Alan 2021 Abstract Booklet 1

ALAN 2021
ARTIFICIAL LIGHT AT NIGHT
CONFERENCE
ABSTRACT
BOOKLET
Cover image: Eye of Montsec, the planetarium of Parc Astronomic del Montsec
Author: Ramon Vilalta / FGC
Booklet editor: Yiğit Öner Altıntaş, GFZ Potsdam
Copyright notice: The cover image is licensed under a Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
The rest of the booklet of abstracts is licensed under Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License. The authors of the individual abstracts
are noted at the top of each abstract.
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T Welcome to ALAN 2021!
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Dear ALAN participants,
Together with all of you, we’ve experienced the year since the last ALAN conference
as a period of reduced travel, as well as uncertainty as to what will be possible in
the future, and when that future might arrive. When we decided to hold a mini e-
conference in 2020 and began planning ALAN 2021, we still hoped that by the
summer of 2021 it would again be possible to meet in person. This unfortunately
turned out not the case.
We hope that the virtual environment that we have prepared will make it possible
for everyone to participate in ALAN 2021, regardless of the time zone you live in.
We do not expect anyone to be able to connect to the entire live program; please
join in at a time that is convenient to you, and watch the recorded videos at your
# own pace or as part of a watch party.
As this is our �irst experience hosting a conference in such an environment, there

A are sure to be some issues. Please do not hesitate to contact the VirtualMeet
representative at the helpdesk for issues related to your own connection.
Additionally, while we will do our best to prepare the session chairs and speakers,
L please bear with us if we experience any dif�iculties during the live sessions.
A The hashtag for this year’s conference is #ALAN2021. For posters, please do not
share screenshots without the express permission of the poster presenter. Oral
presenters should clearly state at the start of their talk if they do not wish for slides
N to be shared.
2 The future of ALAN depends on the continued participation of speakers and

audience members. In case you are not already signed up for the conference
mailing list, please therefore take a moment to sign up now, so that you will receive
0 our call for papers for ALAN 2023: http://tinyurl.com/alan-signup.
The international steering committee is once again very thankful to Salvador Ribas,
2 Fernando Jáuregui, and the rest of the organizational team from Lleida for their
doubled work – both the initial planning of a live event in Lleida, and their
1 contribution to this electronic conference. Hopefully, it will be possible to hold a

live ALAN in Lleida sometime in the future.
Finally, thank you for deciding to attend this year’s virtual ALAN conference!
Sincerely,
Christopher Kyba
Chair of ALAN steering committee
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T Interna�onal Organizing Commi�ee
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Dr. Constantinos A. Bouroussis

National Technical University of Athens · Lighting Laboratory, Athens, Greece
Mr. Roberto Corradini

Lighting Design Workshop, Italy
Ms. Bettymaya Foott

# International Dark-Sky Association, Tucson Arizona, USA
Dr. Dietrich Henckel

A Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin,
Germany
L Dr. Franz Hölker

Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
A Mr. Fernando Jáuregui
N Planetario de Pamplona -NICDO, Spain
Dr. Christopher Kyba (chair)

2 Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Potsdam,
Germany
0 Dr. Martin Morgan-Taylor

Leicester De Montfort Law School, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
2 Dr. Salvador J. Ribas

Parc Astronòmic Montsec - Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
1 & Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
Dr. Johanne Roby

Département de chimie, Cégep de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
Dr. Eva Schernhammer

Department of Epidemiology, Medical University Vienna, Center for Public Health,
Vienna, Austria
Dr. Sibylle Schroer

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Community
ALAN Conference http://arti�iciallightatnight.org/
LPTMM Conference http://lptmm.org/
Consortium for Dark Sky Studies http://darkskystudies.org/

# International Dark Sky Association http://darksky.org/
A LPResearch mailing list https://groups.io/g/LPResearch
L ALAN Research database https://www.zotero.org/groups/alan_db
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0 VIIRS DNB data online visualization
VIIRS DNB data download

https://lighttrends.lightpollutionmap.info/
https://eogdata.mines.edu/products/vnl/
2 VIIRS DNB overpass time predictor https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/eog/viirs/
predict/
1 World Atlas of sky brightness �loating
point data
http://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.1.4.2016.001
Find astronaut photographs http://citiesatnight.org/
Viewing/accessing Globe at Night data http://www.myskyatnight.com/
Sunrise/sunset calculator https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/
Moonrise/moonset calculator https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/
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Suppor�ng Ins�tu�ons
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T Table of Contents
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Reasons for the failure of light pollution prevention legislation in Slovenia 1

Aleš Šubic
Local mapping of sky quality in existing and potential dark sky places 3
Alexandra Pusztai-Eredics, Zoltán Kolláth, Andrea Pozsgai, Flóra Siska and Dénes Szász
Simple methods to calibrate a digital camera 4
Alexandre Simoneau and Martin Aubé
Point Spread Functions for mapping arti�icial night sky luminance over large territories 5
Alexandre Simoneau, Martin Aubé, Jérôme Leblanc, Rémi Boucher, Johanne Roby and Florence Lacharité
Procedure to estimate lighting at mesopic/scopic levels in epidemiological studies 7
Alicia Pereira, Jaume Escofet and Montserrat Tàpias
Cosmic Connections: An Intuitive Inquiry into the Sociocultural Experiences of Engaging 9
with Outer Space in Scotland
Allison Wilkerson
Mapping the Melatonin Suppression Index in Sherbrooke (Canada) with the LANcube 11
Ammar Farkouh, Adam Dufour, Martin Aubé, Charles Marseille, Alexandre Simoneau and Johanne Roby
# Effect of Arti�icial light at night (ALAN) on brain plasticity, melatonin, and behavior in
birds: An interim summary
Anat Barnea
13
A Multispectral sky quality survey in the Hungarian national parks

Andrea Pozsgai, Alexandra Pusztai-Eredics, Flóra Siska, Dénes Száz, Kornél Kolláth and Zoltán Kolláth
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Fraction and change of public lighting in Preussisch-Oldendorf, Germany 16
Andreas Hänel and Thomas Kunzemann
Arti�icial light at night disturbs zooplankton under lake ice, a case study at Lake Baikal, 18
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Russia
Andreas Jechow, Ilya A. Aslamov, Konstantin M. Kucher, Mikhail M. Makarov, Joonatan Ala-Konni, Georgiy
Kirillin and Franz Hölker
Recognition of light pollution problems, search for solutions in human ecological 20
N approach
Anna Apró
The light pollution and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2016-2030) 22
2 Anna Apró and János Mika
A comparative account of acute versus chronic exposure of LAN on behavior and
physiology of resident Indian Weaver bird
24
0 Anupama Yadav, Jyoti Tiwari, Raj Kumar, Vaibhav Vaish, Shalie Malik and Sangeeta Rani
Ground-level nighttime illuminance in�luences distribution of species on sandy beaches
Ariel Simons, Karen Martin and Travis Longcore
26
2 The effect of arti�icial light at night on nocturnal song behaviour in a diurnal bird species
Ashton L. Dickerson, Michelle L. Hall and Therésa M. Jones
28
1 30
Moth survival increases under high pressure sodium lights
Brett Seymoure
Modelling Light Emission Using Real-world Lighting and Obstruction Information 32
Brian Espey
The First 365 Nights: Australia's National Light Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife 34
Cesar San Miguel, Kellie Pendoley and Karen Arthur
Temporal variations of the multispectral night sky brightness on Tenerife Island 36
Charles Marseille, Martin Aubé, Africa Barreto and Norman T. O'Neill
Impact of light pollution on freshwater zooplankton distribution along an urban river 38
and at illuminated bridges
Christina Luchs, Tim Walles, Catherine Pérez Vega, Bronwyn Dyson, Jens Nejstgaard, Franz Hölker and
Andreas Jechow
Dark sky measurement data, pro�ile �itting at MHAONB and backscatter ratio 40
Christopher Baddiley
A Multinational Study of Night Sky Brightness patterns: preliminary results from the 42
Globe at Night – Sky Brightness Monitoring Network (GaN-MN)
Chu Wing So, Nok Yan Janet Chang, Shengjie Liu, Lina Canas, Constance Walker, Sze Leung Cheung and
Chun Shing Jason Pun
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Outcomes from the Dark & Quiet Skies Workshop Reports 43

Constance Walker and Members Of The Dark And Quiet Skies Working Groups
Measurements for determining spectral correction factor for satellite observations and 45
�ield test of light pollution maps
Dénes Száz, Kornél Kolláth and Zoltán Kolláth
Device for automatic measurement of light pollution of the night sky – test results and 46
conditions of operation
Dominika Karpińska and Mieczysław Kunz
GAMBONS: A multi-band Gaia – Hipparcos map of the natural night sky brightness 48
Eduard Masana, Josep Manel Carrasco, Salva Bará and Salvador J. Ribas
GLOW – The Global arti�icial Light Ocean netWork 50
Elena Maggi, Martin Aubé, Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi, Iacopo Bertocci, Zara Botterell, Paul R. Brooks,
Ronaldo Christofoletti, Jennifer Coughlan, Tasman P. Crowe, Kathrine Dafforn, Dominique Davoult, Giulio
Franzitta, Robin Gauff, Nik Hubbard, Ljiljana Iveša, Aline S. Martinez, Ezequiel Marzinelli, Mariana Mayer
Pinto, Ana Queiros, Pedro Quijon, Francesca Rossi, Megan Trethewy and Fernando Tuya
Lidar measurements of insect distributions near light �ixtures with different spectra 52
# Elizabeth Rehbein, Riley D. Logan, Kurt M. Fristrup and Joseph A. Shaw

Impact of light pollution on biodiversity Challenges for education
Éva Nagy
54
A Computing light pollution indicators

Fabio Falchi and Salvador Bará
56
L Living the Pyrenean night

Fernando Jauregui
Testes histo-morphological changes in laboratory rats, Rattus norvegicus, exposed to
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A Arti�icial Light at Night (ALAN)

Festus Kehinde, Gabriel Dedeke, Matthew Olude, Kehuinde Ademolu, Adeyinka Aladesida and Fatimo
Olatunde
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Investigation of the spectral response of the environment 62
Flóra Siska, Anna Skribanek, Zoltán Kolláth and Magdolna Dani
Feeding of a diurnal caterpillar increased directly by arti�icial light at night, but not 64
2
indirectly via effects on host-plant quality
Geoffrey Miller, Melissa Hey, Lauren Emer, Madaris Serrano Perez and Kyle Haynes
Learning from Newport, Ireland 66
0
Georgia MacMillan, Brian Espey, Marco Palandella and Roberto Corradini
Dark sky tourism and the need for a new academic network 68
Hannah Dalgleish
2 SkyMeAPP: a citizen science project to study light pollution

Héctor Lamphar
A methodology for a light pollution network with optimal sensor location
70
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1 Héctor Lamphar and Rodrigo López
Sky brightness simulation with Illumina over locations from the Pyrenees La Nuit Project
Hector Linares, Eduard Masana, Salvador J Ribas, Martin Aubé, Salvador Bará and Alexandre Simoneau
74
Nachtlicht-BüHNE: update on the German citizen science project to create large area 76
lighting surveys
Helga Kuechly, Yiğit Öner Altıntaş, Nona Schulte-Römer, Sicco Bauer and Christopher Kyba
Art In The City Of Light In An Era Of Innovative Ḗclairage 78
Hollis Clayson
Pyrenees La Nuit: Impact of arti�icial light at night on nocturnal Lepidoptera in the 79
Western Pyrenees
Iker Pardo, Enrique Vergara and Carlos Armendariz
ASTMON and Sky Quality Camera: two devices and the same sky, but same results? 81
Immaculada Garrofé, Salvador J. Ribas and Ramon Canal-Domingo
AZOTEA: (Zenithal astronomy during & after the lockdown) 83
Jaime Zamorano, Rafael González, Salvador Bará, Sergio Pascual, Jaime Izquierdo, José Luis Navarro,
Ignacio Hilera, Jesús Gallego, Nicolás Cardiel, José Robles, Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel, Cristóbal García,
Esteban González Guardia and Lucía García
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Contrasting effects of street-light shapes and LED color temperatures on nocturnal 85

insects and bats
Janine Bolliger, Beat Wermelinger, Stephan Blum, Jörg Haller and Martin K Obrist
Impact of light pollution on human imagination 87
Jeanne Bloch
Bats : Which Tolerability For Light Pollution? 89
Jérôme Loiret, Emile Poncet and Elisabeth Lopez
Dark sky advocacy in Stanley, Idaho: a case study of a rural community's dark sky 91
friendly LED streetlight retro�it and related dark sky initiatives
Jessica Heim
Eco-linguistic analyses of knowledge transfer on the topic of arti�icial outdoor lightning: 93
Are the extent and the effects of light pollution regularly underestimated? On the
discussion of consequences for nature conservation and environmental protection
Jochen Krautwald and Herbert Lohner
An Urban Starry Sky Oasis in the Heart of the City of Sherbrooke, Canada 94
#
Johanne Roby and Martin Aubé
Long-term assessment of light pollution in 3 major European cities - How to overcome 95
SQM aging and meteorological effects
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Johannes Puschnig and Stefan Wallner
Pyrenees La Nuit: In�luence of arti�icial lighting on bat activity in Western Pyrenees 96
Juan Tomás Alcalde, Xavier Puig-Montserrat and Carlos Armendariz
L Urban to rural nighttime light emissions observed with a simultaneous radial transect of
GONet all-sky cameras
Ken Walczak, Geza Gyuk, Jesus Garcia, Cynthia Tarr, Claudia Jimenez, Laris Turkic, Jeff Wiedemann,
98
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Frederic Johnson and Charles Roche
Arti�icial Light at Night affects the timing of stridulation and locomotion behavior in the 100
cricket Gryllus bimaculatus
Keren Levy, Amir Ayali and Anat Barnea
N Bat activity patterns may change when exposed to Arti�icial Light At Night (ALAN) at
their foraging sites
Léa Mariton, Christian Kerbiriou, Yves Bas, Brigitte Zanda and Isabelle Le Viol
102
2 Leading the Natural Night Skies Stewardship and Science in the US

