Light pollution

Light pollution (also known as photopollution, luminous pollution) is excess or obtrusive light created by humans. Among other effects, it can obscure all but a few stars to city dwellers, cause problems for astronomical observatories, and disrupt ecosystems. Since the early 1980s, a global dark-sky movement has emerged, with concerned people campaigning to reduce the amount of light pollution.

Related Topics:
Light - Human - Star - City - Astronomical - Observatories - Ecosystems - 1980s - Dark-sky movement

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Light pollution is a side effect of industrial civilization. It comes from sources such as domestic lighting, advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories, streetlights, and lit sporting venues. It is most severe in the highly industrialised, densely populated areas of the United States, Europe, and Japan, but even relatively small amounts of light can be noticed and create problems.

Related Topics:
Industrial - Advertising - Commercial - Properties - Office - Factories - Streetlights - Sporting venues - United States - Europe - Japan

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With recent advances in private spaceflight, the prospect of space-based orbiting billboards appearing in the near future has provoked concern that such objects may become another form of light pollution. With this in mind, the United States Federal Aviation Administration sought permission, in May 2005, to enforce a law prohibiting "obtrusive" advertising in earth orbit (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7915510/; Federal Aviation Administration, 2005). Similar intentions are yet to be expressed by authorities in most other countries, however.

Related Topics:
Private spaceflight - United States - Federal Aviation Administration - May 2005

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