NASA has released photos showing how night lights on Earth have changed globally. The maps clearly show large areas of the UK plunged into darkness.
According to the Daily Mail, nights in the UK are 22% darker compared to earlier periods. This ranks the UK second in Europe for decreasing night light. France leads with 33% darker nights.
NASA experts attribute this trend to technological innovations like the shift to energy-efficient LED lamps. Short-term decreases were also recorded during COVID-19 lockdowns and the energy crisis after the Russia-Ukraine war.
NASA's nine-year study used highly sensitive sensors that can detect light from a single toll booth. Data show that some parts of Earth are getting brighter, while many others are getting darker.
Globally, brightness levels increased by 34% in regions with growth, but this was offset by an 18% decrease elsewhere. Overall, artificial lighting increased by 16% from 2014 to 2022.
China and India show significant brightening due to rapid urbanization. Sub-Saharan Africa also saw increases from economic progress. Europe experienced a 'structured' dimming trend: nights were 4% darker by 2022. The Netherlands saw a 21% decrease. In Venezuela, darkness reflects system collapse and economic downturn, with night lighting down 26%.