Li-Wei Hung
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0 Arti�icial light at night alters leaf litter consumption, growth and behaviour of freshwater
shredders
Magdalena Czarnecka, Tomasz Kakareko, Maja Grubisic and Jarosław Kobak
105
2 Light stress - light pollution Effect of street lights on the development of Celtis occidentalis L.
Magdolna Dani, Flóra Siska, Zoltán Kolláth and Anna Skribanek
Skyglow modi�ies effects of browning on benthic primary producers in lakes
107
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1 Maja Grubisic, Ivana Trbojevic, Franz Hölker, Michael T. Monaghan, Elisabeth Funke, Stella A. Berger, Mark
O. Gessner, Andreas Jechow, Christopher C. M. Kyba, Gregor A., López Moreira M., Jens C. Nejstgaard,
Gabriel Singer and Sabine Hilt
Sky Brightness Assessment in Catalonia 110
Manuel Garcia Gil, Salvador Ribas, Eduard Masana, Hector Linares and Ramon Canal-Domingo
Modelling and Assessing Light Pollution for Environmental Planning with GIS 112
Maria Zschorn
Revisiting the Third Age of Light 114
Mark Major
The radiative transfer model Illumina v2.0: Added features and capabilities 115
Martin Aube, Alexandre Simoneau, Miquel Serra Ricart, Casiana Munoz-Tunon, Javier Castro-Diaz, Julien-
Pierre Houle, Emie Bordeleau, Nikki Veilleux and Justine Desmarais
The impact of image resolution on power, bias, and confounding: A simulation study of 117
ambient light at night exposure
Michael A. McIsaac, Eric Sanders, Theres Kuester, Kristan J. Aronson and Christopher C. M. Kyba
Moth matchmaking in moonlight: For male moths the quest to �ind mates is in�luenced by 119
the position of the moon
Mona Storms, Andreas Jechow, Franz Hölker, Aryan Jakhar, Tobias Degen and Jacqueline Degen
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Simulations of light pollution over the Natural Reserve "La Primavera" in Guadalajara 121
Jalisco México
Monica Lozada and Héctor Solano
Metabolic Health and Physical Development of Barn Swallow (Hirundo Rustica) Chicks 123
Under Natural Photoperiod and Arti�icial Light at Night
Murry Burgess, Caren Cooper and Margaret Voss
The impact of light pollution on celestial visual information invertebrates use as a 125
navigational cue
Nicholas Roberts, Rochelle Meah and Lauren Sumner-Rooney
De�inition of a new RGB photometric system and UCM library of synthetic 127
spectrophotometric standard stars
Nicolás Cardiel, Jaime Zamorano, Salvador Bará, Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel, Cristina Cabello, Jesús
Gallego, Lucía García, Rafael González, Jaime Izquierdo, Sergio Pascual, José Robles, Ainhoa Sánchez and
Carlos Tapia
Mapping the Melatonin Suppression Index with the International Space Station colour 129
images
# Nikki Veilleux, Justine Desmarais, Émie Bordeleau, Martin Aubé and Alexandre Simoneau
Poisoning the web: Effects of arti�icial light at night and pesticides on urban spiders
Nikolas Willmott, Kathryn McNamara, Bob Wong and Therésa Jones
131
A The light for the value of the night. Are the basic principles for interior good lighting
design not present in the night of our cities?
Paulina Villalobos
133
L Instrument veri�ication and atmospheric phenomena in relation to the NSB time series
Pietro Fiorentin, Stefano Cavazzani, Sergio Ortolani, Andrea Bertolo and Renata Binotto
Light pollution and nocturnal navigation using the lunar polarization pattern in a spider
135
137
A Rochelle Meah, Nicholas Roberts and Lauren Sumner-Rooney
When light and timing matters for circadian health
Rol MA, Bonmatí-Carrión MA and Madrid JA
139
N Light Pollution in Selected Philippine Metropolitan Areas using Radiance Measurement

from VIIRS
Ryan Manuel Guido and Ernest Macalalad
141
2 Are the "years of peace" over?

Salvador X. Bará
The relationship between night sky brightness and remote sensing data: Preliminary
143
144
0 result from Luojia-1 and the International Space Station
Shengjie Liu, Chu Wing So, Nok Yan Janet Chang and Chun Shing Jason Pun
Arti�icial Light At Night (ALAN) Distrupts Sleep Behavior In Zebra Finches 145
2 Stan Moaraf, Inon Scharf, Abraham Hefetz and Anat Barnea
Sky Quality Meter vs. ‘Reality’ - Investigating the true effectiveness of SQMs during
lighting conversions in Vienna
147
1 Stefan Wallner, Johannes Puschnig, Franz Binder and Miroslav Kocifaj

Economic motivation study of dark sky astrotourism in Thailand
Sze Leung Cheung
149
Light Touch: A Design Strategy for Responsible Urban Park Lighting 150
Taylor Stone
The impact of the night sky brightness on the water quality indicators in the Dobczyce 152
Reservoir, Poland
Tomasz Ściężor
The deregulation of glucose metabolism after exposure to dim light at night in ratsThe 154
deregulation of glucose metabolism after exposure to dim light at night in rats
Valentina Rumanova, Monika Okuliarova and Michal Zeman
Neutrophil response to lipopolysaccharide under dim light at night in rats 156
Viera Jerigova, Michal Zeman and Monika Okuliarova
Mapping the risk of the degradation of sky quality and the potential biological effects at 158
dark sky places and protected area
Zoltán Kolláth, Kornél Kolláth, Dénes Száz, Flóra Siska, Alexandra Pusztai-Eredics, Andrea Pozsgai and
József Vanyó
VIII
Reasons for the failure of light pollution prevention legislation in Slovenia
Theme: Technology & Design
Aleš Šubic
Initiative for Regulation of Outdoor Lighting, Poljane/Škofja Loka, Slovenia
[email protected]
Introduction
Based on extensive knowledge of light

pollution, gathered over past decades, an increasing
number of countries are adopting light pollution
prevention legislations. In 2007, Slovenia was one of
the first countries to adopt such legislation with the
Regulation on limit values of light pollution. As such,
Slovenian experience is ideal for studying the
effectiveness of the taken measures and of remaining
factors, preventing fully resolving the problem. Fig. 1: Illumination of a regional road exit
and a school turnaround in Slovenian
Undisputed progress has been made with the countryside (photo: A. Šubic)
Regulation in many respects. Different sources of light
pollution are covered and the country is largely respecting the Regulation requirements. Following
the requirement to harmonize the lighting with the Regulation by 2017, today more or less all street
lighting meets the ULOR = 0 condition and some other most problematic issues have been mostly
resolved. Following the technology advances, LED lighting is largely introduced, thus making it
easier to meet the Regulation limitation of power consumption.
Despite all the progress, the country is facing an unprecedented spread of light pollution, as
the road and street lighting are intensively spreading to new locations. The Regulation sought to
limit the total amount of public lighting with a limit of power consumption of 44,5 kWh/capita/year,
but with technology shift to LED the effect of this limit has completely failed. Furthermore, the
analysis of cases over the country shows that technical measures and quantitative limits are not
sufficient to provide ecologically and spatially appropriate lighting. In the lack of comprehensive
eco-spatial policies, the lighting is almost completely subject to the technical decisions of the state
road authorities, reckless civilizational pressure on the municipality level and international lighting
standards, strongly influencing both previously listed factors.
Challenges of light pollution prevention in Slovenia
The Regulation, which was adopted in Slovenia in 2007, is mainly respected, with only
minor deviations in particular cases. The recommendations of the lighting profession are followed
as well, especially strictly in lighting state roads. While most other major sources of light pollution
are well managed, road lighting is a serious problem. It is expanding intensively to new locations,
both on state roads and in settlements of all types, with European infrastructure funds playing a
significant role in its pace. As far as road lighting is concerned, the only limits are ULOR = 0 and
the limit of annual consumption per capita. It is obvious that additional measures need to be taken
to manage the problem.
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ALAN 2021
The necessary additional measures can be roughly divided into the following main sections:
• Limiting locations and amount of lighting
• Limiting the lighting intensity
• Switching off or dimming after curfew
• Environmentally friendly color temperature, reduction of intrusive light on windows
• Ensuring aesthetical acceptability (landscape, urban appearance)
While it will be relatively easy to achieve more appropriate CCT and turning off or dimming
after curfew is also in the interest of lighting providers (this indirectly allows them to install more
lighting), all other measures pose very difficult challenges:
• Extremely difficult-to-move approaches of state traffic infrastructure authorities, lighting
standards and recommendations
• Civilizational expectations regardless of actual needs and cumulative effects
• Inability of state structures and urban planning expert circles to introduce comprehensive
spatial planning policies
A further detailed review of individual factors shows that above all the aspect of
comprehensive spatial planning is critically absent in the whole issue, both at the macro level of
anticipation and limitation of cumulative effects, as well as at the micro level of ecologically,
aesthetically and ethically acceptable placement of individual lighting projects. In these conditions,
the technical lighting parameters and the unrestrained and reckless civilizational pressure to
illuminate (at least) all populated areas, prevail almost entirely. It seems that it would be necessary
to limit lighting locations much more decisively, not only by restricting lighting outside settlements,
but also by theoretically justified avoidance of lighting particular types of settlements or their parts
when the needs do not reach a certain threshold.
The influence of international standards (e.g. EN 13201) and, in the event of their
inadequacy, their potentially extremely problematic and extensive negative effects should be
emphasized. As these are expert recommendations, they are very difficult to challenge, therefore
both residents and local authorities are usually practically completely powerless even in cases
where it is obvious that unacceptable environmental and spatial effects are caused.
Conclusions
The Slovenian example shows that significant progress can be made with measures to limit
light pollution. However, the achievements can quickly be nullified, if the spread of lighting to new
locations is not effectively limited. This can partly be done by setting appropriate quantitative
cumulative limits, but it’s evident that for a complete solution to the problem also qualitative spatial
planning approaches are needed. In addition, an ethical shift needs to be made in attitude to the
lighting. It should be seen as a pollutant that should only be used in case of undisputed needs.
The corresponding measures have to be defined in both the environmental and the spatial
planning legislation. In addition, the very concrete technical starting points need to be revised. The
later mainly derive from internationally agreed standards, therefore it’s very important that these
standards are made unquestionably environmentally and spatially acceptable.
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ALAN 2021
Local mapping of sky quality in existing and potential dark sky places
Theme: Measurement & Modelling
Alexandra Pusztai-Eredics,1,* Andrea Pozsgai,1 Flóra Siska,1 Dénes Száz,1 Kornél Kolláth,1,2
József Vanyó3 and Zoltán Kolláth3
1
Eötvös Loránd University, BDPK, Department of Physics, Szombathely, Hungary
2
Hungarian Meteorological Service, Budapest, Hungary
3
Eszterházy Károly University, Department of Physics, Eger, Hungary
[email protected]
*
presenting author
A major criterium for establishing an international dark sky place is the objective determination of
night sky quality. Since multiple measurements are necessary to establish a firm foundation of the
qualification, massive observational datasets exist at each location. However, the measurements are
heterogeneous due to the varying atmospheric conditions. We developed a mapping technique based
on ground-based and satellite observations and radiation transfer modelling to minimize sky quality
determination uncertainties.
Fig. 1: False-colour sky brightness map taken in the Hortobágy Starry Sky Park
(top) and a two models of the sky radiance with AOD=0.05 (center) and
AOD=0.3 (bottom). The radiance is given in nW/m2/sr/nm (dsu).
Our method includes the following steps:
• Monte Carlo radiation transfer method is used to estimate artificial sky radiance based on
satellite data.
• The light output of the cities is corrected by the actual spectra of the light domes to
eliminate the mismatch due to the spectral response of satellite measurements.
• An additional correction is made for the light output by fitting the observations. It also
provides the possibility to estimate the aerosol optical depth at the time of measurements.
The models fitted to the observations taken at different times and locations makes it possible to
provide a high-quality light pollution map of a given protected area or other territories.
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Simple methods to calibrate a digital camera
Theme: Measurement & Modeling
Alexandre Simoneau1*, and Martin Aubé1,2

1
Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
2
Cégep de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
[email protected]
*
presenting author
The use of digital cameras for scientific purposes has been widespread in astronomy since
its introduction. However, in order to obtain useful data from these sensors, they must be
thoroughly calibrated. In more recent years, digital cameras have become omnipresent with digital
single-lens reflex (DSLR) and smartphone cameras, but the calibration methods remain out of reach
for most users, particularly for those that are not initiated to the calibration of imaging sensors.
Moreover, the usual methods tend to be harder to implement for multispectral or large field of view
(FOV) systems such as fisheye lens.
In the present work, we propose a set of

calibration procedures that are simple to use with
the intent to allow an easier access to scientific
image analysis. The proposed methods include a
calibration of the angular deformation of images
using a picture of a star field and the evaluation of
the non-linear radiometric response and the
absolute calibration of the spectral bands
sensitivities using photography of a star of known
out of atmosphere absolute spectral emission
combined with an atmospheric extinction model.
Moreover, we propose a way to produce a flat field Figure 1. DSLR camera used to test the calibrating
for large FOV systems using a photography method. Sony a7s equipped with a Samyang T1.5
50mm lens. Photo credit: Alexandre Simoneau
shooting tent with a robotized mount. The lit
surface of the tent is photographed from multiple camera orientation and the obtained photographs
are selectively averaged to only keep the part that images the surface, effectively looking at the
same surface for the whole sensor. Moreover, the averaging of images taken from multiple
orientations statistically reduces the variance of the observed luminance of the surface. This
method, although more complex than the use of an integrated sphere, is at a much lower barrier to
entry considering the fact that professional integrating spheres typically cost thousands of dollars
while shooting tents can be found for roughly a hundred dollars.
References
Hänel A, Posch T, Ribas SJ, Aubé M, Duriscoe D, Jechow A, Kollath Z, Lolkema DE, Moore C, Schmidt N,
Spoelstra H, Wuchterl G, & Kyba CCM (2018). Measuring night sky brightness: methods and
challenges. J Quant Spectrosc Radiat Transf, 205, 278-290.
Sánchez de Miguel A, Kyba CCM, Aubé M, Zamorano J, Cardiel N, Tapia C, Bennie J, & Gaston KJ (2019).
Colour remote sensing of the impact of artificial light at night (I): The potential of the International
Space Station and other DSLR-based platforms. Remote Sens Environ, 224, 92-103.
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ALAN 2021
Point Spread Functions for mapping artificial night sky luminance over large territories
A. Simoneau2, M. Aubé1,2,3, J. Leblanc1*, R. Boucher4, J. Roby1 and F. Lacharité1

1
Cégep de Sherbrooke, 475 rue du Cégep, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, J1E 4K1
2
Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boulevard de l’Université, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, J1K 2R1
3
Bishop’s University, 2600 College St., Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, J1M 1Z7
4
Parc national du Mont-Mégantic, 189 route du parc, Notre-Dame-des-Bois, Québec, Canada, J0B 2E0
[email protected]
* presenting author
Both astronomical observations and the study of nocturnal ecosystems require knowledge and
understanding of night sky radiance. Measuring this radiance can prove to be a complex endeavor
depending on the desired spectral, spatial and temporal resolutions. One solution to this problem is
to model the night sky radiance computationally. However, the modeling of artificial night sky
radiance for a large array of points over any given territory can represent a significant amount of
computing time depending on the complexity of the model used. It has been suggested that such
computations be performed using the convolution of a point spread function with a map of the light
sources present on the studied territory. The main focus of our work is to determine how the Point
Spread Function is sensitive to variations of the main parameters of artificial night sky radiance
using the light pollution model Illumina v2. Studied parameters are the light source’s wavelength,
the ground reflectance, the Upward Light Output Ratio, the Aerosol Optical Depth and the obstacles
properties. We then used the obtained functions to model the artificial night sky radiance over the
territory of the Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve, which was then compared to in-situ
measurements as well as to the New world atlas of artificial night sky brightness and to the Illumina
model in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the convolution method. We found that, compared to
those in-situ measurements, the atlas overestimates the artificial sky brightness by 55% whereas the
model underestimates it by 48%. This may be explained by the presence of snow for some of the
atlas monthly data and the fact that the Illumina model only accounts for public light sources.
Differences in atmospheric conditions and the spectral and ULOR properties of lights sources in the
Dark Sky Reserve also probably play a role in these discrepancies.
Fig. 1: Simulated point spread functions relative to a reference case for varying optical depths in summer
conditions
References
5
ALAN 2021
Aubé M, Simoneau A, Muñoz-Tuñón C, Díaz-Castro J, Serra-Ricart M (2020). Restoring the night sky
darkness at Observatorio del Teide: First application of the model Illumina version 2. Monthly
Notices of the Royal Astronomy Society, 497(3), 2501-2516.
Bará S, Lima RC (2018). Photons without borders: quantifying light pollution transfer between territories.
International Journal of Sustainable Lighting, 20(2), 51-61.
Simoneau A, Aubé M, Leblanc J, Boucher R, Roby J, Lacharité F (2021). PSFs for mapping artificial night
sky luminance over large territories. Manuscript submitted for publication.
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ALAN 2021
Procedure to estimate lighting at mesopic/scopic levels in epidemiological studies
A. Pereira,1 J. Escofet,2,* and M. Tàpias2

