CUTTING EDGE

Has the pandemic helped lockdown light pollution?

With a clear drop in air pollution levels, astronomers were keen to see if restrictions reduced light levels too

One outcome of COVID-19 and the strict national lockdowns during the pandemic is to offer a ‘natural experiment’ on the relationship between human activity and our effect on the environment. Satellite observations revealed a drop in atmospheric levels of nitrogen dioxide (a major air pollutant released by the burning of fossil fuels) over cities and industrial centres, and levels of ‘PM10’ sooty particles in the air were also greatly reduced. But what effect are the restrictions on human activity having on light pollution?

The main source of information on global nighttime light