Did you know that the beautiful Milky Way might soon disappear from our night sky? Light pollution, caused by all the bright lights in cities, is making the stars harder to see. Scientists say that in just 20 years, most people on Earth won’t be able to spot the Milky Way without special trips to remote areas. It’s like losing a piece of cosmic history right above our heads! Luckily, some places are working to reduce light pollution by using dimmer, shielded lights to protect the view. If we act now, future generations might still get to enjoy stargazing and the magic of our galaxy. 🌌✨ Animation is created by Bright Side. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/ Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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00:00You know what, 8 out of 10 people worldwide can't see the Milky Way anymore, and in
00:06just 100 years, it might turn into a forgotten tale from the past.
00:10It's not that the galaxy is disappearing, but that the cosmos is fading from view.
00:16Back in our grandparents' day, they could look up and see this vibrant tapestry of stars.
00:21But nowadays, we're lucky if we can even count them on one hand.
00:25This has nothing to do with nature.
00:27It's all because of the creeping threat of something called light pollution.
00:31Next time you walk around a big city after dark, take a moment to notice the large number
00:36of streetlights, neon billboards, and office buildings shining all night long.
00:41Those endless city lights create an artificial brightness that competes with the natural
00:46glow of the stars.
00:48This is light pollution, and it's getting worse.
00:51Every year, Earth gets 10% brighter.
00:54That means if someone is born today in an area where you can typically see around 250
00:59stars, when they reach 18, they'll only be able to see about 100 of them.
01:06Unfortunately, that's already a problem in big cities, where looking up at the stars
01:12is becoming something that you can only do in planetariums.
01:16It's gotten to a point where, during an earthquake that knocked out the power in Los Angeles
01:20in the 90s, many residents called emergency centers to report a massive silvery cloud
01:26in the night sky.
01:27But what they were actually seeing, perhaps for the first time, was the Milky Way.
01:32When you look at Earth from space, you can see vast areas of North America, Europe, the
01:37Middle East, and Asia all lit up.
01:40Singapore, Qatar, and Kuwait are some of the most light-polluted countries.
01:45On the flip side, remote places like Siberia, the Sahara, and the Amazon rainforest are
01:50in total darkness.
01:54Light pollution shows up in many forms.
01:56First there is glare, like when you're driving and those bright lights literally make your
02:01eyes hurt, leaving you very uncomfortable.
02:04Then there is clutter, like Times Square with its crazy mishmash of different bright lights
02:09all over the place.
02:11Light trespass is when light sneaks into places it shouldn't, like a streetlight shining
02:16right into your bedroom.
02:18And finally, there is over-illumination, which is just using way too much artificial light
02:23for no good reason, like keeping all the office lights on throughout the night when no one
02:27is even there.
02:29All these forms of light pollution aren't just stealing the beauty of the night sky.
02:33They're also interfering with astronomical studies.
02:36When we rely too heavily on artificial lights, it messes up the work of Earth-based telescopes.
02:42And when that equipment can't do their job properly, we end up needing even more expensive
02:47space telescopes like Hubble and James Webb.
02:50And let's face it, that costs us billions.
02:55Turning night into day actually affects all of us, not just astronomers.
03:00Nighttime light messes with our sleep schedule and our body's internal clock.
03:04This clock keeps things like brain activity, hormone levels, and cell functions on track.
03:09So when it's disrupted, it can lead to serious issues like depression, insomnia, heart problems,
03:16or worse.
03:17One key process that gets messed up is the production of melatonin, the hormone that
03:22kicks in when it's dark.
03:24Too much light at night lowers melatonin levels, leading to stress, anxiety, headaches, and
03:29sleep deprivation.
03:31Blue light is the main villain here.
03:34You might think that turning on night mode and getting that orange glow on your phone
03:37screen is enough, but it's not.
03:40Blue light is also present in LED bulbs, the kind we use at home and in city lighting,
03:45because they're cheap and energy-efficient.