1Facultat d’Òptica i Optometria (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya), Terrassa, Spain
2 Departament d’Òptica i Optometria (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya), Terrassa, Spain
[email protected]
* presenting author
Introduction
It is well known that exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN) may cause negative health
effects, such as breast cancer, circadian phase disruption and sleep disorders. It is a topic of interest
in epidemiological studies to investigate the health effects of the low residual light that remains in a
bedroom when it is dark and can interact with people suffering from lagophthalmia and even can
overstep the eyelids. This residual light can be due to exterior light that seeps through windows and
doors, small clock screens, indicator lights, etc ...
In more epidemiological studies[1], multi-channel wristband devices attached to patients allow

continuously record, among other measures, the rhythms of body temperature, activity, body position
and exposure to light. This light sensors have an absolute threshold at 0.01 lux so that, they are unable
to measure the lower levels in a dark bedroom at night. While it is true that there are devices in the
market that measure low light levels with a resolution of lux they are excessively expensive.
Nowadays this low light level is qualitatively estimated through questions as “How many fingers do
you see?” or “Can you detect the hand movement?” being the uncertainty of the estimation very high.
In this work we present a subjective procedure for estimating low level light values comprised
between 10-2 lx and 10-3 lx. The method is based on visual detection of the minimum contrast letter,
in a letter contrast sensitivity chart, for different levels of light.
Methods
A green LED point source with a very faint light emission has been placed at the extreme of
an optical bench and a GOSSEN MAVOLUX 5032C USB lucimeter has measured the illumination
at seven different distances from the source. A linear fitted expression, based on inverse square law,
has been obtained from the logarithmically transformed variables. This expression allows us to
derive, by extrapolation, the illumination level at further distances, where the light levels are below
of the lucimeter absolute threshold of 0.01 lux.
A letter contrast sensitivity chart, with twelve Sloan letters of 42 mm size in decreasing values
of modulation, displayed in 4 rows and 3 columns, has been printed in a DIN A-4 white card stock
sheet. The contrast of the letters decreased in a geometrical progression with common ratio √2 from
the maximum contrast (0,913) in the letter 1 to the minimum (0,020) in the letter 12.
Figure 1(a) shows the experimental setting. The green LED point source has been placed at
the right end of an optical bench. The first distance from the source to be tested was the one in which
the illumination level was barely 0.01 lux. The four following distances were chosen to have half of
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ALAN 2021
illumination level than the previous one. The distance between the chart and the observer was about
40 cm. The light levels analyzed varies from low mesopic to high scotopic and range measurement is
from 0,01 lx to 0,001 lx. Therefore, eccentric fixation was needed to guess the letters as the distance
increased, due to so dimming light. To avoid letter memorization, seven different copies of the chart
were printed so as for the observers have a new chart at every tested distance.
(a) (b)
Figure 1. (a) Experimental setting, (b) Results obtained.
A group of thirty visually healthy people (9 men and 21 women) aged between 18 and 50 has
been recruited in order to relate the position of the letter with minimum contrast discerned and the
light level (lx) in the place.
Results
Figure 1(b) displays results obtained with its corresponding uncertainty ranges. The letter with
highest contrast (letter 1) may be discerned at approximately 0,001 lx while observers needs a mean
illumination of 0,007 to discern the letter with lowest contrast (letter 12). As expected, the uncertainty
increases as the position of the letters increases, that is, as the contrast of the letters decreases.
The high variability in the results obtained recommends to assign a range of illumination to
each value instead of a single value.
Results obtained are redundant because uncertainty ranges overlap between them but
overlapping aids to obtain more precision in this type of measurements.
Conclusions
A subjective method to measure low light levels has been presented. It allows estimating light
measurements that ranges between 10-2 lx and 10-3 lx.
This method is not expensive and with a little training it can be applied to estimate low light
levels in dark rooms.
References
Garcia-Saenz A et al. (2018) Evaluating the association between artificial light-at-night exposure and breast
and prostate cancer risk in Spain (MCC-Spain Study). Environ Health Persp, 126(4):047011.
8
ALAN 2021
Cosmic Connections: An Intuitive Inquiry into the Sociocultural Experiences of Engaging
with Outer Space in Scotland
Theme: Society
Allison R. Wilkerson,1
1
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
[email protected]
At the international level, efforts to address the long-term sustainability of outer space activities
(LTSOSA) are scientific and technical in nature (Martinez, 2018). These efforts centre the
perspectives of space-faring entities, often failing to incorporate perspectives of relevant ground-
based actors (Martinez, 2018; UN, 2018), such as concerns of space-based light pollution from
satellite mega-constellations (McDowell, 2020). This study sought to counter the technical literature
through exploring sociocultural perspectives on dark skies and outer space sustainability in the
Scottish context. At a national level, Scotland is a unique and advantageous place to engage with
dark-sky studies, home to some of the most expansive dark sky stretches in Europe (Dark Sky
Parks, 2020). Additionally, Scotland’s space industry is rapidly growing (Scotland’s Space Sector,
2020), which offers unique opportunities to build sustainability into the heart of Scottish space
culture.
Utilizing the intuitive inquiry research method (Anderson, 2019), I interviewed 12 individuals
across four interest groups in Scotland – art, astronomy, environment, and space – regarding their
individual experiences of engagement with outer space and the night sky and the factors that shape
those engagements. This research method facilitated the integration of experiences across a diverse
range of fields and allowed me to incorporate significant personal experiences and perspectives.
Each participant completed a pre-interview creative exercise, and the semi-structured interviews
included discussions on the submitted creative expressions, outer space sustainability, experiences
of outer space and the night sky, light pollution, and potential loss of free and unimpeded access to
space from Earth’s surface.
Figure 1: Inspired by one of the intuitive inquiry meditative cycles (Anderson, 2019), I presented participant
information in the form of trading cards, similar to baseball cards in United States popular culture.
(P) indicates the use of a pseudonym.
9
ALAN 2021
The results (Figure 1) reveal that within Scotland, engagement with outer space can be
conceptualized as a complex, cyclical process comprised of three phases: perception, access, and
benefit (Figure 2). Perception and access are primarily influenced by seven categories: physical
geography, culture, social determinants, interpersonal relationships, health and wellbeing, ethics,
and time. The specified benefits spanned all three pillars of sustainability: environmental,
economic, and social.
Figure 2: Process of Engagement with Outer Space in Scotland

This study identified entry points for a more comprehensive analysis of access to outer space as a
natural resource in the Scottish context. It also revealed areas to consider when addressing diverse
audiences regarding space exploration, development, and exploitation. With additional bodies of
evidence, these perspectives could be refined and potentially utilized to support strategic
interdisciplinary collaboration within the space industry in support of a non-imperialistic approach
to the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.
References
1. Anderson, R. (2019). Intuitive inquiry: Inviting transformation and breakthrough insights in
qualitative research. Qualitative Psychology, 6(3), 312-319.
2. Dark Sky Parks & Stargazing in Scotland. (n.d.). Visit Scotland. Retrieved 11 November 2020,
from https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/landscapes-nature/dark-sky-parks-sites/
3. Martinez, P. (2018). Development of an international compendium of guidelines for the long-
term sustainability of outer space activities. Space Policy, 43, 13-17.
4. McAllister, K. (2020, May 1). Scotland’s Booming Space Sector. SPIE.
https://spie.org/news/photonics-focus/mayjun-2020/scotlands-booming-space-industry?SSO=1
5. McDowell, J. C. (2020). The Low Earth Orbit Satellite Population and Impacts of the SpaceX
Starlink Constellation. The Astrophysical Journal, 892(2), L36. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-
8213/ab8016
6. United Nations. (2018). Guidelines For The Long-Term Sustainability Of Outer Space
Activities. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
10
ALAN 2021
Mapping the Melatonin Suppression Index in Sherbrooke (Canada) with the LANcube
A. Farkouh,1,* A. Dufour,1 M. Aubé,1,2 C. Marseille,2 A. Simoneau,2 and J. Roby1

1
2
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Increased exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN)

causes circadian disturbances among living organisms. This
disruption increases the risk of hormone-dependent cancers in
addition to multiple other negative impacts on flora and fauna.
These impacts are frequently linked to the colour of light or
more precisely to its spectral content. Most current ways to map
light pollution are based on spaceborne images, which are often
panchromatic and therefore insensitive to colour. We have
developed a method that allows the creation of light pollution Fig. 1: A LAN3, a multispectral and
maps of a city. multiangular nightlight sensor
The maps are created using multispectral irradiance data captured by the LANcube (LAN3),
a new device intended to sample the multispectral and multidirectional properties of the direct
artificial light at night into the urban or natural environment (indoor or outdoor), shown in Figure 1.
The device separates the light detected to its three principal colour components: red, green, and blue
(R,G,B) and provides this information for six faces of a cube. The LANcube can be installed on top
of a vehicle to measure artificial light while moving through a city.
Fig. 2: Map of the MSI for Sherbrooke, Canada. The panel (b) shows a zoomed view of MSI for the Mi-
Vallon sector of Sherbrooke, Canada (zone A in panel (a)). Zones B–D are outlining three residential zones
of Sherbrooke. In the maps, blue colour is associated with the higher MSI values.
11
ALAN 2021
It is possible to calculate the Melatonin Suppression Index (MSI) using the multispectral
information obtained with the device. In this presentation, we show how we can map this index for
a whole city in a few hours using the data recorded by a LANcube installed on a vehicle. We
present such a map for the city of Sherbrooke (Canada) in Figure 2.
References
Garcia-Saenz, A., Sánchez de Miguel, A., Espinosa, A., Valentin, A., Aragonés, N., Llorca, J., Amiano, P.,
Martín Sánchez, V., Guevara, M., Capelo, R., Tardón, A., Peiró-Perez, R., Jiménez-Moleón, J. J.,
Roca-Barceló, A., Pérez-Gómez, B., Dierssen-Sotos, T., Fernández-Villa, T., Moreno-Iribas, C.,
Moreno, V., … Kogevinas, M. (2018). Evaluating the Association between Artificial Light-at-Night
Exposure and Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk in Spain (MCC-Spain Study). Environmental Health
Perspectives, 126(4), 047011. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp1837
Aubé, M., Roby, J., & Kocifaj, M. (2013). Evaluating Potential Spectral Impacts of Various Artificial Lights
on Melatonin Suppression, Photosynthesis, and Star Visibility. PLoS ONE, 8(7), e67798.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0067798
Aubé, M., Marseille, C., Farkouh, A., Dufour, A., Simoneau, A., Zamorano, J., Roby, J., & Tapia, C. (2020).
Mapping the Melatonin Suppression, Star Light and Induced Photosynthesis Indices with the
LANcube. Remote Sensing, 12(23), 3954. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12233954
12
ALAN 2021
Effect of Artificial light at night (ALAN) on brain plasticity, melatonin, and behavior in birds:
An interim summary
Theme: Biology & Ecology
Anat Barnea1,*
1
The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Artificial light at night (ALAN), which

disrupts the daily cycle of light/dark, has vast
biological impacts on all organisms, and is also
associated with several health problems. The few
existing studies on neuronal plasticity and cognitive
functions in mammals indicate that disruption of the
circadian cycle suppresses neurogenesis and impairs
learning and memory. However, relatively little is
known regarding the effects of ALAN on brain
plasticity in birds. In the last few years our lab has
studied this question, by using zebra finches
(Taeniopygia guttata) as a model (Fig. 1). In this talk I Fig. 1: zebra finches (Taeniopygia
present the data we obtained so far, and describe in a guttata); a female on the left, a male on
broader view the effect of ALAN on brain plasticity, the right. (Photo: Keren Levy).
melatonin, and behavior.
We first exposed our birds to ecologically relevant ALAN intensities (0.5, 1.5 and 5 lx) for 3
weeks to quantify cell proliferation in their brains, compared to controls that were kept under dark
nights. We found that ALAN significantly increased cell proliferation in the ventricular zone (VZ)
in a dose-dependent manner. After their birth in the VZ, these cells migrate to various brain regions,
differentiate into neurons, and are being recruited into neuronal circuits in their target destinations.
However, we found that despite the increase in cell proliferation that we observed in the VZ, there
was a decrease in total neuronal densities at the target brain regions. We suggested two alternative
explanations for these observations: 1) The decrease in neuronal densities in the target regions
might indicate that many of the new neurons that were born in the VZ did not survive the migration
to these regions under ALAN conditions. 2) ALAN causes a significant reduction in existing neu-
rons, so that even the increased proliferation and probable consequent increased influx of new neu-
rons do not compensate for the loss due to neuronal death. However, it could also be that our 3-
week manipulation was too short to permit such compensation.
Although that study was the first to report that ALAN affects neuronal plasticity in birds,
and added to the growing body of compelling evidence that ALAN alters basic biological processes,
it could not distinguish between the above possibilities. Therefore, in a recent experiment we ex-
posed birds to a longer exposure to ALAN (6 weeks), and recorded the recruitment of new neurons
into their target regions in the brain. We found that ALAN increased neuronal recruitment in three
brain regions that differ in their function: the medial striatum (MSt; part of the avian somatomotor
basal ganglia and linked to visual perception and associative learning), the nidopallium caudale
(NC; involved in vocal communication and in the integration of auditory information), and the hip-
pocampus (HC; involved in the processing of spatial information and stress response). In addition,
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ALAN 2021
in the MSt, the increase under ALAN relative to control was higher compared with the other two
regions, indicating a possible differential effect of ALAN on neuronal recruitment in different brain
regions.
Analysis of medial and lateral sub-regions of the MSt separately revealed that ALAN in-
creased neuronal recruitment in both, but it was more evident in lMSt than in mMSt. This differen-
tial increase suggests that mMSt is more resilient to ALAN than lMSt, which might be related to the
functions of these sub-regions: The mMSt receives dopaminergic inputs from the ventral tegmental
region that is responsible for homeostatic and reflexive pathways, whereas the lMSt receives dopa-
minergic inputs from the substantia nigra pars compacta and pallial input from regions involved in
somatosensory, visual, auditory, and motor function. Therefore, we suggested that the modifications
in the lMSt are induced by changes in the birds' sleeping behavior, assuming that ALAN causes the
birds to be more awake and active during the nights. And indeed, in a current behavioral study, we
found that the birds increased their nocturnal locomotor activity under ALAN, compared to control
birds that were kept in dark nights. In addition, birds under ALAN were observed to feed several
times during the night. Moreover, nocturnal locomotion intensified with the duration of ALAN ex-
posure (3 vs. 6 weeks), indicating a chronic effect.
ALAN also affected nocturnal melatonin levels, which were significantly lower compared to
controls, indicating that very low ALAN intensities suppress melatonin not only in nocturnal, but
also in diurnal species. Taken together, our findings add to the growing body of evidence that
ALAN has deleterious effects of on the behavior and physiology of birds. We believe that our stud-
ies lay the ground for further investigation of possible effects of ALAN on brain plasticity, behav-
ior, and melatonin.
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ALAN 2021
Multispectral sky quality survey in the Hungarian national parks
Andrea Pozsgai,1,* Alexandra Pusztai-Eredics,1 Flóra Siska,1 Dénes Száz,1 Kornél Kolláth1,2 and
Zoltán Kolláth3
1
2
3
[email protected]
*
presenting author
We have started a night sky quality survey in the Hungarian national parks and at other
locations planned for international dark sky park designation. We developed a spherical high-
resolution and high-dynamic-range night sky radiance mapping method using a robotic panorama
head and a calibrated digital camera. This method gives the complete information of the local light
field, which can be used to estimate the impact on a possible observer or specific living creature. At
some locations, we collect spectral data by a dedicated spectroradiometer, to perform a continuous
calibration check of the cameras.
Our project's final goal is to develop a map
that can be used to estimate the full multicolour
"light-scape" at any location in the protected
areas. In order to provide such an interactive map,
the real measurements should be interpolated for
any geographic coordinate inside dedicated
ranges. The grid of measurements sufficient for
such purpose depends on the topography and
geomorphology. For our first demonstration, we
selected national parks from the flat parts of
Hungary.
The spatial interpolation of the data can be
performed at different complexity models. In the
simplest case, a functional fit to the observations
and the geometrical distribution of the main
sources provide enough information to obtain Fig. 1: Green (G) and blue (B) band-averaged
sufficient performance and precision. We also radiance measurements in the Fertő-Hanság
present tests, how radiative transfer modelling National Park, Hungary at two locations. The colour
helps in interpolation. scale is given in nW/m2/sr/nm (dsu) units.
At some locations, we also measure the spectral distribution of the light domes. This
additional database helps in the geometrical mapping of the multispectral data. During 2020, we
also install permanent whole sky cameras in most of the national parks. They contain the same
digital camera, so the uniformity of spectral sensitivity is guaranteed. It adds the possibility to
correct the map for temporal changes.
Acknowledgements: The project is supported by the European Union and co-financed by the
European Social Fund (Grant no. EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00014; Development of international
research environment for light pollution studies).
15
ALAN 2021
The fraction and change of public lighting in Preussisch-Oldendorf, Germany
Theme: Society
Andreas Hänel1,* and Thomas Kunzemann2

