#lightpollution — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #lightpollution, aggregated by home.social.
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Tons of slides from a conference plenary talk about #LightPollution and #ALAN from #MegaConstellations: https://nitter.net/JohnBarentine/status/2054964539297595768
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Tomorrow is Day 1 of the Light Pollution: Theory, Modeling and Measurement (LPTMM) 2026 meeting in Ensenada, Mexico. Sadly this time I won't be able to join the crew in person, but I'll be listening in from home via the series of tubes known as the Interwebz.
On Friday, I'm excited to (remotely) moderate a roundtable discussion, the anticipated outcome of which is a consensus that it's time to take meaningful next steps toward standardizing measurement methods, reporting and units in light pollution studies.
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Light Pollution Increased 16% Between 2014 and 2022, Study Finds https://petapixel.com/2026/05/08/light-pollution-increased-16-between-2014-and-2022-study-finds/ #astrophotography #lightpollution #bortlescale #satellites #astronomy #Space #News #NASA
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I was really honored to give a talk (remotely) at NASA Goddard today! Thanks for the invitation, and I hope we'll stay in touch!
#RemoteSensing #NighttimeLights #NightLightRemoteSensing #VIIRS_DNB #SDGSat1 #ESA #EarthExplorer #EarthObservation #LightPollution
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… image shows huge data center brought permanent artificial daylight to #Crowell a rural #Texas community, surrounded by cotton, wheat and cattle fields.
The residents were once lucky enough to look up on clear, pitch-black nights and see skies filled with bright stars …#Capitalism #Crowell #DataCentres #Lightpollution #Nightsky #Texas
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🌟 Ah, yes, because what everyone truly craves is a #JavaScript masterpiece allowing us to simulate light pollution on our screens. 🙄 Who needs clear skies or real stargazing when you can drown in digital glare? 🚀✨
https://iesna.eu/?wasm=skyglow_demo #LightPollution #DigitalArt #TechSatire #ScreenGlare #HackerNews #ngated -
Browser-based light pollution simulator using real photometric data
https://iesna.eu/?wasm=skyglow_demo
#HackerNews #lightpollution #simulation #photometricdata #browserbased #technology #innovation
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New research shows our planet’s night is more volatile than ever.
A decade of satellite data reveals that while some areas are dimming due to policy changes or crisis, others are brightening at a rate that keeps the global average of light pollution rising by 2% annually.
It’s time to move from studying the glow to taking action. Read more: https://www.darkskyconsulting.com/blog/decoding-a-decade-of-rising-global-light-pollution
#DarkSkies #LightPollution #Science #Environment #NatureRestoration
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Bring Pollinators To Your Garden By Eliminating One Thing https://www.allforgardening.com/1735083/bring-pollinators-to-your-garden-by-eliminating-one-thing/ #BrightLights #ExteriorLights #garden #LightPollution #pollinators
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This legislation, if signed into law by the U.S. President, will have a direct and harmful effect on conditions at a designated International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
The news item: https://apnews.com/article/mining-moratorium-boundary-waters-senate-vote-3e3f0827d52dd6d37f5e554b804ff27c
The legislation: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-joint-resolution/140
The Sanctuary: https://darksky.org/places/boundary-waters-canoe-area-dark-sky-sanctuary/
The world is watching.
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Losing the Dark - Flat Screen Version
"Starry skies are a vanishing treasure because light pollution is washing away our view of the cosmos. It not only threatens astronomy, it disrupts wildlife, and affects human health. The yellow glows over cities and towns — seen so clearly from space — are testament to the billions spent in wasted energy from lighting up the sky.
"To help raise public awareness of some of the issues pertaining to light pollution, Loch Ness Productions in collaboration with the International #DarkSky Association has created a 6.5-minute 'public service announcement' called Losing the Dark. It introduces and illustrates some of the issues regarding #LightPollution, and suggests three simple actions people can take to help mitigate it.
"Losing the Dark was initially created in fulldome video format for digital planetarium use. It also has been made as a conventional flat screen video, for use in classrooms, kiosks, museum theaters, and advocate multimedia presentations. Classic #planetarium theaters without fulldome capability can show this version using their traditional video projectors."
