CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - A new study shows the world's nights getting alarmingly brighter. A German-led team reported Wednesday that light pollution is threatening darkness almost everywhere.
Satellite observations show Earth's artificially lit outdoor area grew by 2 percent a year since 2012. So did nighttime brightness.
The researchers say light pollution is actually worse than that. Their measurements coincide with the outdoor switch to energy- and cost-saving light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. Because the satellite can't detect the LED-generated color blue, some light is missed.
The observations, for example, indicate stable levels of night light in the U.S., Spain and Italy. But lead scientist Christopher Kyba (KIE-ba) says light pollution is almost certainly on the rise there.
That's bad news for nocturnal creatures and humans, too.