1
Dark Sky Germany, Georgsmarienhütte, Germany
2
Preussisch-Oldendorf, Germany
Corresponding: [email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
The relation of public and non-public lighting in cities is not well known. By changing the
known flux of public lighting in Tucson and measuring the change of VIIRS radiances Kyba et al,
(2020) and the change on sky brightness Barentine et al. (2020) derived a percentage of public
lighting of about 14%. Kuechly et al. (2012) derived from camera data taken during flights for
Berlin a value of 33% and Hänel (2020) derived about 50 % for Fulda using sky brightness
measurements when the flux of public lighting was reduced by a known amount.
Planned observations like in the desert climate of Southern Arizona are not possible under
Central European weather conditions. Therefore data have to be taken as they are available or if
there is good weather. We have taken sky brightness measurements in 2010 and 2020 in the central
part of Preussisch-Oldendorf, where most of the public lighting is switched off during the late night.
Sky brightness measurements in Preussisch-Oldendorf in 2010
In 2010 1390 of 1622 lighting points were switched off from midnight 0:00 till 5:00. Most
lighting was fluorescent and some sodium high pressure lamps. Measurements were taken with a
handheld SQM-L and a DSLR with fisheye (Canon 1000 D + Sigma 4.5 mm/3.5) during the clear
night April 17/18. The SQM-L measurements showed a decrease by 0.35 mag/arcsec². The DSLR
measurements were evaluated only in 2020 as in 2010 we had not yet the software Sky Quality
Camera (A. Mohar, Euromix). From the photos the zenith sky brightness was derived and a
decrease by 0.46 mag/arcsec² was derived. Main structures are beams from ground recessed
luminaires on the market.
Sky brightness measurements in 2020
In 2020 public lighting was switched off already at 23:00 to reduce power consumption
although part of the lighting was changed to cut-off LED lighting with a cct of 4000 K. 10 years
after the first, new measurements were taken in the night of April 22/23. The same instruments as in
2010 were used to exclude instrumental influences. In addition continuous measurements with a
SQM-LU were taken at 10 second intervals. Sky brightness before switch-off was about the same as
in 2010, but it decreased by only 0.25 mag/arcsec². This was due to the installation of a badly
oriented ground recessed flood light of a nearby private house which shines into the sky. This light
is switched off at midnight. As our measurements stopped before, further continuous measurements
with a SQM-LU were taken during a period of clear skies in September. The switch-off of this flood
light decreased the sky brightness by further 0.08 mag/arcsec². But after midnight the sky was
typically about 0.1 mag/arcsec² brighter than 10 years before.
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ALAN 2021
The fraction of public lighting and change during 10 years
Assuming that in 2010 and 2020 the same amount of light flux was reduced, for 2010 a
fraction of 60 % and for 2020 of 40% can be attributed to public lighting. This means that non
public lighting has increased by 50% during the 10 years. A small fraction of the public lighting is
reduced due to the fact that part of the luminaires have been changed from typically 3% upward
light ratio to 0%. Using the VIIRS radiance data from lighttrends.lightpollutionmap.info an increase
of upward lighting from Preussisch-Oldendorf during the late night hours, when the satellite flies
over Europe, by more of 50% is observed.
The fraction of public lighting in German cities is higher than in US American cities like
Tucson, perhaps due to different definition and use of public light and to less advertising etc. But
the example of Preussisch-Oldendorf shows that the amount of non-public lighting is increasing.
This is due to the fact that municipalities can control public (especially street) lighting better than
non-public lighting. Therefore it is important that effective regulations limiting the use of non-
public lighting like façade illumination, advertising etc. will be implemented.
Fig.1: Difference allsky picture from Preussisch-Oldendorf between 2010 and 2020. Visible is the
light beam from the market in red, that is switched off with the public lighting and the green beam
from façade illumination of a private house which was visibkle only in 2020. (photo: A. Hänel)
References
Barentine JC, Kundracik F, Kocifaj M, Sanders JC, Esquerdo GA, Dalton AM, Foott B, Grauer A, Tucker S,
Kyba CC. (2020) Recovering the city street lighting fraction from skyglow measurements in a large-
scale municipal dimming experiment. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer
253: 107120.
Hänel, A., (2020). Tracking changes in public lighting, eALAN 2020, 35
Kuechly HU, Kyba CCM, Ruhtz T, Lindemann C, Wolter C, Fischer J, Ho¨ lker F. (2012): Aerial survey of
light pollution in Berlin, Germany, and spatial analysis of sources. Remote Sensing of Environment;
126: 39–50.
Kyba CC, et al. (2020) Direct measurement of the contribution of street lighting to satellite observations of
nighttime light emissions from urban areas. Lighting Res. Technology.
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ALAN 2021
Artificial light at night disturbs zooplankton under lake ice, a case study at Lake Baikal,
Russia
Andreas Jechow,1,* Ilya A. Aslamov,2 Konstantin M. Kucher,2 Mikhail M. Makarov,2 Joonatan

Ala-Könni,3 Georgiy Kirillin,1 and Franz Hölker1
1
Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
2
Russian Academy of Sciences, Limnological Institute SB, Irkutsk, Russia
3
University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
[email protected]
* presenting author
Artificial light at night (ALAN) can have diverse effects on the environment (Rich &
Longcore 2006) with recent work including studies of night-time pollinators and ecosystem services
(Knop et al. 2017) or melatonin suppression in vertebrates at low light levels (Grubisic et al. 2019).
However, both freshwater ecosystems (Jechow & Hölker 2019a) as well as cold regions, such as the
Arctics (Jechow & Hölker 2018, 2019b), have been notoriously understudied compared to
terrestrial ecosystems and temperate regions. Furthermore, hardly any study on ecological effects of
ALAN during winter exists (Jechow & Hölker 2018, 2019b).
Zooplankton is a key species in the aquatic food web, and it is well known, that it performs
diel vertical migration (DVM) moving vertically depending on the light level. Typically,
zooplankton will go to lower depths during the day and rise to shallower depths during night.
Marine Arctic zooplankton performs this DVM even under the ice (Bové et al. 2002) and follows
the lunar cycle during polar night (Last et al. 2016). ALAN can have an impact on zooplankton as
shown by seminal work on the impact of skyglow on DVM in an urban lake at mid latitudes (Moore
et al. 2000) or by ALAN of ships during polar night (Ludvigsen et al. 2018). Here we present the
first investigation of the influence of ALAN on freshwater zooplankton under lake ice.
Fig. 1: Echogram obtained 4 km offshore with an FCV-1100 hydroacoustic system. The response of
zooplankton under the ice is clearly visible.
The experiment was performed at night on frozen Lake Baikal at position 51.787026°N;
104.94284°E, about 4 km offshore on 29.03.2018 02:30 (local time). The lake ice was determined
18
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to be 84 cm thick. An LED floodlight (30W, CCT 4000 K, 2400 lm) was positioned above the ice
facing downwards at Nadir and light was switched on for 5 minutes. Zooplankton activity was
monitored before, during and after the illumination with ALAN with an upgraded FCV-1100 sonar
(Furuno, Japan). The hydroacoustic system was set to 200 kHz, with a pulse repetition rate of 5 Hz,
and pulse duration of 0.3 ms. The 3 dB beam width of the hydroacoustic transducer was 6°. More
information on the method can be found in (Makarov et al. 2019).
The echogram (Fig. 1) shows zooplankton abundance before the light was switched on at
depths between 0 and 50 m depth. Directly after the light was switched on, the zooplankton signal
disappeared from the hydroacoustic beam for all depths with a slightly slower response at greater
depth. After the light was switched off, the zooplankton returns to the hydroacoustic beam. Again,
the response is faster at shallower depth and delayed at greater depths. We assume, that the
zooplankton moves horizontally and not vertically, as observed with ship lights in ice-free marine
systems during polar night (Ludvigsen et al. 2018).
In conclusion, we have shown that freshwater zooplankton in Lake Baikal shows an
immediate response to ALAN even under the ice. A clear avoidance of ALAN was observed,
suggesting a negative photo-taxis. Similar experiments were conducted at two lakes in Finland:
Lake Kilpisjärvi (Arctic lake) and Lake Kuivajärvi, Hyytiäla, using the same ALAN setup, but
acoustic doppler current profilers to track the zooplankton. To our knowledge this is the first
demonstration that ALAN has an effect under lake ice.
References
Bové, G. E., & Stewart, K. M. (2002). Zooplankton migration under ice. Internationale Vereinigung für
theoretische und angewandte Limnologie: Verhandlungen, 28(2), 1134-1139.
Grubisic, M., Haim, A., Bhusal, P., Dominoni, D. M., Gabriel, K., Jechow, A., ... & Stebelova, K. (2019).
Light Pollution, Circadian Photoreception, and Melatonin in Vertebrates. Sustainability, 11(22),
6400.
Jechow, A., & Hölker, F. (2018) Winter (and arctic) light pollution: a new frontier? ALAN conference
Snowbird, Utah USA
Jechow, A., & Hölker, F. (2019a). How dark is a river? Artificial light at night in aquatic systems and the
need for comprehensive night‐time light measurements. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water.
Jechow, A., & Hölker, F. (2019b). Snowglow—The Amplification of Skyglow by Snow and Clouds Can
Exceed Full Moon Illuminance in Suburban Areas. Journal of Imaging, 5(8), 69.
Knop, E., Zoller, L., Ryser, R., Gerpe, C., Hörler, M., & Fontaine, C. (2017). Artificial light at night as a new
threat to pollination. Nature, 548(7666), 206.
Last, K. S., Hobbs, L., Berge, J., Brierley, A. S., & Cottier, F. (2016). Moonlight drives ocean-scale mass
vertical migration of zooplankton during the Arctic winter. Current Biology, 26(2), 244-251.
Ludvigsen, M., Berge, J., Geoffroy, M., Cohen, J. H., Pedro, R., Nornes, S. M., ... & Johnsen, G. (2018). Use
of an autonomous surface vehicle reveals small-scale diel vertical migrations of zooplankton and
susceptibility to light pollution under low solar irradiance. Science advances, 4(1), eaap9887.
Makarov, M. M., Kucher, K. M., & Naumova, E. Y. (2019). Vertical distribution of zooplankton after rapid
change in temperature and chlorophyll concentration. Limnology and Freshwater Biology, 177-180.
Moore, M. V., Pierce, S. M., Walsh, H. M., Kvalvik, S. K., & Lim, J. D. (2000). Urban light pollution alters
the diel vertical migration of Daphnia. Internationale Vereinigung für theoretische und angewandte
Limnologie: Verhandlungen, 27(2), 779-782.
Rich C, Longcore T, editors (2006) Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting. Island Press
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Recognition of light pollution problems, search for solutions in human ecological approach
Theme: Society
Anna Apró1,*
1
Eszterhazy Karoly University, Institute of Geography and Environment, Leányka Street 6. Eger
3300, Hungary
[email protected]
Introduction
For billions of years, life on Earth has existed in a rhythm of light and darkness, illuminated
exclusively by the Sun, Moon, and stars. Now, with excessive use of artificial lights, cities also
shine at night, disturbing the delicate balance of our natural day and night environment. Excessive
use of artificial lights in the evening not only degrades the view of the starry sky, but also adversely
affects our environment, safety, energy consumption and health. Less than 100 years ago, everyone
could look up and see the spectacular night sky.
Urbanization processes have also greatly influenced the use of light sources. Skyscrapers,
tall towers and office buildings have emerged thanks to the fast-growing economies of the
developed countries. People, companies should use artificial light more consciously (Georges,
2020). Using fewer lamps reduces costs, consumes less electricity and reduces emissions. However,
this requires a change in the mindset in which education can play a prominent role.
Methods
Adverse effects of light pollution include the upset of the balance between daylight and
night light alternations over millions of years, the negative effects of which include:
1) disturbance of the ecosystem and wildlife,
2) damage to human health,
3) increasing energy consumption, and
4) disappearance of the starry sky (Kolláth, 2009).
Satellite images of the Earth at night also indicate the extent of the problem geographically, but it
can also be seen that the lights are getting more intense as yellow, expensive bulbs are replaced by a
larger number of cheap, bright white LEDs. For this reason, physics, geography and biology should
be singled out among the science subjects in education, which have an important attitude-forming
power in connection with the topic.
In physics, students already encounter elemental light pollution in our Environment and
Physics unit. Here, students explore energy-saving opportunities in their households, schools, and
places of residence. In the Optics and Astronomy chapter, the relationship between man and light
comes to the front . Special emphasis is placed on the experiences of light that we use to protect our
environment. Last but not least, they can get an answer to the question of what we call light
pollution and what light pollution is like in our country.
In geography, in the name of cultural heritage, light pollution can be mentioned in
connection with the systematization of cultural values, national parks and world heritage sites and
values. In the case of global challenges, the topic may also appear in the exploration of the
territorial characteristics of the urbanization process and the essence of energy management.
In biology, the negative effects of light pollution on disturbing night rest can be directly
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mentioned in the reading of the effect of pollution on the hormonal system. In the analysis of
animal communication, they answer the question of the effect of light and pheromone traps on
insects. The Hortobágy National Park plays a role in the discussion of national parks in the
discussion of national parks, and as is well known, the star shop park present there reveals a part of
our cultural heritage, the less disturbed view of the Milky Way from light pollution.
Conclusions
The ecological consequences of light pollution are documented in a wide range of case
studies (Kevin et al 2013). The indirect way of the negative effects of light pollution affects
virtually the entire ecosystem. Here, plants can be mentioned primarily as examples of non-
pollination. Their direct effect on light is seen in populations of insects, bats, sea turtles and birds,
flying to the light (Csörgits & Gyarmathy, 2006). The phenomenon of light pollution is one of the
most perceptible, rather complex environmental problems of modern consumer society.
Therefore, this subject related to natural, economic and social sciences is an excellent
example very complex problems. The aim of teaching global problems is to emphasize both the
socio-economic effects, and the scientific aspects, related to their harmful effects on the living
world. The teaching of regional knowledge is suitable for learning about the connections between
the development of countries and the light pollution, including future solutions.
Acknowledgments
The research has been supported by EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00014 project.
References
Csörgits, G., & Gyarmathy, I. (2006). Aspects of ecology and nature protection related to the light pollution
(in Hungarian). Elektrotechnika, 99(2), 22.
Georges, Z. (2020). Sustainable Lighting and Light Pollution: A Critical Issue for the Present Generation, a
Challenge to the Future. Sustainability, 12(11). doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114552
Kevin, J. G., Jonathan, B., Thomas, W. D., & John, H. (2013). The ecological impacts of nighttime Light
pollution: a mechanistic appraisal. Biological reviews, 88(4), 912-927.
Kolláth, Z. (2009). Will our successors see stars at all? (in Hungarian) Természet Világa (140), 91-94.
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The light pollution and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2016-2030)
Theme: Society
Anna Apró1,*, János Mika1

