Glossary term: Pollution lumineuse

Description: La pollution lumineuse est la présence d'un éclairage artificiel excessif ou défectueux (émis dans une direction au-dessus de l'horizon), tel que les lampadaires, qui provoque l'éclaircissement du ciel nocturne. Cette pollution est inappropriée car elle perturbe l'observation des étoiles, des planètes et d'autres objets astronomiques, et modifie les écosystèmes et de nombreux cycles naturels qui affectent les êtres vivants. En outre, la pollution lumineuse constitue une utilisation inefficace des finances et des ressources.

Related Terms:

Night

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Term and definition status: The original definition of this term in English have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher
The translation of this term and its definition is still awaiting approval

The OAE Multilingual Glossary is a project of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) in collaboration with the IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (OAO). The terms and definitions were chosen, written and reviewed by a collective effort from the OAE, the OAE Centers and Nodes, the OAE National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs) and other volunteers. You can find a full list of credits here. All glossary terms and their definitions are released under a Creative Commons CC BY-4.0 license and should be credited to "IAU OAE".

Related Media

Un arbre face au ciel nocturne. Une lueur jaune se propageant depuis l'horizon écrase les étoiles dans la partie inférieure du ciel.

Nuit étoilée dans le parc national de l'Eifel, par Dong Han, Chine

Caption: Premier prix du concours d'astrophotographie 2021 de l'UAI OAE, catégorie Pollution lumineuse. La pollution lumineuse résulte de l'excès de lumière artificielle produite par les activités humaines, principalement en tant qu'effet secondaire de l'industrialisation. Ce type de pollution est généralement plus visible autour des zones bien peuplées associées à des activités humaines intenses, telles que l'éclairage des rues, les lumières du système de transport, les bâtiments et les maisons. Mais elle peut également provenir d'autres endroits, comme les navires et les plates-formes pétrolières en mer. Cette image prise dans un parc national en Belgique en 2018 montre l'effet néfaste de la pollution lumineuse sur la ressource la plus précieuse qui relie tous les humains entre eux : le ciel nocturne.
Credit: Dong Han/IAU OAE

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

A composite of six images as vertical stripes. The starry sky on the right-most image is gradually drowned out moving left

Real Light Pollution Panorama, by Tomáš Slovinský, Slovakia

Caption: Second place in the 2021 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Light pollution. This composite image taken in Slovakia in 2020 illustrates the effect due to artificial illumination of light polluted areas. The higher the level of light pollution, the less we can observe in the sky, notice how the number of stars visible even to a sensitive digital camera decreases from right to left. Light pollution not only affects the visibility of objects in the night sky, but also significantly impacts ecosystems, negatively affecting many animals, such as migratory night birds, which may encounter difficulties to find the direction to where they should migrate to, or the sea turtles, which may be confused by the lights from coastal cities located near the beaches where they are supposed to spawn. Light pollution can also negatively impact some human health. Therefore, it is important to preserve the dark and quiet night sky for the benefit of the entire planet and all the diverse life it supports.
Credit: Tomáš Slovinský/IAU OAE

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

Bright streaks form vertical bars, obscuring the starry sky

Satellite swarm versus night sky beauty, by Torsten Hansen, Germany

Caption: Third place in the 2021 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Light pollution. This image of Venus and the Pleiades also shows the tracks of the Starlink satellites. These satellites which are located at an altitude of approximately 550 kilometres, are part of an ever-growing constellation of satellites aimed to provide worldwide internet access. The reflective surfaces of the satellites, coupled with the fact that they are orbiting around the Earth, means that astronomical observations which require very long exposures capture “tracks” of the satellites in their images. Astronomical images used for scientific research are not usable because the measurements and data will contain these “tracks”. Because the number of satellites is expected to grow, it is likely that in the near future there will be no place on Earth where these satellites will not be visible crossing the sky. This is a new type of light pollution that seems to be an upcoming problem we will have to deal with, as these satellites might prevent optimal observation of the sky.
Credit: Torsten Hansen/IAU OAE

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

Related Activities

How Light Pollution Affects the Stars: Magnitude Readers

astroEDU educational activity (links to astroEDU website)
Description: Build a Magnitude Reader to explore the magnitude of stars.

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

Tags: Hands-on , Dark skies , ecology
Age Ranges: 10-12 , 12-14 , 14-16 , 16-19
Education Level: Middle School
Areas of Learning: Modelling , Observation based
Costs: Medium Cost
Duration: 1 hour
Group Size: Group
Skills: Asking questions , Planning and carrying out investigations

Globe at Night Activity Guide

astroEDU educational activity (links to astroEDU website)
Description: Learn to observe and record the faintest visible stars to measure the light pollution.

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

Tags: Hands-on , Dark skies , ecology , Citizen science
Age Ranges: 4-6 , 6-8 , 8-10 , 10-12 , 12-14 , 14-16 , 16-19 , 19+
Education Level: Informal , Middle School , Other , Primary , Secondary , University
Areas of Learning: Observation based , Project-based learning
Costs: Low Cost
Group Size: Group
Skills: Communicating information , Planning and carrying out investigations

How Many Stars Can You See at Night?

astroEDU educational activity (links to astroEDU website)
Description: Investigate the effects of light pollution on night sky observation.

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

Tags: Software , ecology , Observation of sky , Pollution , Constellations , stellarium
Age Ranges: 12-14
Education Level: Middle School
Areas of Learning: Observation based , Social Research
Costs: Low Cost
Duration: 45 mins
Group Size: Group
Skills: Analysing and interpreting data , Communicating information , Planning and carrying out investigations

Evening Sky Watching for Students

astroEDU educational activity (links to astroEDU website)
Description: Let's observe the evening sky with the naked eye

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

Tags: Art , Observation of sky , Sky watching , Motion of star
Age Ranges: 4-6 , 6-8
Education Level: Pre-school , Primary
Areas of Learning: Discussion Groups , Observation based , Social Research
Costs: Free
Duration: 30 mins
Group Size: Group
Skills: Asking questions , Communicating information

Let there be light… but not too much!

astroEDU educational activity (links to astroEDU website)
Description: Build a model to learn what light pollution is and what its effects are.

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

Tags: Pollution , sky observation , lighting source
Age Ranges: 6-8 , 8-10 , 10-12
Education Level: Middle School , Primary
Areas of Learning: Discussion Groups , Modelling , Observation based , Project-based learning
Costs: Medium Cost
Duration: 2 hours
Group Size: Group
Skills: Asking questions , Developing and using models , Engaging in argument from evidence