Light pollution facts for kids
Light pollution is a type of pollution. It is defined as “any adverse (or bad) effect as a result of man-made lights.” Usually, this means too much light. Several species, including plants and humans, are badly affected by light pollution. Most people have never heard of light pollution, and those who have usually don’t care, or do anything about it. Light pollution costs Americans billions of dollars every year.
Contents
Types of light pollution
There are five kinds of light pollution:
- Light trespass
- Over-illumination
- Clutter
- Glare
- Sky glow
Sky glow usually has more of an effect on the environment than light trespass and glare, but all of them are a major problem to people today.
Sky glow is the kind of light pollution that prevents people from seeing stars and other deep-space objects. This causes birds to not be able to migrate to the right place because they can not follow the moon and stars. Sky glow also prevents astronomers from seeing dim objects.
Light trespass is when light being used by a person goes into the property of another. Though light trespass is not an environmental issue, it is still light pollution.
The third kind of light pollution, glare has different kinds. The first, disability glare, is the loss of visibility because of too many lights. Discomfort glare is when the lights cause pain.
Effects
Effects on animals
Light pollution stops migrating birds of having any way of seeing the moon and stars,they need to use to nagivate the direciton of their migration,therefore not being able to migrate to the correct place. Also, sea turtles do not come to shore and nest as often, because they are afraid of the lights.It also affects animals eyes as a flash of camera weakens the eyesight of animals.
Effects on humans
Glare causes sleep problems in humans. Too much light in an apartment shining in from a nearby billboard will disturb their sleep. Also science is being affected by light pollution. Astronomers have no way of observing, or making discoveries with too much light to block the night sky. It also causes headache as when light directly falls into our eyes and affects the sensory nerves.
The solution
Group solution
There are now several groups that are trying to prevent light pollution. Light pollution first made news in 1964, when an observatory was specially placed just to avoid light pollution. However, it wasn’t brought to the attention of most people until June 6, 2002, when the Czech Republic passed the world’s first light pollution law. Since then, light pollution is slowly being recognized by the general public as a major problem.
Individual solution
You can lower the amount of light pollution by having lights off when they are not needed. You can also shield yourself from this pollution by putting curtains on a window facing the street or any other disturbing light source.
Images for kids
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A light pollution source, using a broad spectrum metal halide lamp, pointing upward at Uniqema factory, Gouda, the Netherlands
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The city of Phoenix, seen from 55 miles away in Surprise, Arizona
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An office building is illuminated by high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps shining upward. Much light goes into the sky and neighboring apartment blocks, causing light pollution.
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View of the Phoenix metro area from the top of Goldmine Trail in the San Tan Mountains
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The Las Vegas Strip displays excessive groupings of colorful lights. This is a classic example of light clutter.
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World map of light pollution. False colors show intensities of skyglow from artificial light sources around the world.
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Streetlights at the ski resort Kastelruth in South Tyrol, Italy
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A scorpion hides under rocks.
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Birds flying trace and star trail near Rio de Janeiro beach at night time in light pollution
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Brazil star trails and birds in light pollution in Rio beach at night
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The constellation Orion, imaged at left from dark skies, and at right from within the Provo/Orem, Utah metropolitan area
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The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is far from any cities, and the night sky there is pitch-black. Photo by José Francisco Salgado.
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Light pollution is mostly unpolarized, and its addition to moonlight results in a decreased polarization signal.
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Crossroad in Alessandria, Italy: luminaires with mercury lamps are in the background, LED street lights in the middle, luminaires with high pressure sodium lamps are in the foreground.
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Black level compensation: the darkest point in the digital picture was set to zero luminance, in order to reduce the visible stray light. However, blue light caused by Rayleigh scattering is visible in the center of the image.
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50 percent of stray light removed: the darker half of the stray light was set to zero luminance. The darker part of the blue light caused by Rayleigh scattering is still visible in the center of the image.
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Complete elimination of stray light: all pixels showing stray light have been set to zero luminance, the faint and two-dimensional Pinwheel Galaxy is no longer visible, too.
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This kind of LED droplight could reduce unnecessary light pollution in building interiors.
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A flat-lens cobra luminaire, which is a full-cutoff fixture, is very effective in reducing light pollution. It ensures that light is directed only below the horizontal, which means less light is wasted by directing it outwards and upwards.
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This drop-lens cobra luminaire allows light to escape sideways and upwards, where it may cause problems.
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The majority of Italian regions require "zero upward light", which usually implies the use of overall full cut-off lamps for new luminaires, but violations are common.
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A comparison of the view of the night sky from a small rural town (top) and a metropolitan area (bottom). Light pollution dramatically reduces the visibility of stars.
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Impact of light pollution on a starry night, as seen from a 4200 m altitude on Mount Damavand in Iran.
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Impact of LED lighting at the skyglow at night, as seen at Tiberias, Israel. Before the moving to LED lighting at 2017, the skyglow above the city was very little.
See also
In Spanish: Contaminación lumínica para niños