1
Eszterhazy Karoly University, Institute of Geography and Environment, Leányka Street 6. Eger
3300, Hungary
[email protected], [email protected]
Introduction
The term Sustainable Development was effectively distributed by the Bruntland Commis-
sion Report (1987) as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Nowadays, the scope of the Sustainable De-
velopment is much wider than the initial concept of environmental sustainability. Society and econ-
omy are not only preconditions of ensuring environmental sustainability, but both economy and society
add to the problems to solve. The General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) accepted the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development containing 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG, 2015) including 169
more detailed Targets. Among the 169 targets, 126 targets have measurable, numeric indicators to be reached
by a specific year (mostly 2030). These targets are set into sequence as number.number. The remaining 43
Targets, denoted as number.letter, represent pre-conditions to improve the issue. These Goals spread over all
natural, human and economic aspects of sustainability, but they are not ordered into any logical structure.
The lack of structure makes the 17 Goals more difficult to colligate and to memorize.
Mika and Tóth (2017) have suggested a classification of the 17 Goals, as follows:
 Primary needs of humans (2. Food, 3. Health, 6. Water and 7. Energy)
 Equality between humans (1. No poverty, 4 Education, 5. Gender equality and 10. Reduced
inequalities)
 Efficient, sustainable economy (8. Economic growth, 9. Innovative industry, 12. Responsi-
ble consumption and production, 13. Climate action)
 Landscapes in danger (11. Cities, 14. Life in water and 15. Life on land)
 Worldwide cooperation (16. Peace and justice and 17. Partnerships)
Methods
In the first step of our analysis we established that neither the expression light pollution (in
any spelling) nor the light was contained by the text of the 169 Targets, whereas pollution was
always related to chemical contaminants. In the next step 12 Targets were found to be related to
light pollution, all represent the number.number type measurable requests. In the followings, these
targets will be introduced according to the above classification of the Goals. The following Tables
display the 6-6 original compilations with accentuations added by the authors.
In the first column of Table 1 relevant Targets belonging to the above specified classes of
primary human needs, landscapes in danger and worldwide cooperation are listed. These three
classes unify 9 Goals, but only 6 Targets from six Goals are found to be related. The second column
indicates how the given Target is related to the light pollution or sometimes to the lack of that. In
the first column of Table 2 six relevant Targets are listed that belong to 5 different Goals from the
altogether 8 possible Goals in the classes of equality between humans and efficient, sustainable
economy. The second column indicates relatedness of the given Target to light pollution.
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Table 1. Targets related to light pollution that belong to the classes of primary human needs, landscapes in danger and
worldwide cooperation.
Target Relatedness
2.4. By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient Light pollution may hinder
agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, … realization of this target.
3.9. By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from Light pollution may also cause
hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. illnesses.
7.1 By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy Consider physiologically
services. advantageous light sources.
11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, Light pollution is an adverse
including by paying special attention to air quality and … other waste management environmental impact, as well.
15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural Help to reduce degradation by
habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the physiologically advantageous
extinction of threatened species. light sources.
17.7 Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of Consider physiologically
environmentally sound technologies to developing countries …. advantageous light sources, only.
Table 2. Targets related to light pollution that belong to the classes of equality between humans and efficient,
sustainable economy.
Target Relatedness
1.4. By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the Consider physiologically
vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, … advantageous light sources.
4.7. By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to Education of the light pollution
promote sustainable development, … issue belongs to here
9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them Consider physiologically
sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean advantageous light sources, here
and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes...
12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and Light pollution also has adverse
all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international impact on human health and
frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to environment.
minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment..
12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and Education of the light pollution
awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature. issue belongs to here.
13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity Teach that energy efficiency must
on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. consider the physiological aspects
Conclusion
Although, the light pollution is not mentioned by any of the 169 Targets contained by 17 Goals, we
found 12 Targets to be related to the light pollution. Nine Targets operate with terms in which light
pollution should also be considered. In case of two further targets only the other environmental
loads are mentioned, erroneously without the light pollution. One further target is connected
through the fact that light pollution may hinder the foreseen positive processes of the target. The
presented connections of light pollution to the SDG can be utilised in education of the issue.
Acknowledgement. This study has been supported by the EFOP- 3.6.2-16-2017-00014 Project.
References
Bruntland Commission Report (1987): Our Common Future. Report of the World Commission on
Environment and Development (http://www.un-documents.net/our-common-future.pdf)
Mika J., Tóth, B. (2017): Environmental aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals (2016-2030) In:
Mrázik J. (ed.) HERA YEARBOOKS 2016, 549-569 (in Hungarian)
SDG, 2015: United Nations Resolution A/RES/70/1 of 25 September 2015.
(http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E)
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A comparative account of acute versus chronic exposure of LAN on behavior and physiology
of resident Indian Weaver bird
Anupama Yadav1*, Jyoti Tiwari1, Raj Kumar1, Vaibhav Vaish1, Shalie Malik1 and Sangeeta Rani1
1
University of Lucknow 1, Lucknow, India
Corresponding:[email protected]
*
presenting author
Life on earth is entrained according to the cyclic presence and absence of light. Evolution of life
forms and their endogenous biological rhythms are closely coupled with this natural light-dark
cycle. However at present, this close coupling of endogenous rhythms to natural zeitgebers (zt) is
seemingly interfered by increasing urbanization resulting in lighting up the dark nights i.e. Light at
Night (LAN). Most of the studies on LAN report the harmful impact of this pollutant on an
organism’s daily and seasonal responses, but comparative account of acute and chronic effect is
scarce. Thus, the present study was designed to assess the acute and chronic effect of light at night
on behavior and underlying physiology of an Indian resident bird: Baya weaver (Ploceous
philippinus). The experiment was performed on adult male baya weaver birds under 12L:12D
photoperiodic condition. A longitudinal study was performed on 10 individuals of Ploceous
philippinus. After acclimation in experimental facility for about 3 to 4 days, birds were kept for 7
days without any nighttime illumination and this phase served as control. Thereafter, birds were
exposed to 5 lux night light treatment. One week of LAN exposure was considered as acute whereas
four weeks of LAN exposure was considered as chronic. Different behavioral and physiological
parameters such as activity-rest pattern, sleep behavior, food intake, body mass, blood glucose and
body temperature were monitored weekly during the experiment. The results indicate that light at
night altered the normal behavior and physiology of the birds. Activity-rest pattern and sleep
behavior analysis reveals that acute exposure of LAN resulted in increased nighttime activity and
decreased rest and sleep when compared with control phase and chronic exposure of LAN. Food
intake increased during acute exposure whereas body mass decreased but chronic exposure of LAN
resulted in gain of body mass in birds under study. Blood glucose is known to show circadian
variation. During control phase, pre-prandial (zt 22) and post-prandial (zt 2) blood glucose showed
presence of gradient which was subsequently lost after LAN exposure. Chronic exposure resulted in
significant variation of body temperature rhythm also when compared with no LAN exposure.
Thus, light at night was seen posing significant impact on behavior and physiology of bird under
study.
Keywords: Biological rhythm, endogenous, acute, chronic, zeitgebers (zt), LAN
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ALAN 2021
References
• Dominoni, D. M., Quetting, M., & Partecke, J. (2013). Long-term effects of chronic light
pollution on seasonal functions of European blackbirds (Turdus merula). PloS one, 8(12),
e85069. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085069
• Raap, T., Pinxten, R., & Eens, M. (2015). Light pollution disrupts sleep in free-living
animals. Sci Rep 5, 13557 https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13557
• Yadav, A., Kumar, R., Tiwari, J., Kumar, V., & Rani, S. (2017). Sleep in birds: lying on the
continuum of activity and rest. Biological Rhythm Research, 48:805 814
https://doi.org/10.1080/09291016.2017.1346850
• Kathryn L.G. Russart, K., L., G., & Nelson, R., J. (2017). Light at night as an environmental
endocrine disruptor. Physiology and Behavior, 190:82-89
doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.08.029
• Spoelstra, K., Verhagen, I., Meijer, D., & Visser, M. E. (2018). Artificial light at night shifts
daily activity patterns but not the internal clock in the great tit (Parus major) Proceedings
Royal Society B. 28520172751http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2751
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ALAN 2021
Ground-level nighttime illuminance influences distribution of species on sandy beaches
Ariel L. Simons,1,* Karen L. M. Martin,2 and Travis Longcore1

1 UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Los Angeles, California USA
2 Pepperdine University, Malibu, California, USA
[email protected]
* presenting author
Introduction
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a novel environmental perturbation in coastal ecosystems.
It changes the spatial distributions of a variety of species resulting from alterations to their
behaviors, ranging from the timing of breeding cycles to predator avoidance. As a result, the
widespread presence of ALAN has led to changes in the spatial distributions of a number of species.
However, such species distribution models are based on laboratory measures of behavioral
responses to levels of ALAN generally far in excess to levels of exposure in the field. Furthermore,
earlier models of exposure to ALAN in the field have typically focused on remotely sensed upwards
radiance that is not related to light as measured on the ground. To address these limitations in
quantifying the role of ALAN in landscape ecology we constructed and evaluated species
distribution models (SDMs) for two species, California grunion and Western Snowy Plover, found
along the highly developed coast of southern California.
California grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) is small (<20 cm) fish that ventures up on to the
upper limits of the wash zone on sandy beaches to spawn. Spawning events occur a few days after
the new moon or full moon, but strength of runs is appears to be stronger after new moons and
grunion may favor the darker parts of the beaches on which they spawn (K. Martin in Nightingale,
Longcore, & Simenstad, 2006). We hypothesized that the fish would be sensitive to high lighting
levels.
Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) is a small shorebird that is listed as an
endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The beaches of southern California are
habitat both for year-round residents that breed and for wintering flocks supplemented by birds
from further north on the Pacific coast. The species roosts in flocks on the beach given its small
size and susceptibility to predation, we hypothesized that it would roost at darker sites that provide
cover from predators.
Methods
The geographic scope of our study area consisted of a 1.5 km wide coastal strip, whose outer
boundary is defined by the mean low-tide line, running from 10 km north of Ventura county through
10 km south of Orange county in California.
We (KLMM) organized and aggregated community-based volunteer surveys of grunion runs
through the group Grunion Greeters (see Martin, Pierce, Quach, & Studer, 2020). Plover roost areas
were obtained from surveys organized by Los Angeles Audubon Society (Ryan, Vigallon, Griswold,
& Gummerman, 2014; Ryan et al., 2017), Francesca Ferrara of the Point Mugu NAS, and Alexis
Frangis of the California State Parks. Both sets of species observations span the period 2013–2016.
Ground-based estimates of illumination were developed from a sample of 515 samples
within the study area where hemispherically integrated scalar illuminance was measured using a
Sky Quality Camera (Euromix Ltd., Ljubljana, Slovenia). Values were extrapolated to the entire
study area using their relationship with the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness (Falchi et
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al., 2016), which correlated better with ground-level exposure compared with upward radiance
measured with VIIRS DNB (Simons, Yin, & Longcore, 2020). In addition to this measure of
ALAN, at a horizontal resolution of 10 m, we also obtained measures of: elevation, slope, distance
to freshwater, distance to saltwater, beach type (describing conditions behind the beach), and a
measure of the fraction of sky obscured by structures along the horizon known as the Sky View
Factor (SVF) (Kidd & Chapman, 2012).
Using the environmental data and the two species distributions, we then ran and evaluated
three different species distribution models (SDMs): a generalized linear model, MaxEnt, and
random forest. Each subset of species observations consisted of 100 presence and 1000 pseudo-
absence points randomly generated within either roosting areas (plovers) or run areas (grunions).
Results
Of the SDMs we evaluated, we found those using random forest performed best, explaining
55% of the observed variation in the spatial distributions of plover roosts and 73% of the variation
in grunion runs. We also observed exposure to ALAN to be the environmental variable greatest
importance for grunion distribution and second greatest importance for plover roosts. The
likelihood of plover roosts decreased significantly above scalar illuminance of 50 mlx. Probability
of occurrence of plover roosts was reduced by half on average at sites with 100 mlx or greater light
pollution. Grunion runs presence increased significantly from 70 mlx to 100 mlx, but declined as
illuminance increased beyond 100 mlx. We therefore recommend reductions in nighttime
illumination to reduce disturbances to coastal environments given specific nighttime illumination
thresholds associated with significant changes in behavior of coastal species.
References
Falchi, F., Cinzano, P., Duriscoe, D., Kyba, C. C., Elvidge, C. D., Baugh, K., . . . Furgoni, R. (2016). The
new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness. Science Advances, 2(6), e1600377.
Kidd, C., & Chapman, L. (2012). Derivation of sky-view factors from lidar data. International Journal of
Remote Sensing, 33(11), 3640-3652.
Martin, K. L., Pierce, E. A., Quach, V. V., & Studer, M. (2020). Population trends of beach-spawning
California grunion Leuresthes tenuis monitored by citizen scientists. ICES Journal of Marine
Science, 77(6), 2226–2233.
Nightingale, B., Longcore, T., & Simenstad, C. A. (2006). Artificial night lighting and fishes. In C. Rich & T.
Longcore (Eds.), Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting (pp. 257–276). Washington,
D.C.: Island Press.
Ryan, T., Vigallon, S., Griswold, R., & Gummerman, J. (2014). The Western Snowy Plover in Los Angeles
and Orange Counties, California: September 2012 to June 2014. Retrieved from Sacramento,
California:
Ryan, T., Vigallon, S., Plauzoles, L., Egger, C., Sheakley, S., Griswold, R., & Eastman, B. (2017). The
Western Snowy Plover in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California: September 2014 to June
2017. Retrieved from Sacramento, California:
Simons, A. L., Yin, X., & Longcore, T. (2020). High correlation but high scale-dependent variance between
satellite measured night lights and terrestrial exposure. Environmental Research Communications,
2(2), 021006.
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ALAN 2021
The effect of artificial light at night on nocturnal song behaviour in a diurnal bird
species
Ashton L. Dickerson,1,* Michelle L. Hall,1, 2, 3 and Therésa M. Jones1

