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Earth Grew 16% Brighter at Night Since 2014, Study Finds
Researchers found the brightest gains in emerging economies, while war, disasters and energy policies drove sharp dimming in other regions.
- On Wednesday, a Nature study led by Zhe Zhu revealed Earth's nightscape is "highly volatile," documenting a 16% global light increase from 2014–2022 rather than steady brightening.
- Divergent regional trends drove this volatility: massive brightening in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia reflected expanded energy access, while Europe experienced a deliberate 4% net decrease through policy-driven dimming.
- Researchers analyzed more than a million daily satellite images to document these patterns. The United States registered a 6% net light increase, with West Coast brightening offsetting East Coast and Midwest dimming.
- Conflict zones including Ukraine, Lebanon, and Afghanistan experienced abrupt light loss due to armed conflict and infrastructure collapse. Zhe Zhu noted that "light pollution has profound ecological consequences, disrupting nocturnal ecosystems, animal migrations and human circadian rhythms."
- Shifting light patterns suggest city and national policymakers worldwide must adapt urban-lighting and infrastructure planning to address environmental consequences, energy-efficiency goals, and disaster resilience strategies.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Satellite Images Show Much Light Pollution Has Increased
Light pollution is a significant, increasing problem, and it doesn't just affect astrophotographers. Scientists using satellite imagery of Earth from 2014 through 2022 have found that human activity and artificial lights increased light pollution by 16 percent in just eight years.
Light pollution increases by 16% in the world in less than a decade, according to an international study based on more than a million satellite images. The analysis shows that the night shine of the planet continues to grow despite technological advances, showing an expanding global environmental problem. Scientists warn that this phenomenon is not uniform, but reflects economic, energy and social changes in different regions of the planet. The …
A new study, based on 1.16 million satellite images of Nasa daily, revealed an increase in nighttime artificial light of 16% between 2014 and 2022, surpassing the growth of the world population.
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