Light Pollution and Night Skies.
Light Pollution:
We are aware of different kinds of Pollution like Air Pollution, Water and Land Pollution, etc. But have you heard of Light Pollution?. Light Pollution refers to the excessive external artificial light misdirected into the night sky by human activities disturbing the natural darkness of the sky. If not taken care of properly, it can have adverse effects on human life, the Biosphere, and even on astronomy and space research. Some negative effects of Light Pollution are listed below.
Human Life:
We humans have evolved for thousands of years according to the Day and Night cycles of Earth. The Light Pollution disrupts the circadian rhythm and makes it difficult to sleep or stay asleep which could lead to sleep disorders and reduced sleep quality. The after-effects of disturbed sleep are known to cause stress, anxiety, and even depression. Research shows that Cardiovascular diseases, vision impairment, and certain types of cancer can be caused by light pollution. And even a lot of energy gets wasted while the light is getting released unnecessarily in the night sky...
Nocturnal and migratory birds use stars and their orientations and the dark sky to navigate while migrating. Lightened Night Skies mislead them leading to collisions which may be fatal. Every year thousands of birds are found dead and Light Pollution can be blamed for this. Moreover, birds tend to be attracted to Artificial Light known as ‘Fatal Attractions’ which may disrupt their migration cycles and cause them to be trapped in urban areas. The natural behavior of birds such as Nesting, Breeding, and Mating cycles may be altered. This can have an effect on ecosystems as well like pollination and the abundance of insects.
Astronomy and Night Skies
By now we have seen the effects of Light Pollution on different aspects of Nature. But let’s come back to the topic – How does Night Sky get affected by Light Pollution? The excess Light that gets ejected into the atmosphere makes the night brighter than before making it difficult for astronomers and space researchers to see the stars and faint and distant Galaxies at night. In the olden days, when there was almost no Light Pollution, people were able to see an arm of the Milky Way Galaxy no matter if we were on Earth. But how many of us have actually seen the beautiful night sky loaded with thousands of Stars and Constellations?
There are places on Earth though where the Original Night Sky can be seen and one such place in the Southern Hemisphere – the largest Night Sky reserve – ‘‘The Aorki-Mackenzie '’ Dark Sky Reserve is where you can see the Original dark sky. But you can see at your place as well and it can done by shutting all the lights in the area and Voila! The beautiful night sky is right above you!
Measures to Control Light Pollution
The reason why Light Pollution is different from other pollutants is that it can be reduced in a really short span of time. Shutting the lights is just Temporary. But some ways to reduce Light Pollution are minimizing the use of lights, controlling the light entering the sky, and replacing the use of Bright White lights with Dim and Warm Lights.
Note: Views expressed by the author are personal
Pic Source: Pixabay
Manognya Akella
View Details
Like
3 Comments
Repost
You may also like
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
The Connection Between a Mother’s Kiss and a Newborn: Emotion, Science, and Sanatana Dharma
The Connection Between a Mother’s Kiss and a Newborn: Emotion, Science, and Sanatana DharmaDear Friends,Recently, a social media influencer shared a heartwarming video that captivated
Bade Ramyasri
Published 6d
Crafting Your Teacher Identity
Crafting Your Teacher Identity: Defining Your Educational Philosophy"Teaching is not a profession; it's a passion. Without passion for your subject and for your students, you will never be
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 5d
The Cost of Wasted Time: A Reflection on Networking, Focus, and Productivity
The Cost of Wasted Time: A Reflection on Networking, Focus, and ProductivityDear Friends,Recently, I came across a post on X by Naval Ravikant that said, “Networking is overrated. Go do something
Tejas
Published 2d
Greatest Inventions in History : The Steam Engine Revolution: Transforming Society and Industry
The Steam Engine: A Catalyst of Progress and TransformationThe steam engine is more than just a machine; it’s a symbol of human ingenuity and innovation that forever changed the course of history.
Edgroom
Published 7d+
EAPCET Top-20 colleges in IBRAHIMPATNAM - COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (DATA SCIENCE)
Top-20 EAPCET colleges for COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (DATA SCIENCE) in IBRAHIMPATNAM basis EAPCET 2023 cut-off ranks. Cut-off ranks are for OC-Male category from 2022,
Edgroom
Published 7d+
EAPCET Top-20 colleges in IBRAHIMPATNAM - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Top-20 EAPCET colleges for MECHANICAL ENGINEERING in IBRAHIMPATNAM basis EAPCET 2023 cut-off ranks. Cut-off ranks are for OC-Male category from 2022, and 2023 data.
Edgroom
Published 7d+
EAPCET Top-20 colleges in VISAKHAPATNAM - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Top-20 EAPCET colleges for INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY in VISAKHAPATNAM basis EAPCET 2023 cut-off ranks. Cut-off ranks are for OC-Male category from 2022, and 2023 data.
Edgroom
Published 7d+
EAPCET Top-20 colleges in PEDANA - COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Top-20 EAPCET colleges for COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING in PEDANA basis EAPCET 2023 cut-off ranks. Cut-off ranks are for OC-Male category from 2022, and 2023 data.
Gopika Varshini Lagudu
Published 7d+
Know My Campus: GVPCE
The Begining of My CampusGayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering (GVPCE), Visakhapatnam started in 1996 and has very quickly established itself as one of the most preferred private
Edgroom
Published 7d+
EAPCET Top-20 colleges in TEKKALI - ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
Top-20 EAPCET colleges for ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING in TEKKALI basis EAPCET 2023 cut-off ranks. Cut-off ranks are for OC-Male category from 2022, and 2023 data.
Edgroom
Published 7d+
EAPCET Top-20 colleges in GUDIVADA - ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
Top-20 EAPCET colleges for ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING in GUDIVADA basis EAPCET 2023 cut-off ranks. Cut-off ranks are for OC-Male category from 2022, and 2023 data.
A. Rashmi Bhavani
Published 7d+
BEYOND THE PAYCHECK
With time, as we age(or step up in the ladder of qualifications), we stop looking at subjects or domains for their specialty and start assessing them based on the income they provide and how lucrative
Related Blogs
Karunakar. T
Published 7d+
Lead us into ‘light’
The darkness was absolute. Nothing could be seen. I stretched my arms trying to find something, anything. My groping hands touched the wall. I started feeling my way around moving forward gingerly. The
Dr. Ravi Saripalle
Published 7d+
Leadership is Light, not Heat!
Leadership is Light, not Heat! Spectacular Picture of the Sky at 2 PM IST 20-12-2022! Let’s build a Healthy Space Competition as No Geography defined!Dear Friends and StudentsToday afternoon,
VENKATESH PANYAM
Published 7d+
Sunflowers Trait
Dear students when you score low marks or when you fail to get what you want, you may feel bad and want to give up. Wait a minute, don’t lose hope. Talk to your parents, or friends or teachers, and
Sri Chaitanya Ayyagari
Published 7d+
Chemical engineering: For a better tomorrow
Role of Chemical Engineer in Pharmaceutical Industry:As the world is slowly recovering from the Pandemic of COVID crisis. We all know how much damage COVID 19 virus has done to humanity. Scientists
ELCSLAB @ Lendi
Published 7d+
CLIMATE CHANGE AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
“Let us nurture nature to have a nurturing future”…...Climate change is recognized as a most serious threat facing humanity.No one is immune to its effects.The impact of climate
ELCSLAB @ Lendi
Published 7d+
FITNESS IS NECESSARY FOR ALL...
Fitness is necessary for all...The maintenance of health and fitness helps a person to be in the general state of health and well-being. It provides ability to perform physical actions without being