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#PortlandME - At the #USM #Planetarium.
Cycle/Losing the Dark
"Starry skies are a vanishing treasure because light pollution is washing away our view of the cosmos. It not only threatens #astronomy, it disrupts #wildlife, and affects human health. The yellow glows over cities and towns — seen so clearly from space — are testament to the billions spent in wasted energy from lighting up the sky."
Price: $9 - $9.50
Dates:
April 16, 1pm - 2pm
April 17, 1pm - 2pm
April 17, 7pm - 8pm
April 18, 1pm - 2pmhttps://usm.maine.edu/calendar-of-events/series/cycle-losing-the-dark/
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"A proposed #NewYorkState #law aimed at reducing #lightpollution could create a real problem for the state’s millions of #Jews, particularly on #Shabbos and #YomTov.
The “#DarkSkiesProtectionAct,” introduced in the State Senate by #Senator #BradHoylmanSigal, would require most outdoor lights across #NewYork to shut off between 11 pm and sunrise starting January 1, 2028.
The #legislation covers residential floodlights, building uplighting, commercial spotlights, and billboards, with the goal of preserving dark skies while “promoting safety for people, birds and other wildlife, conserving energy and reducing our carbon footprint.”
https://anash.org/new-york-dark-sky-bill-could-leave-frum-jews-in-the-dark/
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SQUEE! #TransformingNight from @[email protected] comes out three months from today*! #ArtificialLight #ALAN #LightPollution #Night #Darkness #LightJustice uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295... *As a former French historian, release date on Bastille Day cracks me up
Transforming Night -
It’s International Dark Sky Week (April 13-20, 2026), an annual event held each April during the week of the new moon to celebrate the wonder and importance of the night and raise awareness about the harmful effects of #LightPollution
From the darkness that supports critical wildlife ecosystems to the star-filled skies we enjoy, the night is filled with wonder and importance.
This year’s theme invites people to discover the night by making an active choice: to “go dark” and experience natural darkness firsthand.
More information at the event’s website: https://idsw.darksky.org
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Important new paper from @LeibnizIGB on the dose-response curve for #LightPollution across a number of different species: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320726001369
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As a historian (of #night #ArtificialLight #ALAN #lightpollution), this is a fascinating study for so many reasons. And conveniently it is now in the conclusion of my Memphis talk for next week.
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jexcnakcd5uc7hj6vl56i5py/post/3miz6ck7a7k2t -
#Reuters:
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Satellite data shows Earth is getting ever brighter at night
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" Study documents effects of nighttime artificial lighting
16% net increase in global nighttime light from 2014-2022
US, China, India, Canada and Brazil are brightest nations
Europe dims to conserve energy and fight light pollution
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https://www.reuters.com/science/satellite-data-shows-earth-is-getting-ever-brighter-night-2026-04-08/8.4.2026
#Earth #EO #Erdbeobachtung #Erde #Lichtverschmutzung #LightPollution #Raumfahrt #Satelliten #SpaceFlight #Umwelt
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New today in @Nature: "Our findings challenge the prevailing perspective that changes in light radiance are largely gradual and unidirectional. Instead, the nightlights of Earth are surprisingly dynamic."
