As 'skyglow' grows, study documents glaring global light pollution

FILE PHOTO: Electricity lights up the central business district of Cape Town, South Africa, June 18, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Light pollution caused by the incessant nighttime glow of electric lights appears to be intensifying, according to research using observations from tens of thousands of people at various locations around the world.

The study, published on Thursday, found that the number of visible stars reported at the observation sites from 2011 to 2022 decreased by an amount indicating an increase in nocturnal sky brightness of 7 to 10% annually, higher than previously measured using satellite data.