legit.)
www.researchsquare.comUrban night sky is drastically lit up by a few decorative buildings: Natural experiments from Earth HourLight pollution, an underappreciated environmental issue, has gained attention in recent years. While controlling light pollution requires sustained efforts, Earth Hour offers a unique natural experimental setting to assess temporary lights-out measures. Using photometric and spectroscopic senso...
Early-life exposure to air and light pollution linked to increased risk of pediatric thyroid cancer https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250418112904.htm
A Stunning Image of the Australian Desert Illuminates the Growing Problem of Satellite Pollution
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/04/a-stunning-image-of-the-australian-desert-illuminates-the-growing-problem-of-satellite-pollution/
#sky #ciel #stars #etoiles #lightpollution #pollutionlumineuse #satellites #starlink #pollution
Colossal · A Stunning Image of the Australian Desert Illuminates the Growing Problem of Satellite PollutionStitching together 343 distinct photos, Joshua Rozells illuminates a growing problem of satellites polluting the night sky.
Jane Slade has an interesting article in the current issue of the IES LD+A magazine that suggests when it comes to outdoor lighting and security, we're asking the wrong question.
"I propose that the dangerously oversimplified question 'Is more light safer?' be distilled out of our discourse in the lighting industry. When we hear this question being asked, let us actively design the discourse, redirect the question, call out how it has typically created less quality in design, and elevate the conversation with other, more open-ended and truth-seeking questions"
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/03606325251332534
Continued thread
And re: #LightPollution.
Someone got The Eye of Sauron installed on their roof, beaming in different directions.
Geyersche Binge im Laternenschein
Seit 1395/1400 fand am Geyersberg vor allem der Abbau von Zinn, Silber und Kupfer statt. 1704 und 1803 kam es zu zwei Zusammenbrüche des Bergwerks, woraufhin dieses geschlossen wurde.
Die Binge ist stellenweise bis zu 60 Meter tief und wurde hier von einer Anhöhe aus Richtung Süden fotografiert.
Since 1395/1400, tin, silver and copper have been mined at Geyersberg. In 1704 and 1803, the mine collapsed twice and was subsequently closed.
The binge is up to 60 metres deep in places and was photographed here from a hill to the south.
#NikonD7200 | 18mm | f/3,5 | 262 Sek. | ISO 400 | 01/2023
#Binge #Pinge #Bingestadt #Geyersberg #Geyer #Erzgebirgskreis #Erzgebirge #Sachsen #Deutschland #OreMountains #Saxony Germany
#Bergbau #Bergwerk #Lichtverschmutzung #Langzeitbelichtung #mining #mine #longexposure #lightpollution
Seit 1395/1400 fand am Geyersberg vor allem der Abbau von Zinn, Silber und Kupfer statt. 1704 und 1803 kam es zu zwei Zusammenbrüche des Bergwerks, woraufhin dieses geschlossen wurde.Die Binge ist stellenweise bis zu 60 Meter tief und wurde hier von einer Anhöhe aus Richtung Süden fotografiert.
Since 1395/1400, tin, silver and copper have been mined at Geyersberg. In 1704 and 1803, the mine collapsed twice and was subsequently closed.The binge is up to 60 metres deep in places and was photographed here from a hill to the south.
#NikonD7200 | 18mm | f/3,5 | 262 Sek. | ISO 400 | 01/2023
#Binge #Pinge #Bingestadt #Geyersberg #Geyer #Erzgebirgskreis #Erzgebirge #Sachsen #Deutschland #OreMountains #Saxony Germany
#Bergbau #Bergwerk #Lichtverschmutzung #Langzeitbelichtung #mining #mine #longexposure #lightpollution
Establishing a "right to darkness" could save our night skies: https://www.salon.com/2025/04/15/take-back-the-night-establishing-a-right-to-darkness-could-save-our-night-skies/ - #DarkSky proponents mull the rights of #nature to battle #LightPollution; here's how it would work.
Salon.com · Take back the night: Establishing a "right to darkness" could save our night skiesDark sky proponents mull the rights of nature to battle light pollution. Here's how it would work
Ein Wettbewerb für Insektenfreundliche Gärten in Erkrath 
eine gute Sache hinsichtlich Schutz unserer natürlichen Bestäuber 
für Landwirtschaft, Obst- und Gemüsebau.
