Describe what the world atlas of night sky brightness is?
Question: Describe what the world atlas of night sky brightness is?
If you are fascinated by the stars and constellations, you might have wondered how bright the night sky is in different parts of the world. How much of the natural beauty of the heavens is obscured by artificial light pollution? To answer this question, a team of researchers has created the first World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness, a map that shows the zenith brightness of the sky at sea level across the globe.
The World Atlas is based on high-resolution satellite data that measure the radiance of artificial lights on Earth's surface. The researchers also used a model of light propagation in the atmosphere to estimate how much of this light is scattered back to the sky, creating a luminous fog that reduces the contrast and visibility of celestial objects.
The World Atlas reveals some striking facts about the extent and impact of light pollution. For example, according to the map, about two-thirds of the world population and 99% of the population in the United States and European Union live in areas where the night sky is above the threshold set for polluted status. This means that they cannot see the Milky Way or many faint stars with their naked eyes.
Moreover, about one-tenth of the world population, more than 40% of the United States population and one sixth of the European Union population live in areas where the night sky is so bright that their eyes cannot adapt to night vision. This means that they lose the ability to perceive faint colors and details in the sky.
The World Atlas also shows that some regions of the world still have pristine or relatively unpolluted night skies, such as parts of Africa, Australia, South America and Asia. These areas are often remote or sparsely populated, but they also include some national parks that have been designated as dark sky reserves or sanctuaries.
The World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness is a valuable tool for raising awareness and understanding of light pollution and its effects on astronomy, ecology, human health and culture. It also provides a baseline for monitoring changes in artificial sky brightness over time and for evaluating the effectiveness of policies and actions to reduce light pollution.
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