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10260-w
And some reporting on the study and its implications by @skyandtelescope: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/light-pollution-is-increasingly-volatile-around-the-world/
#LightPollution #ALAN #ArtificialLightAtNight #RemoteSensing #DarkSkies #NighttimeLights
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RE: https://fediscience.org/@skyglowberlin/116369713042347883
Satellite imagery reveals increasing volatility in human night-time activity: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10260-w -> Satellites capture the glowing pulse of human civilization: https://news.rub.de/english/press-releases/2026-04-08-geography-satellites-capture-glowing-pulse-human-civilization (my contribution to the 2nd image there was rotating - not far enough - and cropping it :-). #ALAN #LightPollution #VIIRS
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By the way - you can look at the data yourself! The team from UConn built a viewer that allows you to see abrupt (left) and gradual (right) changes, as for Houston, USA below: https://ee-downloading.projects.earthengine.app/view/alan-change
That's what I made the images in the thread with. #RemoteSensing #LightPollution #GIS #GEE
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By the way - you can look at the data yourself! The team from UConn built a viewer that allows you to see abrupt (left) and gradual (right) changes, as for Houston, USA below: https://ee-downloading.projects.earthengine.app/view/alan-change
That's what I made the images in the thread with. #RemoteSensing #LightPollution #GIS #GEE
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By the way - you can look at the data yourself! The team from UConn built a viewer that allows you to see abrupt (left) and gradual (right) changes, as for Houston, USA below: https://ee-downloading.projects.earthengine.app/view/alan-change
That's what I made the images in the thread with. #RemoteSensing #LightPollution #GIS #GEE
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By the way - you can look at the data yourself! The team from UConn built a viewer that allows you to see abrupt (left) and gradual (right) changes, as for Houston, USA below: https://ee-downloading.projects.earthengine.app/view/alan-change
That's what I made the images in the thread with. #RemoteSensing #LightPollution #GIS #GEE
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By the way - you can look at the data yourself! The team from UConn built a viewer that allows you to see abrupt (left) and gradual (right) changes, as for Houston, USA below: https://ee-downloading.projects.earthengine.app/view/alan-change
That's what I made the images in the thread with. #RemoteSensing #LightPollution #GIS #GEE
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A paper that I co-authored was just published (#OpenAccess) a few minutes ago in Nature 🎉 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10260-w
Here's a short thread about what we did and what we learned 👇
#LightPollution #Energy #ALAN #RemoteSensing #NightLightRemoteSensing #EarthObservation #VIIRS_DNB
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Daylight saving and circadian rhythms and killing wildlife on the roads
Crashing into the 'zone of wildlife'“[With] daylight saving, we start shifting our cars and our daily routine more into the zone of animals, their sunset, sunrise period … suddenly there are cars when all the dusk choruses are happening."
"Species that would be of obvious concern would be kangaroos and wallabies, that are often quite active both in the morning and in the afternoon around dusk, so any increased traffic around the time when they’re most active can create potential issues with road accidents,” Deakin University wildlife ecology and conservation professor Euan Ritchie says."
"Cars – with their lights and noise, and the danger they pose – can affect insects, birds and wildlife." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/04/how-does-daylight-saving-time-affect-animals-australia-wildlife
#biodiversity #wildlife #cars #roads #DST #DaylightSaving #crashes #LightPollution #ArtificialLight #NoisePollution #RoadTrauma -
‘This Feels Fragile’ - How A Satellite-Smashing Chain Reaction Could Spiral Out Of Control [space junk]
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Today, the space around Earth can no longer be considered empty. More than 30,000 objects are in orbit, and that figure is rising exponentially
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https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/mar/31/this-feels-fragile-how-a-satellite-smashing-chain-reaction-could-spiral-out-of-control <-- shared interactive technical/media article, with outstanding visualisations
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https://www.space-track.org/ | https://celestrak.org/ | https://planet4589.org/space/stats/ <-- various satellite tracking efforts
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#spacejunk #spacedebris #visualisation #spatialanalysis #orbit #spatiotemporal #satellite #fragments #history #Sputnik #risk #hazard #mitigation #deorbiting #reentry #orbitallanes #military #communication #weather #remotesensing #astronomy #earthobservation #lightpollution #orbitaltraffic #collision #debris #usecase #logistics #crowded #coordination #planning #tracking #technology