Leider sorgen die Stadtwerke Erkrath GmbH mit ihrer Werbebeleuchtung des Schornsteins der Fernwärme weitreichend dafür, dass täglich tausende Insekten sterben müssen. Das kann Erkrath sicher besser!!! 
#lichtverschmutzung #LightPollution #bmu
RP ONLINE · Erkrath: Stadt will insektenfreundliche Vorgärten auszeichnen
"Could an increasingly popular, intermittently successful legal argument involving what's called the Rights of Nature or more-than-human rights possibly reclaim our planet's dark skies? It sounds like a goth dream, but do we have a legal right to darkness?"
Salon.com · Take back the night: Establishing a "right to darkness" could save our night skiesDark sky proponents mull the rights of nature to battle light pollution. Here's how it would work
Light pollution affects not only night-active insects but also day-active ones like honey bees. Bees in colonies exposed to more light sleep less and dance less—dancing is how they communicate food sources. This impacts the colony’s health and pollination efficiency. With global light pollution on the rise and known threats to nocturnal pollinators like moths, these findings signal more trouble for biodiversity and food security.
NatureExposure to constant artificial light alters honey bee sleep rhythms and disrupts sleep - Scientific ReportsArtificial light at night (ALAN) changes animal behavior in multiple invertebrates and vertebrates and can result in decreased fitness. However, ALAN effects have not been studied in European honey bees (Apis mellifera), an important pollinator in which foragers show strong circadian rhythmicity. Colonies can be exposed to ALAN in swarm clusters, when bees cluster outside the nest on hot days and evenings, and, in limited cases, when they build nests in the open. We captured and maintained foragers in incubated cages and subjected them to constant light (LL), constant dark (DD), or 12 h light:12 h dark (LD) cycle, and observed them with infrared cameras. After 79 h, there was a significant interaction of treatment and time because LL bees slept less. In detail, the bees maintained a regular sleep pattern for three days but LL bees showed a shift on the fourth day. LL bees had the largest sleep differences from LD controls, with trends of lengthened periods and increased phase misalignment from both LD and DD bees. LL bees also experienced significantly more disturbances from their nestmates and preferred to sleep in the lower portion of the cages, which had significantly lower light intensity. These findings suggest that ALAN can disrupt the sleep of honey bee foragers, which has implications for their behavior and overall colony health.
Interested in #LightPollution? Here are 10 accounts you might like to follow:
@JohnBarentine
@andreas_jechow
@gkalinkat
@raulclima
@Quick
@smorrell
@plecotus
@remiboucher
@Airam_Rguez
@cathperezvega
#FBPE #RejoinEU 
That fast space internet comes with a price - thousands of satellites ruining astronomical research and our view of the Milky Way. Worth it? #LightPollution https://champ.ly/LeBAyw2f
Royal Aeronautical SocietyCould the next big environmental problem come from space?Could satellite mega-constellations trigger climate change 2.0? TEREZA PULTAROVA investigates.
“ALAN [artificial light at night] is a significant environmental factor contributing to adverse health outcomes, particularly metabolic disorders and mental health disturbances. While findings suggest actionable interventions, further longitudinal studies are required to confirm causality and explore preventative strategies.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666558125000260
"This success story is just one example of how window treatments and Lights Out measures can significantly reduce bird deaths."
The Bird-Safe Buildings Movement Continues to Grow
https://www.audubon.org/news/bird-safe-buildings-movement-continues-grow
Audubon · The Bird-Safe Buildings Movement Continues to Grow
“Trees and other plants have evolved in a world with natural light-dark cycles, and disrupting that rhythm could alter key ecological processes, like nutrient cycling, species interactions, and even climate feedbacks”
Every day needs a night: study examines impact of artificial light on life cycle of trees
https://as.vanderbilt.edu/news/2025/04/08/every-day-needs-a-night-study-examines-impact-of-artificial-light-on-life-cycle-of-trees/
Artificial light at night: an underappreciated effect on phenology of deciduous woody plants
https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/1/2/pgac046/6569705?login=false
Vanderbilt University · Every day needs a night: study examines impact of artificial light on life cycle of trees