According to a recent study in Science, the average brightness of the night sky has increased by 9.6% between 2011 and 2022, which is a higher rate than expected by many experts.

The challenge is that standard tools used for measuring light pollution, like weather satellites, are not good at detecting blue light emitted by LEDs. This poses a major problem because light pollution has a range of negative impacts on ecological systems, such as disruption of circadian rhythms in humans, changes in animal migration patterns, and impact on tree behavior.

To mitigate these impacts, some cities are shifting gears and returning to the source to reduce light pollution. Still LEDs but with a new understanding.