1
The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
2
Bush Heritage Australia, Melbourne, Australia
3
University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Diurnal and annual light cycles are key, taxa-

wide drivers of behavioural patterns (Gaston, Visser, &
Hölker, 2015). However, the development of electric
lights has led to a drastic and relatively rapid change to
the nocturnal light environment. Artificial light at night
(ALAN) has been shown to affect wildlife behaviour
(Gaston et al., 2015). While evidence for this has been
accumulating over the last two decades, many
researchers have taken a simplistic approach to
measuring light at night. Research has often been Fig. 1: Willie wagtail, Rhipidura
conducted in a lab using light levels that are not leucophrys.
Image by Ryan Potter used with written
ecologically relevant and without considering the
permission.
potential for differing effects on behaviour dependant on
the type of light at night (sky glow versus localized light sources). Further, few field studies
have controlled for natural light at night (moonlight). As ALAN continues to spread by more
than 2% each year (Kyba et al., 2017), it is imperative that we begin to think about light at
night as the multifaceted entity it is.
In this study we use both large- and small-scale measurements of light at night to test
for effects on behaviour, utilizing both observational and experimental methods. We focus on
bird song, due to the substantial evidence that bird song responses to light, whether natural
(Dickerson, Hall, & Jones, 2020) or artificial (Da Silva, Valcu, & Kempenaers, 2015).
Methods
Study species – The willie wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys, Fig 1.) is a small, diurnal songbird
native to Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and eastern Indonesia. In
Australia, they live in rural and suburban habitats. During daylight hours both male and female
willie wagtails sing but during their breeding season males also sing prolifically during the
night (Dickerson et al., 2020).
Observational methods – Between 2016 and 2018, we conducted a landscape-scale

observational study of the effect of artificial light on nocturnal song. We recorded 1,447 hours
of nocturnal song from 25 individual willie wagtails across 16 sites varying in intensity of
ALAN. We used sky brightness values at zenith (µcd) obtained from
https://www.lightpollutionmap.info to represent sky glow (Falchi et al., 2016). To examine the
28 ALAN 2021
effects of localized light sources, we measured light at night in lux at each site using a SKL300
light meter, Skye Instruments Ltd, Wells, U.K.
Experimental methods – To create temporary artificially lit sites, we used

six LED streetlights mounted on steel poles (Fig. 2). Lights were placed
on six willie wagtail territories for two days prior to lighting for a
habituation period and then were turned on for four nights. We continued
to record data for the next two nights after the lights were turned off to
test for any recovery effects. We recorded a total of 461 hours.
Statistical analysis – We used generalized linear mixed-models to test for

effects of small- and large-scale effects of ALAN, while being able to
control for environmental variables known to effect bird song.
Conclusions
Our results show that nocturnal song is less likely with increasing
intensity of localized light sources. In contrast, the effect of sky glow on
likelihood to sing depended on an interaction with lunar illumination. In Fig. 2: Light set up used for
areas with low sky glow, the likelihood of song increased with lunar experimental approach.
illumination; in areas with high sky glow, increasing lunar illumination Image by Ashton L.
reduced the likelihood of song. Dickerson.
Our research revealed a complex relationship between nighttime bird song behaviour
and ALAN suggesting that animals may be able to adjust their behaviour to utilize dark refuges
within bright city areas. Similar behavioural adjustments have been suggested in other species
including birds and bats, but the heterogeneity of light within city areas from the perspective
of individual species has rarely been examined and therefore should be the focus of future
research.
References
Da Silva, A., Valcu, M., & Kempenaers, B. (2015). Light pollution alters the phenology of
dawn and dusk singing in common European songbirds. Philosophical Transactions of
the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 370(1667). doi:10.1098/rstb.2014.0126
Dickerson, A. L., Hall, M. L., & Jones, T. M. (2020). The effect of variation in moonlight on
nocturnal song of a diurnal bird species. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 74(9).
doi:10.1007/s00265-020-02888-z
Falchi, F., Cinzano, P., Duriscoe, D., Kyba, C. C. M., Elvidge, C. D., Baugh, K., . . . Furgoni,
R. (2016). The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness. Science Advances,
2(6). doi:10.1126/sciadv.1600377
Gaston, K. J., Visser, M. E., & Hölker, F. (2015). The biological impacts of artificial light at
night: the research challenge. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-
Biological Sciences, 370(1667). doi:10.1098/rstb.2014.0133
Kyba, C. C. M., Kuester, T., de Miguel, A. S., Baugh, K., Jechow, A., Hölker, F., . . . Guanter,
L. (2017). Artificially lit surface of Earth at night increasing in radiance and extent.
Science Advances, 3(11). doi:10.1126/sciadv.1701528
29 ALAN 2021
Moth survival increases under high pressure sodium lights
Theme: Biology and Ecology
Brett M. Seymoure,1-3,* Tessa Parrish,2 Kaley Egan,3 Danny Irwin,3 Cassandra Brown,3 Jeremy
M. White,2 Kevin Crooks,3 and Lisa Angeloni2
1
Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
2
Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
3
Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Col-
lins, CO, USA
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Anthropogenic light at night is growing spatially and in intensity globally while insects are on a global
decline(Kyba et al., 2017; Owens et al., 2020). Many nocturnal insects provide numerous ecosystem services
and are attracted to anthropogenic lights at night resulting in decreased fitness, greater mortality and popula-
tion declines(Owens & Lewis, 2018). During crepuscular and night hours, moths are depredated by bats and
birds, both of which are using vision to detect and prey upon moths(Macgregor et al., 2015). The visual de-
tection of moths by predators is dependent upon the light environment illuminating the moth’s body, and an-
thropogenic light at night can differ drastically in the color (spectral composition) and intensity of light (Sey-
moure et al., 2019). Currently, High Pressure Sodium Lamps (HPS) and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are
the main light sources used by municipalities and these lights differ in spectral composition with LEDs being
broad band and HPS being dominant in longer wavelengths of light (red-shifted). Using plasticine clay mod-
els of moths, we tested the survival of moths under different light sources (HPS and LED) as well as under
no direct lighting in an urban setting to show that moths are more likely to survive under HPS lighting than
LEDs and non-lit poles. Visual model analyses reveal that HPS lamps render moths more cryptic against
their background than LEDs or ambient urban lighting, figure 1. Although these results indicate that HPS
lighting is the most insect friendly lighting, we further show that the artificial visual environment created by
HPS is more likely to make prey detection by birds difficult and could perhaps shift an evolved visual preda-
tory-prey dynamic in urban settings.
Figure 1. Statistical
abstract of the study
revealing that moths
under HPS lamps had
the lowest mortality,
whereas moths under
LEDs and non-
illuminated control
moths had higher
predation rates.
30
ALAN 2021
References
Kyba, C. C. M., Kuester, T., Sánchez de Miguel, A., Baugh, K., Jechow, A., Hölker, F., Bennie, J., Elvidge,
C. D., Gaston, K. J., & Guanter, L. (2017). Artificially lit surface of Earth at night increasing in radiance
and extent. Science Advances, 3(11), e1701528.
Macgregor, C. J., Pocock, M. J. O., Fox, R., & Evans, D. M. (2015). Pollination by nocturnal Lepidoptera,
and the effects of light pollution: a review. Ecological Entomology, 40(3), 187–198.
Owens, A. C. S., Cochard, P., Durrant, J., Farnworth, B., Perkin, E. K., & Seymoure, B. (2020). Light pollu-
tion is a driver of insect declines. In Biological Conservation (Vol. 241, p. 108259).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108259
Owens, A. C. S., & Lewis, S. M. (2018). The impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal insects: A review
and synthesis. Ecology and Evolution, 8(22), 11337–11358.
Seymoure, B. M., Linares, C., & White, J. (2019). Connecting spectral radiometery of anthropogenic light
sources to the visual ecology of organisms. Journal of Zoology, 308(2), 93-110.
31
ALAN 2021
Modelling Light Emission Using Real-world Lighting and Obstruction Information

Brian Espey1,*
1
School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Study of light at night has increased in the last decade due to the recognition of its impact on
the environment, potential health concerns, and also for the financial and carbon cost of energy loss.
The advent of more extensive and improved ground-based measurements together with quantifiable
satellite data has revolutionized the field, though “closing the loop” and finding a detailed
connection between these measurements has been more elusive due to atmospheric effects as well
as non-uniform emission in both angular and spatial extent from the ground. Although a number of
codes now exist which incorporate improved theoretical models of atmospheric effects, the
emission from the ground involving in situ effects of real-world lighting and obstructions has not
been completed until now. We will present preliminary results and implications from such a study.
Methods
We took as a starting point data of the location and height of structures obtained from
publicly available Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data with 1m ground resolution and sub-
metre vertical accuracy. These datasets were combined with public lighting data consisting of
information on location, pole height, lamp type and wattage. We chose eight rural locations of
differing sizes for which International Space Station data indicated that the lighting was almost
completely due to public lighting. Additionally, we chose a 1.5km x 0.9km sample area of Dublin
which covers a region of mixed size streets and major squares and contains some busy shopping
and government areas. In all locations, as elsewhere in Ireland, the lighting stock is dominated by
low and high pressure sodium lighting and is of a few major types. From the manufacturer’s
photometry for the luminaires the azimuthally-averaged emission to the sky for different elevations
was obtained and the light falling on surfaces below a typical streetlight height of 6m was
calculated. No allowance was made for aging of the lamps and/or degradation of the optics (i.e., a
maintenance factor of 1.0 was adopted). For simplicity, we assumed a reflectivity of 10% for all
surfaces. Assuming that the diffuse light is dominated by Lambertian reflection, the emission from
this component towards any given altitude can be calculated and compared with the direct emission
from the luminaires themselves. Account was taken of obstructions such as trees and buildings
which block both the direct and/or a portion of the reflected light. Finally, the emission for a given
view direction was then summed to provide an estimate of what would be seen from orbit, taking
into account the shadowing effects of obstructions from each viewpoint. To sample a representative
range of angles we generated a set of data for each location for every 45° of azimuth and for
elevation angles of 10°, 30°, 60°, and 90°. The total number of lights in each area ranged from nine
to over one thousand in the case of the Dublin model.
Some Results
Altitude dependence of light emission – To provide a point of reference we took the unobscured
total emission emitted straight up and scaled it to lower angles under the assumption that all such
emission was Lambertian. In all locations we found that, due to obstructions, the total light
32
ALAN 2021
observed for both 30° and 60° angles fell below that expected based on the assumption of
Lambertian emission, as might be expected. On the other hand, at the 10° elevation the emission
lies above that expected from the Lambertian scaling due to a combination of increasing direct
emission as well as an increased reflected component from illuminated structures as the angle-of-
view lies closer to the emission maximum for these features. The total emission towards 10°
altitude ranges from a factor of two or so above the Lambertian emission for the Dublin case to a
factor of five in the case of one of the smaller towns. A point to note is that large boulevards and
junctions suffer less from shading by surrounding buildings, with roughly 80% of the upward
hemisphere visible, which is roughly a factor of five higher than some of the narrower streets =
such locations exist not only in Dublin, but also occur in larger market towns. Since intersections
and major thoroughfares also contain brighter public as well as commercial lighting the overall
effect is to make them more noticeable even at relatively lower altitudes, accentuated by the
favourable angle for direct emission from shop windows and/or reflected architectural lighting in
such areas. The contribution of the direct component increases towards the near-horizontal,
accounting for typically one half of the total emission in this direction and supporting theoretical
evidence of the importance of this light source for light pollution.
Azimuthal dependence of light emission – The emission in the azimuthal direction is smoothed
depending on the number of features and lights present and is relatively smooth for the case of the
city location, whereas variations are more striking for the small rural locations.
Further work
Further improvements are planned including quantified comparison with VIIRS/DNB data
and additional test locations incorporating different structural and lighting patterns are available for
such studies. It will be instructive to compare the results from this work with the fits to angular
variation of radiance with zenith distance for the same towns as calculated by Tong et al. (2020). As
there is a known correlation between the azimuth and zenith distance of observations the
relationship account needs to be taken of the geometry and emission peculiar to each site when
comparing against the night-to-night results. Another goal of this work is to model the underlying
public light component from extended built-up areas, such as city centres, and so enable an estimate
of the contribution of other light sources to be made. Finally, it would be instructive to use such
models as input areas to radiative transfer codes: this would serve two purposes, one being to
develop a more realistic input dataset for comparing different codes between themselves, the other
being direct comparison of these codes to quantifiable observations.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the original owners of the datasets on which this work is based. For Dublin
the LiDAR dataset was collected with funding from European Research Council Consolidator
project RETURN [ERC-2012-StG-307836] and Science Foundation Ireland [12/ERC/I2534]. For
the smaller towns, LiDAR data were provided by the Geological Survey of Ireland. Both datasets
were released with an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. We also acknowledge the
provision of public lighting information by the Executive Engineer of Dublin City Council, and the
national Road Management Office.
References
Tong, KP, Kyba, C, Heygster, G., Kuechly, HU, Nothalt, J, Kolláth, Z 2020 Angular distribution of upwelling
artificial light in Europe as observed by Suomi–NPP satellite. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and
Radiative Transfer. 249. 107009. 10.1016/j.jqsrt.2020.107009.
33
ALAN 2021
The First 365 Nights: Australia’s National Light Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife
Theme: Society
Cesar San Miguel,1,* Kellie Pendoley,2 Karen Arthur1

