Earth is Running Out of Places for Stargazers' Dark Deeds
upstart writes:
A 'new deal for the night' needed:
Increasing levels of light pollution means Earth's surface has almost no practical locations for astronomical observatories, a group of astronomers said on Monday.
Artificial light emitted from buildings, streetlights, and reflected from satellite constellations are making the night sky brighter for earth-bound skywatchers. The Milky Way was visible to pretty much everyone less than 100 years ago, but is now drowned out by human-made light to most, according to the International Dark Sky Association.
[...] "Today, due to the rise of light pollution, there are almost no more remote places available on Earth that simultaneously meet all the characteristics needed to install an observatory (namely, the absence of light pollution, a high number of clear nights, and good seeing)," a team of astronomers said in Nature Astronomy.
The authors urged astronomers, companies, politicians, and lawmakers around the world to work together to reach a global agreement to limit artificial light. Light pollution should be treated in the same way that other types of pollutants, like greenhouse gases, they argued. Governments around the world should and can tackle light pollution in the same ways they address climate change: with international treaties and goals to restrict levels of other pollutants.
[...] "As it is not too late to stop this, we as scientists and first as citizens should act to stop this attack, from above with satellites and from below with [artificial light at night], on the natural night and on the intangible cultural heritage of humankind's starry skies," they concluded.
"Now is the time to consider the prohibition of mega-constellations and to promote a significant reduction in [artificial light at night] and the consequent light pollution. Our world definitely needs a 'new deal' for the night."
Journal Reference:
Falchi, F., Bara, S., Cinzano, P. et al. A call for scientists to halt the spoiling of the night sky with artificial light and satellites [open]. Nat Astron 7, 237-239 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01864-z
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