Sky & Telescope
When scientists are disappointed with their results, it’s usually because they were following a different hypothesis than where their data leads. In the case of the switch from sodium vapor lights to LEDs, though, it’s more than that.
“Honestly, I had thought, assumed, and hoped that with LEDs we were turning the corner,” says Christopher Kyba (German Research Center for Geosciences). Kyba researches the spread of artificial lights and how it affects our nights, and as a former member of the board of directors of the International Dark Sky Association, he also advocates the use of improved lighting practices.
But in the November 22nd Science Advances, Kyba and colleagues show that we are farther from the goal of dark, starry skies than ever.