Light pollution has been visible from space for a long time, but new LED lights are bright enough that they stand out from older street lights, even from orbit. Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took the above photo from the International Space Station (ISS) cupola in 2015. The newly-installed white LED lights in the center of the city of Milan are noticeably brighter than the lights in the surrounding neighborhoods. — NASA/ESA
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February Night Sky Notes: How to curb light pollution
Light pollution has long troubled astronomers, who generally shy away from deep sky observing under full moon skies. The natural light from a bright moon floods the sky and hides views of the Milky Way, dim galaxies and nebula, as well as shooting stars. In recent years, human-made light pollution has dramatically surpassed the interference of even a bright full moon, and its effects are now noticeable to a great many people outside of the astronomical community.
