Light Pollution
The Milky Way - blotted out for more than half of the UK population by light pollution
Photo: CfDS image library
Darkness at night is one of the things that defines the countryside and makes it so different from towns and cities. But that darkness is disappearing, and with it our view of the stars and planets.
It's disappearing because we carelessly and wastefully beam outdoor light upwards into the sky. Collectively, these lights stop us from being able to see the night sky, with all its majesty and mystery. Instead, we see only a pinky orange glow, which only a few dozen of the brightest stars can penetrate. This glow spreads for miles outside towns and cities, making it much harder - or even impossible - to see the sight of thousands of stars and our own galaxy, the Milky Way.
This light pollution is getting worse. Satellite data we've obtained from US Air Force weather satellites shows that light pollution is spreading into new areas of countryside and increasing in the areas where it was before.
Our new light pollution maps
Data has been used to create maps which show how much light pollution there is in your area.