1
Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Canberra, Australia
2
Pendoley Environmental Pty Ltd, Booragoon, Australia
[email protected]
* Cesar San Miguel
Artificial light at night can disrupt critical behaviours in

wildlife. Where this occurs in threatened species,
artificial light has the potential to stall the recovery of a
population. Where it occurs in migratory species, the
impact of light may compromise an animal’s ability to
undertake long distance migrations integral to their life
cycle. For example, hatchling marine turtles may not be
able to find the ocean when beaches are lit, and
fledgling seabirds may not take their first flight if their
nesting habitat never becomes dark. Wallabies exposed
to artificial light have been shown to delay
reproduction and clownfish eggs incubated under
constant light do not hatch.
To address this conservation challenge, the Australian

Government developed the National Light Pollution Figure 1 The Australian National Light
Guidelines for Wildlife: including Marine Turtles, Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife
Seabirds and Migratory Shorebirds (Light Pollution
Guidelines). Finalised in January 2020, the Light Pollution Guidelines raise awareness about the
impacts of artificial light on wildlife and provide a framework for assessing and adaptively
managing these impacts. The Light Pollution Guidelines also provide six best practice principles for
reducing and managing light pollution (Figure 2).
Since finalising the Light Pollution Guidelines, the Australian Government has received wide
support from members of the public, councils, and environmental organisations. The Light
Pollution Guidelines were endorsed in February 2020 at the Convention on the Conservation of
Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) at its 13th Conference of Parties (COP13). CMS is an
International agreement consisting of 132 international Parties aimed at conserving migratory
species throughout their range. In its endorsing resolution, CMS recognised light pollution as an
emerging conservation issue for wildlife, astronomy and human health and called attention to its the
many negative effects on migratory species. CMS Parties also acknowledged the need for
appropriate artificial lighting, advocated promotion of the Australian Light Pollution Guidelines to
facilitate impact mitigation on migratory species and recommended further scientific research into
the impacts of artificial light on wildlife.
34
ALAN 2021
Figure 2 Principles for best practice lighting design.
One year after the finalisation of the Light Pollution Guidelines, it is clear there is still a need to
continue to raise awareness about the impacts of light pollution on wildlife among the public,
researchers and lighting practitioners. There is also a need for more collaboration and consultation
with lighting designers, engineers, manufacturers, industry bodies and governance institutions to
encourage new innovative solutions this highly complex environmental challenge.
By submitting this abstract to ALAN 2021, you confirm that you license this work under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, and that you created and/or have
permission to so license any images included.
35
ALAN 2021
Temporal variations of the multispectral night sky brightness on Tenerife Island
Theme: Measurement and Modelling
C. Marseille,1* M. Aubé,1,2,3 , 4 Emilio Cuevas, 1 Norman T. O’Neill

1
2
3
Bishops University, Sherbrooke, Canada
4
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
[email protected]
* presenting author
Light pollution on Tenerife Island is a concern for astronomers

as it gives rise to the artificial sky brightness which impairs
astronomical observations. It is known that the short term temporal
variation of the sky brightness can depend on the variation of the lighting
levels at night but also on the local aerosol content of the atmosphere.
Variation of the lighting levels is directly correlated to human activity,
implying that it is in most cases similar from one night to another. But it
is clearly not the case for the variation of aerosol content through the
night. In this work we present the nightly evolution of the sky brightness
over an annual period at three different sites on Tenerife Island: Santa
Cruz de Tenerife (Urban site at 0m elevation), Teide Observatory
(2390m elevation) and Teleferico del Teide (3520m elevation) near the
highest peak on the island. At each location was installed a CoSQM
radiometer: a Sky Quality Meter (SQM) equipped with 5 visible band
filters. Multispectral measurements of the sky brightness are related to
the spectral properties of the aerosol optical depth that are highly
correlated with the size distribution of the aerosol population. But we
must first distinguish the effect of possible color change trends of the lighting used at night. The 3
sites being quite close (less than 40 km apart), we observed similarities in the relative aerosol optical
depth variability on each site. With the help of night time and day time measurements of the aerosol
optical depth from each sites sun and moon photometers, we compare the aerosol optical depth and
the sky brightness in typical atmospheric conditions and we also observe the effect of the calima, an
abnormal high aerosol loading episode caused by Saharan dust storms, known to be linked to high
aerosol optical depth short term variations.
References
Sanchez de Miguel, A., Aubé M., Zamorano, J., Kocifaj, M., Roby, J., Tapia, C. (2017). Sky Quality
Meter measurements in a colour-changing world, Mon Not R Astron Soc, 467(3), 2966-2979.
Aubé, M. CoSQM User manual,

https://lx02.cegepsherbrooke.qc.ca/~aubema/index.php/Prof/CoSQMEn
ALAN 2021
36
Aubé, M., Franchomme-Fosse, L., Robert-Staehler, P., Houle, V., (2005). Light pollution modelling
and detection in a heterogeneous environment: toward a night-time aerosol optical depth
retreival method, Proc. SPIE 5890, Atmospheric and Environmental Remote Sensing Data
Processing and Utilization: Numerical Atmospheric Prediction and Environmental
Monitoring, 589012
ALAN 2021
37
Impact of light pollution on freshwater zooplankton distribution along an urban river and at
illuminated bridges
Christina Luchs,1,* Tim Walles,1 Catherine Pérez Vega,1 Bronwyn L. Dyson,1 Jens C. Nejst-
gaard,1 Franz Hölker1 and Andreas Jechow1
1
[email protected]
* presenting author
A majority of humans live near freshwater bodies and as a result, artificial light at night
(ALAN) over-proportionally affects freshwater ecosystems (Jechow et al. 2019, Hölker et al 2018).
Nevertheless, not many measurements of light pollution or studies on impacts of ALAN on
freshwater ecosystems exist. Recent studies showed melatonin suppression in fish at skyglow light
levels (Kupprat et al. 2020) and that ALAN can have an impact on the diel vertical migration
(DVM) of zooplankton in mesocosms deployed in an urban lake (Moore et al. 2000).
Here we show the first non-invasive in-situ measurements of the impact of light pollution on
the DVM of zooplankton in an urban freshwater lake-river system. We determined the vertical
distribution of zooplankton in the River Spree and Lake Müggelsee in Berlin at different locations
and for different ALAN and natural light conditions (bright ALAN, low ALAN, different moon-
phase, clouds, fog). We used an infrared illuminated under-water mini deep-focus plankton imaging
system that obtains an uninterrupted image allowing to determine zooplankton vertical distribution
at cm-resolution. A deep learning automated image recognition tool was used for taxonomic
classification, providing unprecedented spatial and species resolution for freshwater zooplankton
(Bochinski et al. 2018, Walles et al. in submission). Measurement locations included an illuminated
bridge (Oberbaumbrücke) that was part of a light festival the “Berlin Festival of Lights 2020” (Fig.
1) but also bright and dark parts of the river and the lake. At each location, a measurement was
performed during the day and during night.
Fig. 1: Oberbaumbrücke in Berlin during Festival of Lights indicating two measurement locations.
Measurements of cladocera at four locations are shown in Fig. 2 with each plot showing two
profiles, one for the night (left-hand side in each plot) and one for the day (right-hand side in each
plot). At night, the bridge had two illuminated and two un-illuminated arches (arrows in Fig. 1)
38
ALAN 2021
which are indicated as “bridge bright” and “bridge dark” in Fig. 2. Furthermore, measurements at
an urban site (“river bright”) and at a rural site (“river dark”) of the river are shown. As expected for
natural zooplankton behavior in more natural darker night locations, the zooplankton tended to stay
near the water surface during the night, while it stayed deeper during the day. This natural DVM
conducted by many zooplankton is known to have significant impacts on the plankton ecosystem, as
it influences what organisms are consumed by the zooplankton throughout the natural day and night
cycles. However, at more light polluted locations, the zooplankton remained deeper in the water
column both during day and night. Thus, light pollution resulted in loss of strong DVM. In the
presentation these results will be compared to further data presently being analyzed. To our
knowledge, this is the first comprehensive quantitative study of effects of light pollution in a river-
system, spanning from the city center to the sub-urban region.
Fig. 2: Vertical zooplankton (cladocera) distribution for night (each left panle) and day (each right panel) at
four sites with different levels of light pollution.
References
Bochinski, E., Bacha, G., Eiselein, V., Walles, T. J., Nejstgaard, J. C., & Sikora, T. (2018, August). Deep
active learning for in situ plankton classification. In International Conference on Pattern Recognition
(pp. 5-15). Springer, Cham.
Hölker, F., Jechow, A., Schroer, S., & Gessner, M. O. (2014). Nächtliches Licht und Lichtverschmutzung in
und um Gewässer. Handbuch Angewandte Limnologie: Grundlagen-Gewässerbelastung 1-26.
Jechow, A., & Hölker, F. (2019a). How dark is a river? Artificial light at night in aquatic systems and the
need for comprehensive night‐time light measurements. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water.
Kupprat, F., Hölker, F., & Kloas, W. (2020). Can skyglow reduce nocturnal melatonin concentrations in
Eurasian perch?. Environmental Pollution, 114324.
Moore, M. V., Pierce, S. M., Walsh, H. M., Kvalvik, S. K., & Lim, J. D. (2000). Urban light pollution alters
the diel vertical migration of Daphnia. Internationale Vereinigung für theoretische und angewandte
Limnologie: Verhandlungen, 27(2), 779-782.
Walles, T. J. W., Greer, A. T., Bochinski, E., Sed’a, J. & Nejstgaard J. C. (2021): A hand-operated imager and
deep-learning data processing for effecient determination of zooplankton taxonomic composition
and fine-scale vertical distribution (in revision.)
39
ALAN 2021
Dark sky measurement data, profile fitting at MHAONB and backscatter ratio.
Theme: Modellling and Measurements
1
C.J.Baddiley 1 Mathon, UK [email protected] * presenting author
The sky in the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (MHAONB) has been monitored
continually since 2012, when a dark sky survey of the area was carried out commissioned by
Malvern Hills Conservators. Ever since then at Mathon observatory, the sky brightness has been
measured continually, in the last few years at minute intervals in all weathers. On the darkest of
nights, a fisheye lensed camera was used at the same intervals. There is a trend in brightness
distribution and colour changes on the sky towards the horizon, with well separated bright sky
domes. The sky quality meter (SQM) photometry data near zenith does not show any great change.
In 2015, Malvern Hills Conservators commissioned the author for modelling of the effect on the
MHAONB sky, of the ongoing blue rich LED re-lighting throughout Herefordshire.
The camera shows the near horizon colour trend from orange-pink to blue-rich LEDs over the
years. The SQM photometry shows the sky brightness distribution is very weather dependent.
Colour and brightness changes can also occur over hours or even minutes, depending on cloud
cover over individual towns on or beyond the horizon. In poor visibility the sky is darker and more
dominated by local sources, while over horizon one attenuated. Clear sky brightness always falls
overnight, most likely the fall in temperature resulting in humidity reaching dew point. The major
advances since previous papers are the following:
• The database now includes 2020 with a study of light pollution changes during Covid-19
complete lockdown. In this rural area, only the normal weather variation was found.
• From samples of the all sky images, isophotes were plotted with identifiable city sky domes
up to 120 km away. Images show significant differences of sky dome distributions from
satellite data base simulations for the same location.
• An algorithm has been developed to fit parametric curves across from horizon through
zenith to opposite horizon with minimal number of parameters for clear skies which has
proved to be accurate and consitent. It enabled determination of the Milky Way contribution
when present. The yearly archive sampled data was re-analysed using this curve fitting,
including the 2012 data for the geographic survey locations, so the weather dependent
relative contributions of local to sky dome beyond the horizon sources could be evaluated.
• A study was made of the colour variation trend and also that over very short periods of time.
• Measurements were made of the local clear air back scatter ratio in good visibility, by taking
SQM readings of the local overhead sky while repeatedly turning on and off a flat panel
luminaire, horizontally mounted. This was found to be consistent, at near 10^-8 /sr/m^2 with
a standard deviation 8%. This was applied to lighting planner’s total illumination data for an
intended lighting scheme to be built adjacent to a school observatory in Norfolk where
lighting engineers had avoided any direct lighting, but typically, had not accounted for
significant atmospheric scatter degradation.
The Milky Way is only 20% contrast to background at zenith on the darkest nights, (MHAONB
typically 21.10 mag.arcsec-2); doubling the road light level across Europe would make it invisible.
The new All Party Parliamentary Group for protecting the night sky has recommended to the UK
government changes to acts of parliament to make them more effective, and to set up independent
assessment and advisory organisation. The government and lighting industry is taking this seriously.
40
ALAN 2021
Birmingham and Magnitude profiles Mag1(Za) and Mag2(Za)
Wolverhampton 19.5
19.6
Worcester
19.7 1: 2018-02-12, F.C.Mathon FCM #2 EZW, M(Za)
Kidderminster 19.8
19.9 2: 2018-02-12 F.C.Mathon FCM #2 SZN, M(Za)
Severn Valley Towns 20
20.1 1: 2018-02-12, F.C.Mathon FCM #2 EZW, MCFit(Za)
Malvern
20.2
20.3 2: 2018-02-12 F.C.Mathon FCM #2 SZN, MCFit(Za)
Mag.arcsec-2
Hereford 20.4
Severn Valley 20.5
Towns 20.6
20.7
Monmouth Newport 20.8
Cheltenham and and Cardiff 20.9

21
Gloucester Bristol and Bath
21.1
21.2
21.3
21.4
21.5
-90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Zenith angle degs.
Above: Example 2018-02-12 F.C.Mathon. Image Above: Example 2018-02-12 F.C.Mathon,

and isophote map. Good visibility. photometry profile, Blue E. to W. via
Sky glow domes from many towns and cities over zenith; Red S. to N., spikes are mostly
the horizon, the brightest are Birmingham NE. at from stars and drops are fixed pattern
67km, Worcester NE. at 18km, Malvern E. at noise. It shows the pararmetric curve fits
5km, Cheltenham & Gloucester SE.. at 55km, (dottted lines). Parameter sets: zenith
Hereford at 27km, Monmouth SW at 45km & value, values at specified Zenith angles
Cardiff 105km. The Milky Way is on the 60..dgrees or more either side, and fitted
horizon.The departure from circular symmetry of power law gradient at those points. Here
the near-zenith isophotes indicates the directional averaged tilt corrected Zenith value 21.25
contribution of local to over-horizon sources, also mag.arcsec^-2 (0.32 mCdm^-2). The
shown in the profiles. In poor visibity, local fitting is good to 0.05, mag.arcsec^-2, the
sources are enhaced and distant ones suppressed; meter accuracy, and found to be consistent
the sky can be darker, changing colour. on the best of nights
. Left: Example 2020 Histogram of
photometry for darkest nights. Lower left:
Example 2020-03-28 Time plot dusk to
dawn of clear night. Sky brightness
decreases with time, to before dawn. Lower
right: Example Backscatter determination
from repeatedly turning an upward facing
luminous panel on (orange) and off (black),
up to 200 times, out of view of the SQM.
This was repeated on a number of nights.
19.0 Zenith Sky brightness, Mag.arcsec-2 vs.Time 2020-07-12, Sky luminance mag.arcsec^-2
19.1 19.6 Sky luminance mag.arcsec^-2 for

