A recent study in Scientific Advances reveals a “rebound” effect, because clients dared to specify more light based on the associated energy savings. Unfortunately, the satellite images show that we have more light pollution than before. The recent change from conventional lighting to LED has quickly spread worldwide. Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center We Encounter Severe Rebound Effects with LED Transition But has modern LED technology effectively helped to reduce light emission? Also, gas being burned off wastefully in the US or at oil platforms in the North Sea or around the Persian Gulf region can be clearly spotted in satellite images.

Bright lines signify coastlines or transport routes like the Trans-Siberian Railway line from Moscow to Vladivostok. At the same time, the luminosity on the ground reduces the ability to watch the stars in the sky. Cities appear as glowing centers on our planet. These detailed night-time images have turned into an interesting indicator for growing urbanization and ecology. Accessing the data gets easier with the proliferation of public open online platforms like Google Earth, NASA Worldview or the Global Human Settlement Layer. They have laid the foundation to study light pollution over time. In contrast, satellites constantly produce updated information worldwide. Low-flying scanners can generate higher quality resolutions compared to satellite images. Save this picture! Berlin at night, 2016.

Night satellite view of earth