Light pollution. Satellite image of worldwide light pollution. The artificial sky brightness, measured as the excess amount of light in the sky compar

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Light pollution. Satellite image of worldwide light pollution. The artificial sky brightness, measured as the excess amount of light in the sky compared to its natural levels, varies from black (lowest), through blue, green, yellow and orange, to red. Light pollution is caused by artificial light, mainly from cities, shining upwards. Atmospheric particles backscatter the light, reducing the visibility of the night sky. The pollution was modelled at blue wavelengths using the American Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP).

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Size: 7854px × 3570px
Photo credit: © BLACKWELL SCIENCE / CINZANO, FALCHI, ELDVIDGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: artificial, backscattering, blue, brightness, cities, city, defense, dmsp, earth, environment, environmental, european, geographical, geography, glowing, image, imagery, light, lights, map, meteorological, modelled, modelling, night, observation, pollution, populated, population, program, research, satellite, sky, space, urbanisation, wavelength, world