@TheGuardian -
‘This Feels Fragile’ - How A Satellite-Smashing Chain Reaction Could Spiral Out Of Control [space junk]
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Today, the space around Earth can no longer be considered empty. More than 30,000 objects are in orbit, and that figure is rising exponentially
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https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/mar/31/this-feels-fragile-how-a-satellite-smashing-chain-reaction-could-spiral-out-of-control <-- shared interactive technical/media article, with outstanding visualisations
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https://www.space-track.org/ | https://celestrak.org/ | https://planet4589.org/space/stats/ <-- various satellite tracking efforts
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#spacejunk #spacedebris #visualisation #spatialanalysis #orbit #spatiotemporal #satellite #fragments #history #Sputnik #risk #hazard #mitigation #deorbiting #reentry #orbitallanes #military #communication #weather #remotesensing #astronomy #earthobservation #lightpollution #orbitaltraffic #collision #debris #usecase #logistics #crowded #coordination #planning #tracking #technology
@TheGuardian -
‘This Feels Fragile’ - How A Satellite-Smashing Chain Reaction Could Spiral Out Of Control [space junk]
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Today, the space around Earth can no longer be considered empty. More than 30,000 objects are in orbit, and that figure is rising exponentially
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https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/mar/31/this-feels-fragile-how-a-satellite-smashing-chain-reaction-could-spiral-out-of-control <-- shared interactive technical/media article, with outstanding visualisations
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https://www.space-track.org/ | https://celestrak.org/ | https://planet4589.org/space/stats/ <-- various satellite tracking efforts
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#spacejunk #spacedebris #visualisation #spatialanalysis #orbit #spatiotemporal #satellite #fragments #history #Sputnik #risk #hazard #mitigation #deorbiting #reentry #orbitallanes #military #communication #weather #remotesensing #astronomy #earthobservation #lightpollution #orbitaltraffic #collision #debris #usecase #logistics #crowded #coordination #planning #tracking #technology
@TheGuardian -
‘This Feels Fragile’ - How A Satellite-Smashing Chain Reaction Could Spiral Out Of Control [space junk]
--
Today, the space around Earth can no longer be considered empty. More than 30,000 objects are in orbit, and that figure is rising exponentially
--
https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/mar/31/this-feels-fragile-how-a-satellite-smashing-chain-reaction-could-spiral-out-of-control <-- shared interactive technical/media article, with outstanding visualisations
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https://www.space-track.org/ | https://celestrak.org/ | https://planet4589.org/space/stats/ <-- various satellite tracking efforts
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#spacejunk #spacedebris #visualisation #spatialanalysis #orbit #spatiotemporal #satellite #fragments #history #Sputnik #risk #hazard #mitigation #deorbiting #reentry #orbitallanes #military #communication #weather #remotesensing #astronomy #earthobservation #lightpollution #orbitaltraffic #collision #debris #usecase #logistics #crowded #coordination #planning #tracking #technology
@TheGuardian -
‘This Feels Fragile’ - How A Satellite-Smashing Chain Reaction Could Spiral Out Of Control [space junk]
--
Today, the space around Earth can no longer be considered empty. More than 30,000 objects are in orbit, and that figure is rising exponentially
--
https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/mar/31/this-feels-fragile-how-a-satellite-smashing-chain-reaction-could-spiral-out-of-control <-- shared interactive technical/media article, with outstanding visualisations
--
https://www.space-track.org/ | https://celestrak.org/ | https://planet4589.org/space/stats/ <-- various satellite tracking efforts
--
#spacejunk #spacedebris #visualisation #spatialanalysis #orbit #spatiotemporal #satellite #fragments #history #Sputnik #risk #hazard #mitigation #deorbiting #reentry #orbitallanes #military #communication #weather #remotesensing #astronomy #earthobservation #lightpollution #orbitaltraffic #collision #debris #usecase #logistics #crowded #coordination #planning #tracking #technology
@TheGuardian -
The global dark-sky movement has hit a hardware ceiling. Shielding works, but it doesn't control how much light we generate. Adaptive lighting is an underutilized means of reducing light pollution. Can #AI encourage its uptake?
The "#LED Paradox" explains why cheap energy efficiency has led to over-illumination. We need to shift from hardware solutions to software and behavioral solutions. AI-driven predictive grids might finally remove the friction from adaptive lighting management.
