These incredible maps show the most light-polluted places in the world

North America light pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al.

Humanity is losing its ability to see the stars.

Advertisement

According to an unprecedented new map of light pollution, published by the journal Science Advances in June, some of the most populated areas of Earth no longer experience nighttime darkness.

In fact, more than 80% of us live under light polluted skies while 99% of people living in Europe and the United States are affected by it. And perhaps 1/3 of humanity can no longer see the Milky Way — the closest (and brightest) galaxy to our planet.

But light pollution doesn't just rob us of beautiful nighttime vistas and get in the way of astronomy: It also kills 300 million to 1 billion birds each year, wastes billions of dollars' worth of energy in the US annually, and keeps humans from sleeping well (we need complete darkness for our bodies to effectively release the hormones necessary for sleep).

We found the most light-polluted regions of Earth in the new atlas and have highlighted them here.

Advertisement

A new global atlas of light pollution isn't comforting.

Western Hemisphere Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al.

Researchers used satellite data to measure skyglow — a scattering of artificial light that obscures our view of the cosmos — and broke down the data into colors that reveal the intensity of light pollution.

Light Pollution Key
Tech Insider
Advertisement

Europe has some of the worst light pollution on the planet. In fact, almost the entire continent is bathed in an uninterrupted nighttime skyglow.

Europe Africa Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al.

But some of the heaviest light pollution occurs along the border of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, especially around Amsterdam.

Lowlands Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al./Tech Insider
Advertisement

Industrial areas of England are also seriously affected. A near-continuous region of heavy light pollution extends from Liverpool and Manchester, down through Birmingham to London.

UK Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al./Tech Insider

The northern Italian region of Padania, stretching between Milan and Venice, is no better off.

Northern Italy Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al./Tech Insider
Advertisement

And much of North America is bathed in skyglow too, particularly the eastern United States.

North America light pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al.

The country's worst light pollution occurs over an uninterrupted urban area that stretches from Washington D.C., through Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York, and all the way up to Boston.

East Coast US Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al./Tech Insider
Advertisement

There are better celestial views out west, but major metropolitan areas around San Francisco (top) and Los Angeles (bottom) are still bathed in intense light pollution.

California Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al./Tech Insider

In northeast Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, the Cairo metro area (center) is bathed in heavy light pollution that covers much of the Nile River Delta. Jerusalem (top right) also sees a lot of skyglow.

Nile Delta Levant Skitch
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al./Tech Insider
Advertisement

Another region of washed-out night skies lies near the Persian Gulf. People have trouble seeing the stars from southeastern Iraq (top left) to the Gulf States of Bahrain and Qatar (left center), and on to the United Arab Emirates (top center).

Iraq Gulf States Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al./Tech Insider

Southern and eastern Asia appear to suffer less from light pollution than other areas, though Hong Kong (bottom) and Shanghai (center right) — as well as the major cities of South Korea (top right) — don't escape the glow of artificial lighting.

East South Asia Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al./Tech Insider
Advertisement

North Korea turns off most of its lights during the evening, so it's pitch-black on the map — proving experts' argument that turning off lights is one of the most effective ways to reduce light pollution.

North Korea Light Pollution
Google Earth/Fabio Falchi et al./Tech Insider

Source: National Geographic

Advertisement
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.