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Some light in a global pandemic

Now on to a topic that I’m sure is one that is close to our hearts, let’s take a look at the global pandemic of Covid-19 and its relation to light pollution. In the video below, we see a glimpse of a more positive impact that this pandemic has on people, particularly the star gazers. With global productions coming to a slow down and more and more people spending time at home, people in some parts of the world have noticed cleaner and clearer starry skies. 

 

 

Are skies really clearing? 

This “clearing” of skies is not only attributed to a decrease in smog particles in the air but also due to a reduction in light pollution from shops, factories and stadiums that are forced to shut down during the lockdown. 

 

Image 1. Satellite images in the US showing decrease in light pollution during lockdown

 

From the above, we see that cities have become darker because of a reduction in the use of urban lighting due to a halt in international trade and travel. 

However, is it that simple? That a slow down in the global economy means less light pollution and hence clearer skies and more stars? 

This article presents a different perspective whereby light pollution has in fact worsened in certain countries. In the top 10 countries that are the most light polluted countries in the world (Singapore being one of them), Moscow was ranked the most pollutive and the most undesirable place for stargazers to visit. John Barentine, Director of Public Policy at the Tuscson, Arizona-based International Dark-Sky Association, noted that there is no significant correlation between this global pandemic and a reduction in light pollution in cities. However he did mention an exception to this, specifically in oil fields. 

 

 

In NOAASatellites’ research on light, lighting in cities in South and West Texas remained relatively the same across two readings on 24th January and 24th April but in the Permian Basin and Eagle ford, both of which are sites for oil fields are seen to have greater changes in terms of light (see top left and bottom right of the animation respectively). 

 

Not all is dark!

Research in the relationship between this pandemic and light pollution is relatively new and still in progress, however researchers are looking for new and innovative ways to retrieve relevant data such as involving people on the ground. 

In this article, scientists are involving Italians to measure light pollution during the lockdown period. This project was created by the Italian National Research Council which seeks to collect widespread samples of light pollution in the country. What better way to collect data regarding light trespass in homes than to involve the community themselves. This project, also known as “science on the balcony” had almost 7,000 Italians on board to participate in this research. All they needed to do was to switch off all the lights at home, go to their window or balcony, and point their phone at the brightest light source they could see using an app that was created. After two weeks of monitoring, the data reflected that the average light trespass in cities in Italy is approximately two times that of residential homes in the countryside. 

To end off, the impacts of this pandemic to light pollution is still rather uncertain. However, perhaps longer time spent in our homes can open up creative and alternative ways to measure as well as reduce the impacts of light pollution.  

 

Stay tuned for more! and take care:) 

Jean

 

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