Read more: https://www.darkskyconsulting.com/blog/ai-and-the-future-of-smart-lighting
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Muy buena nota a Florencia Reichmann sobre contaminacion lumínica. La conozco, colaboro en un proyecto con ella y es probablemente la persona que más sabe sobre este tema en el país https://ladiaria.com.uy/ambiente/articulo/2026/3/florencia-reichmann-no-hay-ninguna-reglamentacion-ni-normativa-que-limite-la-emision-de-luz-nocturna-artificial-en-uruguay/
#contaminación #lumínica #contaminacionluminica #lightpollution #darksky #uruguay #gestionambiental #astronomía #astronomy -
A million new SpaceX satellites will destroy the night sky — for everyone on Earth
#Science #AI #SpaceX #Starlink #NightSky #Astronomy #Environment #SpaceDebris #LightPollution #ClimateImpact #Satellite #SpaceIndustry #EarthOrbit #Astronomers #Pollution
https://the-14.com/a-million-new-spacex-satellites-will-destroy-the-night-sky-for-everyone-on-earth/ -
Very good save the #birds hopefully #TimesSquare will also be included this place contributes too much to #lightpollution
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/a-new-proposed-law-may-force-new-yorkers-to-turn-their-outdoor-lights-off-by-11pm-nightly-031626?fbclid=IwdGRjcAQoO7NjbGNrBCg7r2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHuAnlamerx1iD7r4CyN4iSxbb8VoN4FjCJv8F9IAVR5woW0uVrMpmJqn8UsM_aem_2L92kuYprjOUOokA2gPt4Q&utm_campaign=mrf-facebook-timeoutnewyork&mrfcid=2026031769b85a6c83466856c28405e4 #wildlife #AnimalRights #sleep -
RE: https://mastodon.social/@space_environmentalism/116205780730907978
SpaceX plans to launch a million (!) satellites into orbit. Aside from the impacts on the environment ...
"This loss of the night sky, something that has guided humanity since the dawn of time and influenced culture, religion and science, would be immeasurable."
#SpaceX #SpaceEnvironment #LightPollution #alan #Astronomy #Space
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#FCC Deciding Whether to Allow Startup to Launch Huge #MirrorSatellite to Blast Sunlight on Cities at Nighttime
"The implications for #wildlife, for all life, are enormous."
By Frank Landymore
Published Mar 10, 2026Excerpt: "The idea is as far-fetched as it is controversial. But something like it has been attempted before. In 1993, the Russian satellite Znamya, or 'Banner,' deployed a 65-foot-wide sheet of mylar that reflected a beam of light twice as bright as the Moon, illuminating a roughly three mile wide circle onto the Earth below like an orbital spotlight. It didn’t prove to be practical, however, with ground observers noticing no more than a flash of light, and it was exorbitantly expensive to pull off.
"Even so, it has the potential to massively disrupt the environment and interfere with many human operations. And the far-reaching consequences of such a technology is exposing the limits of the FCC’s remit.
"Experts fear that light from space mirrors could disrupt circadian rhythms in nature, posing a problem for flora and fauna alike. Animals might breed at the wrong time, and hibernating insects and migrating birds could be confused, Martha Hotz Vitaterna, a research professor of neurobiology at Northwestern University, told the NYT. And plants could bloom when pollinators aren’t active.
" 'The implications for wildlife, for all life, are enormous,' added Vitaterna, who is co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology."
Read more:
https://futurism.com/space/fcc-huge-mirror-satellite#DarkSkies #LightPollution #BadIdea #USPol #Idiocracy #MirrorSatellites #CircadianRhythms
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#FCC Deciding Whether to Allow Startup to Launch Huge #MirrorSatellite to Blast Sunlight on Cities at Nighttime
"The implications for #wildlife, for all life, are enormous."
By Frank Landymore
Published Mar 10, 2026Excerpt: "The idea is as far-fetched as it is controversial. But something like it has been attempted before. In 1993, the Russian satellite Znamya, or 'Banner,' deployed a 65-foot-wide sheet of mylar that reflected a beam of light twice as bright as the Moon, illuminating a roughly three mile wide circle onto the Earth below like an orbital spotlight. It didn’t prove to be practical, however, with ground observers noticing no more than a flash of light, and it was exorbitantly expensive to pull off.
"Even so, it has the potential to massively disrupt the environment and interfere with many human operations. And the far-reaching consequences of such a technology is exposing the limits of the FCC’s remit.
"Experts fear that light from space mirrors could disrupt circadian rhythms in nature, posing a problem for flora and fauna alike. Animals might breed at the wrong time, and hibernating insects and migrating birds could be confused, Martha Hotz Vitaterna, a research professor of neurobiology at Northwestern University, told the NYT. And plants could bloom when pollinators aren’t active.
" 'The implications for wildlife, for all life, are enormous,' added Vitaterna, who is co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology."