03:48My point is that blue light is basically everywhere, and it's a real challenge to avoid it completely.
03:54This is also a big part of why we're not entirely sure how bad light pollution is nowadays.
03:59I mean, some statistics suggest that this issue increased by 49% over 25 years, up to
04:062017.
04:08But the real figure may be even higher.
04:11The thing is, blue light has shorter wavelengths, and the satellites we depend on today struggle
04:16to detect it accurately.
04:18Meaning, they don't quite capture the full extent of the light pollution caused by LED
04:23lights.
04:26Animals are lost and confused too.
04:29Their sleep patterns are also affected.
04:31A study from Germany revealed that blackbirds in urban areas are getting active much earlier
04:36than those in natural habitats.
04:39They wake up and start singing up to 5 hours sooner than their country cousins.
04:44Migration behaviors are messed up, especially for birds like sparrows and thrushes who travel
04:49at night.
04:50You see, they rely on the moon and stars as their internal GPS.
04:55So you can imagine how disoriented they get when they spot something like Las Vegas'
05:00massive sphere, lit up by 1.2 million LED bulbs.
05:04The intense brightness hides stars and disrupts their navigation across thousands of miles
05:09and continents.
05:11And it's not just that.
05:12Artificial lighting is unfortunately causing more birds to crash into skyscrapers and high-rise
05:17buildings.
05:18Insects, like mosquitoes, are also affected by light pollution.
05:22Yep, they're kinda gross, so it might not bug you if they're attracted to artificial
05:26lights and, uh, meet their fate.
05:29But remember, they're a crucial food source for many animals, like bats or frogs.
05:34So disrupting their populations could throw off entire food chains.
05:40Nighttime lights are causing problems underwater as well.
05:44Marine creatures near brightly lit panels off the Welsh coast are changing their behaviors,
05:49and fewer sea squirts and sea bristles are hanging out near those lights.
05:54Another example involves sea turtles.
05:56They typically lay their eggs on beaches and often return to the same spots for years.
06:02But when those beaches are too bright at night, female turtles might become confused and decide
06:07not to lay their eggs there.
06:10Now, do we really need all this light?
06:14It's hard to say.
06:15Some people might feel safer at night, while others think the opposite.
06:20You see, it's usually the glare that messes up our sight.
06:22Here's an example.
06:24If there's a super bright lamp blocking our view, say at a gate, we can't see anything
06:29but the light.
06:30But check this out.
06:31If we partially cover the light with our hands, suddenly we can spot an intruder.
06:36Wow.
06:37What I mean is that more lamps don't always mean more safety.
06:41It's all about using them the right way.
06:43And doing things like dimming lights can actually enhance security.
06:48Plus, it could save you some cash.
06:50Speaking of which, light waste has a pretty big impact on the economy.
06:54Take a Cobra Head street light, for instance.
06:56The light projected directly by it is only 30% of the total light it emits.
07:01In the US alone, roughly one-third of the light at night goes to waste, and that adds
07:06up to a staggering annual cost of $2.2 billion.
07:14Electric lights aren't all bad, of course.
07:16They have done some good stuff for us, like making our days longer so we can get more
07:21done and have some fun afterward.
07:23But we can totally minimize this issue.
07:26Turning off all the lights would be awesome, but let's be real.
07:29That is very difficult, if not impossible, these days.
07:32So what can we do?
07:34Get those fancy controls like dimmers, timers, and motion sensors to make sure our lights
07:39are super efficient.
07:40Go for warmer-colored lamps instead of those harsh blue ones.
07:44Oh, and consider using fully shielded light fixtures, like those cool vintage table lamps.
07:49They direct the light down where you need it, so you don't get that annoying glare
07:53or light scattering everywhere.
07:55Plus, when you cut down on wasted light, you're not just helping out the planet, you're
08:00also saving some cash on your electric bill.
08:03Talk about a win-win!
08:04That's it for today, so hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like
08:11and share it with your friends.
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