New York City, like many other major cities in the Northeast and across the United States, becomes overwhelmingly bright at night and never truly sleeps. But does it need to be this way?

New York City is one of the largest contributors to light pollution in the United States, having essentially no visible stars in its skyline, which makes the night sky feel cold, empty and isolated.

Light pollution is defined as the sources of artificial light that do not come from the sun and brighten the night sky. These artificial sources include headlights from cars, lamp posts, floodlights, house lights and so on, which drown out the natural intergalactic phenomena normally visible to the naked eye such as galaxies, stars, comets and nebulas. This is unfortunately present in all towns and cities to some degree, generally being worse with denser and more populated urban and suburban areas. It is so prevalent within culture and life within cities and suburbs that is the perceived normal.

This was showcased in Los Angeles back in the 1990s during a citywide blackout. The sudden loss of artificial light dramatically changed the appearance of the normally dead and lifeless sky, so much so that it caused many people to call 911 to report a “giant silvery cloud” in the sky.

However, light pollution is not just harmful to the passive stargazer or amateur astronomers who appreciate the night sky with their eyes and/or telescopes, but also to professional astronomers and their research as well. This will only create more challenges to the work for researchers as the population increases and people migrate to cities in traditionally more rural and less sparsely populated states like Idaho, Montana and Nevada. Thus, making the stark contrast between rural and urban skies less pronounced and making the nighttime sky more homogeneously bland in more eras of the nation. 

This is worrying, as the negative consequences of excessive light pollution are not limited to natural beauty, but also to our health. 

Light pollution disrupts circadian rhythm and the production of melatonin which can lead to sleep deprivation, stress and anxiety. It also affects migration patterns of many animals and kills insects which are the primary food source of birds. 

This only becomes more frustrating as most sources of artificial light are cluttered and excessive and a waste of money, resources and electricity. The obsession with excessive lighting also ultimately contributes to a greater release of carbon dioxide into the environment and is energy that could have been spent more efficiently. 

After all, why is it necessary for empty buildings to have lights on in the late hours of the night or outdoor lighting that also shines into the sky when its purpose is to light up the ground?

There are some simple solutions and fixes that, if implemented, will help reverse light pollution, allow everyone to enjoy the night sky for its beauty and increase our understanding of the universe. Outdoor light sources can be shielded or repositioned to minimize glare and light trespass. Utilizing more motion sensor or timer-based lights can also be helpful for keeping lights on only when necessary. Using less powerful lights and or fewer lights in general will also bring down costs, energy usage and light pollution.

If these simple fixes can be implemented and enforced on a larger scale across the nation, then all Americans can enjoy the beauty of both Earth and outer space alike for a lower cost of money, and valuable resources.