Read more:
https://futurism.com/space/fcc-huge-mirror-satellite#DarkSkies #LightPollution #BadIdea #USPol #Idiocracy #MirrorSatellites #CircadianRhythms
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#FCC Deciding Whether to Allow Startup to Launch Huge #MirrorSatellite to Blast Sunlight on Cities at Nighttime
"The implications for #wildlife, for all life, are enormous."
By Frank Landymore
Published Mar 10, 2026Excerpt: "The idea is as far-fetched as it is controversial. But something like it has been attempted before. In 1993, the Russian satellite Znamya, or 'Banner,' deployed a 65-foot-wide sheet of mylar that reflected a beam of light twice as bright as the Moon, illuminating a roughly three mile wide circle onto the Earth below like an orbital spotlight. It didn’t prove to be practical, however, with ground observers noticing no more than a flash of light, and it was exorbitantly expensive to pull off.
"Even so, it has the potential to massively disrupt the environment and interfere with many human operations. And the far-reaching consequences of such a technology is exposing the limits of the FCC’s remit.
"Experts fear that light from space mirrors could disrupt circadian rhythms in nature, posing a problem for flora and fauna alike. Animals might breed at the wrong time, and hibernating insects and migrating birds could be confused, Martha Hotz Vitaterna, a research professor of neurobiology at Northwestern University, told the NYT. And plants could bloom when pollinators aren’t active.
" 'The implications for wildlife, for all life, are enormous,' added Vitaterna, who is co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology."
Read more:
https://futurism.com/space/fcc-huge-mirror-satellite#DarkSkies #LightPollution #BadIdea #USPol #Idiocracy #MirrorSatellites #CircadianRhythms
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#FCC Deciding Whether to Allow Startup to Launch Huge #MirrorSatellite to Blast Sunlight on Cities at Nighttime
"The implications for #wildlife, for all life, are enormous."
By Frank Landymore
Published Mar 10, 2026Excerpt: "The idea is as far-fetched as it is controversial. But something like it has been attempted before. In 1993, the Russian satellite Znamya, or 'Banner,' deployed a 65-foot-wide sheet of mylar that reflected a beam of light twice as bright as the Moon, illuminating a roughly three mile wide circle onto the Earth below like an orbital spotlight. It didn’t prove to be practical, however, with ground observers noticing no more than a flash of light, and it was exorbitantly expensive to pull off.
"Even so, it has the potential to massively disrupt the environment and interfere with many human operations. And the far-reaching consequences of such a technology is exposing the limits of the FCC’s remit.
"Experts fear that light from space mirrors could disrupt circadian rhythms in nature, posing a problem for flora and fauna alike. Animals might breed at the wrong time, and hibernating insects and migrating birds could be confused, Martha Hotz Vitaterna, a research professor of neurobiology at Northwestern University, told the NYT. And plants could bloom when pollinators aren’t active.
" 'The implications for wildlife, for all life, are enormous,' added Vitaterna, who is co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology."
Read more:
https://futurism.com/space/fcc-huge-mirror-satellite#DarkSkies #LightPollution #BadIdea #USPol #Idiocracy #MirrorSatellites #CircadianRhythms
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#FCC Deciding Whether to Allow Startup to Launch Huge #MirrorSatellite to Blast Sunlight on Cities at Nighttime
"The implications for #wildlife, for all life, are enormous."
By Frank Landymore
Published Mar 10, 2026Excerpt: "The idea is as far-fetched as it is controversial. But something like it has been attempted before. In 1993, the Russian satellite Znamya, or 'Banner,' deployed a 65-foot-wide sheet of mylar that reflected a beam of light twice as bright as the Moon, illuminating a roughly three mile wide circle onto the Earth below like an orbital spotlight. It didn’t prove to be practical, however, with ground observers noticing no more than a flash of light, and it was exorbitantly expensive to pull off.
"Even so, it has the potential to massively disrupt the environment and interfere with many human operations. And the far-reaching consequences of such a technology is exposing the limits of the FCC’s remit.
"Experts fear that light from space mirrors could disrupt circadian rhythms in nature, posing a problem for flora and fauna alike. Animals might breed at the wrong time, and hibernating insects and migrating birds could be confused, Martha Hotz Vitaterna, a research professor of neurobiology at Northwestern University, told the NYT. And plants could bloom when pollinators aren’t active.
" 'The implications for wildlife, for all life, are enormous,' added Vitaterna, who is co-director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology."
Read more:
https://futurism.com/space/fcc-huge-mirror-satellite#DarkSkies #LightPollution #BadIdea #USPol #Idiocracy #MirrorSatellites #CircadianRhythms
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PLAN-B's "Review of light and noise pollution impacts on terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem services" is now published.
#ALAN #LightPollution #Noise #EcosystemServices #Ecology #Pollution #Environment
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"Despite the vast scale of the issue of light pollution, long-term research and widespread knowledge is lacking. I would therefore like to call on all readers to spread awareness about light pollution and related environmental issues that impact communities today. By taking collective action, society can work towards the transformation of the Anthropocene, into a posthumanist era where humans and nature collaborate to build homes in an entangled web of sacred mutualism. We could then create a sustainable world where environmental and animal rights become equal to human ones. This shift in thought may ultimately lead to a shift in action. So we might finally see the sky again."
https://www.diggitmagazine.com/light-pollution-anthropocene-environmental-cost-illumination
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New publication: Timing of #attraction to #light of #nocturnal #insects is spectrum and taxon dependent: implications for mitigating #lightpollution.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111711 -
The #envhist #histtech of night skies, #night, #nightscapes, and space during a formative century of emergent #lightpollution 🌌🌠
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:vfktz6qe6vy7serr3wqutpzt/post/3melwhuadvt2u -
"[T]he presence of [artificial light at night] can disrupt the proper functioning of not only humans but all organisms on Earth that have evolved in conditions of alternating day and night. Cities are the primary source of LP, and the ever-increasing global urbanization makes LP one of the fastest-growing threats to our civilization. It is particularly dangerous because public awareness of its existence is exceptionally weak."
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Denmark is painting the town red—for the bats. In a world-first initiative, the municipality of Gladsaxe has switched to red LED streetlights along key roadways to protect local nocturnal wildlife, particularly bat species sensitive to artificial light.
The core scientific insight is that traditional white and blue light spectrums disrupt bats' echolocation and feeding patterns. Red light, however, offers a safe, sustainable alternative that maintains public safety while preserving the local ecosystem.
This isn't just a quirky experiment; it's a smart blueprint for eco-conscious urban planning. The shift reduces light pollution and energy consumption, demonstrating how city infrastructure can meet global sustainability goals (like the UN SDGs) and successfully coexist with nature.#RedLights #Bats #LightPollution #SustainableCities #UrbanPlanning #Biodiversity #WildlifeConservation #Denmark #GreenTech #SmartCity #Environment #EcoFriendly #LEDlights
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This #SpaceX Situation: Not Good!
by Jason Koebler, Feb 5, 2026
Excerpt: "There are many reasons that 'AI data centers in space' may be a pipe dream and may not happen, but what he is proposing is a magnitude of #SpaceJunk that no other company could plausibly promise to launch. Data centers or not, SpaceX is now dominating #LowEarthOrbit in a way no other company or country has. While Musk has been gutting the federal government, interfering in #elections, allowing people to generate #CSAM, engaging in white supremacy, planning trips to #EpsteinsIsland, implanting #chips into people’s brains, siphoning off taxpayer money to build ridiculous tunnels, giving his sperm to whoever will take it, turning his cars into experimental robot taxis, and pretending to build #HumanoidRobots, #SpaceX has somewhat (?) quietly #colonized and dominated low earth orbit.
"Musk has taken this space for his own use, concerns about #LightPollution, satellite collisions, and telecom #monopolies be damned. This has always been concerning, but explicitly intertwining the aspirations and fate of SpaceX with Musk’s CSAM generating social media website, his #AIBullshitMachines, and his right wing political project is horrifying and monopolistic. What happens next, I have no idea."
Read more:
https://www.404media.co/this-spacex-situation-not-goodArchived version:
https://archive.ph/vUubi#TechBros #Technopoly #DarkSkies #SpacePollution #AISucks #DataCenters #SkyNet #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #USPol #WorldPol #SpaceNews #EpsteinFiles