19.2 #018, 2020-03-27 :: 2020-03-28, {on-ld-all-clr moon :: on-ld-clr mist} 19.7
observatory lights on, off
19.3
19.4 19.8
19.5
19.6 19.9
19.7 20.0
19.8
19.9 20.1
20.0
20.1 20.2
20.2
Mag.arcsec-2
20.3
20.3
20.4 20.4
20.5
20.6 20.5
20.7 20.6
20.8
20.9 20.7
21.0
21.1 20.8
21.2 20.9
21.3
21.4 21.0
2020-07-11 23:16:48
2020-07-11 23:31:12
2020-07-11 23:45:36
2020-07-12 00:00:00
2020-07-12 00:14:24
2020-07-12 00:28:48
2020-07-12 00:43:12
2020-07-12 00:57:36
21.5
17:00:00
17:20:00
17:40:00
18:00:00
18:20:00
18:40:00
19:00:00
19:20:00
19:40:00
20:00:00
20:20:00
20:40:00
21:00:00
21:20:00
21:40:00
22:00:00
22:20:00
22:40:00
23:00:00
23:20:00
23:40:00
00:00:00
00:20:00
00:40:00
01:00:00
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41
ALAN 2021
A Multinational Study of Night Sky Brightness patterns: preliminary results from the Globe
at Night – Sky Brightness Monitoring Network (GaN-MN)
Chu Wing SO,1,* Nok Yan Janet CHANG,1 Shengjie LIU,1 Lina CANAS,2 Constance E.
WALKER,3 Sze Leung CHEUNG,4 and Chun Shing Jason PUN1
1
Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
2
IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO), IAU/NAOJ, Tokyo, Japan
3
NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab), Tucson, AZ, United
States
4
National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, Chiangmai, Thailand
[email protected]
*
presenting author
The Global at Night - Sky Brightness Monitoring Network (GaN-MN) is a multinational

project for long-term monitoring of night sky conditions around the world. Established in January
2015, the GaN-MN consists of fixed monitoring stations each equipped with a Sky Quality Meter -
Lensed Ethernet (SQM-LE), a specialized light sensor for night sky brightness (NSB)
measurements. NSB data are continuously collected at high sampling frequency throughout the
night, and are instantly disseminated publicly to provide a real-time snapshot of the global light
pollution conditions. A unified data collection methodology, including data sampling frequency,
data selection criteria, device design and calibration, and schemes for data quality control, was
adopted to ensure uniformity in the data collected. The network has currently 57 stations operating
in 15 countries/regions in Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. Around 100 million individual
NSB data entries had been collected up to January 2021. This huge NSB database allows for studies
of temporal and geographical variations of light pollution and their correlations with various natural
and artificial factors.
Preliminary analysis of this multinational data set reveals the huge variation in the night sky
worldwide: urban night skies are significantly brighter than night skies in pristine national parks. In
general, urban night skies get progressively darker with time over the night due to reduction in light
usage. Distinct patterns of temperal variations of the NSB observed in different locations reflect the
diverse policy and habit of lighting usage in the locations sampled. By studying the density
distribution of data, we confirmed that the cloud amplification factor is highly correlated with the
NSB of the location, more specifically, the brighter the night sky of the location is, the more the
clouds impact the NSB. The correlation is generally valid over a wide range (over 400× in radiance
difference) of light pollution levels. This data collected is intended to provide the scientific
backbone in our efforts to contribute to dark sky conservation through education to the general
public and policy makers.
Project website: http://globeatnight-network.org/. Archived data from the project also

available at the Globe at Night website: https://www.globeatnight.org/gan-mn.php
This project is supported by the University of Hong Kong Knowledge Exchange Fund
granted by the University Grants Committee, the Environment and Conservation Fund of The
Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the IAU Office for Astronomy
Outreach (OAO), IAU/NAOJ, Tokyo, Japan.
42
ALAN 2021
Outcomes from the Dark & Quiet Skies Workshop Reports
Constance E. Walker1,* and the Members of the Dark & Quiet Skies Working Groups2
NSF’s NOIRLab, Tucson, AZ, USA
1
2 Dark & Quiet Skies for Science & Society Report, pp. 7-11
[email protected]
* presenting author
Introduction
As request by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS), the UN
Office of Outer Space Affairs, the IAU and Spain organized a workshop on “Dark and Quiet Skies
for Science and Society” (D&QS). The workshop was held in October 2020. The presentations were
the outcome of research done by nearly 80 scientists, illumination engineers, space lawyers and
satellite operators from around the world. The Dark & Quiet Skies Workshop report addresses all
types of artificial interference that may have a negative impact on the visibility of the night sky and
astronomical science. The results from four of the five working groups is summarized here. The
first working group investigated the impact of satellite constellations on the field of astronomy. The
second through fourth working groups investigated the effects of the artificial emission of light
during the night, also known as artificial light at night (ALAN). The ability to provide illumination
is essential to modern society. However, excessive, ubiquitous and improperly directed illumination
has significant negative impacts on dark skies oases, optical astronomy and the bio-environment.
The Impact of Satellite Constellations on the Science of Astronomy
The pending deployment of tens of thousands of communication satellites in LEO is a very

recent technological capability. The main purpose of these satellite constellations is to provide low-
latency communication networking to any inhabited region of the globe. While this endeavor may
represent a huge advantage to communications within society, the effect of fully deployed
constellations on the visibility of the night sky and on professional astronomical observations has
not been adequately considered. Owing to their low orbits, a considerable number of satellites may
be visible to the unaided eye, especially at low elevations above the horizon near twilight and dawn.
More seriously, a much larger number of orbiting satellites will be detectable owing the highly
sensitive astronomical detectors on modern telescopes. The impact is particularly dramatic for
wide-field telescopes and automated surveys aimed at detecting moving objects, e.g., the COPUOS-
supported International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN). It is estimated that up to 30–40 per
cent of the images taken by a wide-field telescope like the Simonyi Survey Telescope at Vera C.
Rubin Observatory could be made unusable. The mitigation of the effects caused by satellite
constellations requires an internationally agreed regulation, therefore it falls within the core remit of
the UN COPUOS. The situation is certainly complex, both from the technical point of view and in
terms of the possible regulatory aspects.
Protection of Dark Sky Oases
It is unrealistic to re-establish a pristine night sky within the boundaries of a modern city,
where street illumination is mandatory for public safety reasons. However, in order to protect the
43
ALAN 2021
right of any citizen to enjoy the vision of the starry sky, we recommend that national and local
governments establish a suitable number of “dark sky oases” and protect them from excessive
ALAN. In order to protect them, especially if they are located near densely populated regions,
urban illumination has to comply with a number of prescriptions that can mitigate the outward
diffusion of light, including reducing the level of illumination to the minimum necessary to ensure
public safety and directing the light sources only toward where light is needed. Urban illumination
that is not strictly needed for safety reasons should be discouraged. It is worthwhile noting that such
measures result in substantial energy saving and serve to promote societal conservation of natural
resourcesn, or available under an open license.
Protection of Ground-Based Optical Astronomy Sites and Related Science
In the case of the protection of existing or planned astronomical observatory sites, the
mitigating measures are more stringent than those recommended for the dark sky oases, not only
because the level of light pollution from ALAN has to be kept considerably lower, but also because
the control of the spectral distribution is an important factor. Modern astronomical optical
observatories represent large public investments, and governments have an interest in protecting a
suitable area surrounding each observatory by adopting and enforcing specific regulations. In many
cases, astronomical observatories that are financially supported by a given government are located
in a foreign country that offers better geographic and climate conditions for astronomical
observations. In these cases, it is essential that a clear assurance of enforced protection from ALAN
is included in international hosting agreements. This is one of the reasons why this matter is being
brought to the attention of COPUOS, which offers the best international forum in which to propose
a uniform approach to the matter.
Protection of the Bio-Environment
In analyzing the impact of ALAN on astronomical observations, it was noted that the same
polluting sources affect not only the night sky, but also the environment in general and in particular
biological life and human health. These effects have been analyzed and a number of measures are
recommended, some of which are germane to those recommended in the previous two categories.
Further study of the effects of ALAN on the bio-environment is encouraged, in particular effects
produced by novel light sources such as various types of outdoor light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The
approach to regulating ALAN effects, however, differs substantially from those considered for
sunlight reflected from satellites in large “constellations”.
The recommendations for the last three categories (dark skies oases, optical astronomy and
the bio-environment), even if agreed to internationally, can only be adopted and enforced by
individual national and local governmental authorities, i.e., by the same authorities that regulate
and finance, directly or indirectly, urban illumination. Nonetheless, if a substantial number of UN
Delegations endorse the recommendations of the Dark & Quiet Skies Workshop, this would greatly
enhance the chances of their local implementation.
Summary
The four categories above, plus one on Protection of Radio Astronomy Sites and Related
Science, will be presented at the April 2021 meeting of the Science and Technology Subcommittee
of COPUOS. The summary report for the UN and the full D&QS workshop report can be found at
https://www.iau.org/publications/iau/.
44
ALAN 2021
Measurements for determining spectral correction factor for satellite observations and field
test of light pollution maps
Dénes Száz,1* Kornél Kolláth,1,2 and Zoltán Kolláth3

1
2
3
Department of Physics, Eszterházy Károly University, Eger, Hungary
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Imaging detectors of satellites like the VIIRS–DNB sensors onboard the Suomi NPP and the
NOAA–20 satellites play an important role in monitoring light pollution globally. These
measurements are also used to construct maps of night sky brightness like the World Atlas (2015).
However, the satellite data
cannot be directly compared
with ground-based
measurements taken with
devices with different spectral
sensitivity.
To estimate the error of
the spectral sensitivity
mismatch and to provide Fig. 1: Spectral radiance distribution of the light dome of Kaposvár,
possible correction factors, we Hungary and the spectral sensitivity of the VIIRS–DNB sensitivity
collect ground-based data by a curve
spectroradiometer during light
pollution surveys in Hungary.
We selected locations being part of national parks at the Great Hungarian Plain, where the visibility
of the light domes of the neighbouring settlements is guaranteed. The spectrum of the light-domes
are measured and then compared with data of satellite detectors and then knowing the spectral
sensitivity of the satellite sensor, the ratio of the observed and total radiance can be estimated. This
procedure, in principle, can provide a correction factor for each settlement.
With these measurements, we can give the predicted error caused by the spectral mismatch
of the World Atlas data. We also collect ground-based data of whole sky imagery, which provide an
additional test of light pollution maps.
45
ALAN 2021
Device for automatic measurement of light pollution of the night sky – test results and
conditions of operation
Dominika Karpińska1,* and Mieczysław Kunz1

1
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management,
Department of Geomatics and Cartography, Poland
[email protected], [email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Man's actions negatively affect the surrounding natural environment. Along with the more
and more intensive development of civilization, we can observe an increase in environmental
pollution of anthropogenic origin (Jechow et al 2019, pp. 212–223). The sky, polluted with light, is
already an integral part of the landscape of the modern city. It has been proven that the excessive
amount of light emitted at night has a huge impact on the development of plants and animals as well
as on the functioning of the human being (Depledge et al. 2010, pp. 1383-1385, Jechow et al. 2019,
pp. 212–223, Roge-Wiśniewska 2015, pp. 15-28). The described phenomenon has become an already
noticed global problem, which is subject to monitoring, evaluation and research. For over a dozen
years, this topic has been dealt with by an increasing group of scientists dealing with various
disciplines from different parts of the world on a daily basis.
Light pollution studies have been

conducted in Toruń since 2017 (Karpińska
and Kunz 2019, pp. 91–100, Karpińska and
Kunz 2020, pp. 155–172). Initially, the
measurements were carried out by using a
handheld SQM photometer in the L version
by Unihedron. The research lasted one year
and the selected twenty-four stations made up
a measurement network located throughout
the city. Currently, an automatic
measurement network is being built on the
same site. In principle, over thirty devices
will work remotely, sending measurement
data to a dedicated server where they will be
Fig. 1. A device measuring the brightness of the sky,
analyzed. placed on one of the TARR buildings in Toruń
(Poland) (photo by Mieczysław Kunz, 2020)
Methods
Since 2019, a portable and low-costs device has been constructed to meet the conditions of
the assumed measurement network. Components that meet the project assumptions have been
selected. The first tests of the two devices were successfully carried out in early 2020 (Fig. 1). Since
then, another thirty-five devices that have already been tested in the field have been developed
(Fig. 2). The data obtained at present will also be compared with measurements made with
professional SQM devices, as well as with data obtained in 2017–2018. The designed devices carry
out measurements remotely and communicate with the server in LoRa technology.
46
ALAN 2021
Conclusions
Light pollution of the night sky is a

developing problem in the world today. It is
necessary to monitor this phenomenon,
which will allow scientists to check its
condition and extent. The remote
measurement network being built in Toruń
will allow for an in-depth analysis of this
phenomenon.
Remote data acquisition of night sky
light pollution based on a network of sensors
is part of Industry 4.0. Wireless
communication in LoRa technology is an
element of the Internet of Things (IoT)
Fig. 2. Testing the cloud of devices for measuring the concept. It will have practical application
sky brightness in November 2020 on the terrace of the related to Smart Environment.
NCU Meteorological Observatory in Toruń (Poland),
(photo by Mieczysław Kunz, 2020) References
Depledge MH, Godard-Codding CAJ & Bowen RE (2010) Light pollution in the sea, Marine Pollution Bulletin
60(9): 1383–1385.
Jechow A, Ribas SJ, Canal-Domingo R, Hölker F, Kolláth Z, & Kyba CCM (2019) Tracking the dynamics of
skyglow with differential photometry using a digital camera with fisheye lens. Journal of Quantitative
Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 209: 212–223.
Karpińska D & Kunz M (2019) Light pollution in the night sky of Toruń in the summer season, Bulletin of
Geography. Physical Geography Series 17: 91–100.
Karpińska D & Kunz M (2020) Analysis of light pollution of the night sky in Toruń (Poland), Civil and
Environmental Engineering Reports 4 (30): 155–172.
Roge-Wiśniewska M (2015) Światło – Dobrodziejstwo czy problem? In Przejdź na ciemną stronę nocy.
Środowiskowe i społeczne skutki zanieczyszczenia światłem: 15–28, edited by Małgorzata Roge-
Wiśniewska and Katarzyna Tomasik. Wyd. UW, Warszawa.
47
ALAN 2021
GAMBONS: A multi-band Gaia – Hipparcos map of the natural night sky brightness
Theme: Measurement and Modeling
Eduard Masana,1* Josep Manel Carrasco1, Salvador Bará,2 Salvador J. Ribas,3

1
Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICC-UB-IEEC), Barcelona, Spain
2
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia
3
Parc Astronòmic Montsec- Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Àger, Spain
[email protected],edu
* presenting author
Introduction
The natural brightness of the night sky in different photometric bands is a relevant parameter for
light pollution research, since it allows establishing a baseline against which to evaluate the light
pollution levels experienced in urban, periurban, rural and pristine dark sites. Brightness, in this
context, is a shortcut name for the spectral radiance of the sky, weighted by the sensitivity function
of the photometric band, spectrally integrated over wavelengths, and angularly integrated within the
field-of-view of the detector.
The brightness of the natural night sky results from the sum of the spectral radiances coming from
the Moon, stars and planets, the natural airglow, and the zodiacal light. This radiance is affected by
attenuation (absorption and scattering), before it reaches the observer. The natural sky brightness is
not uniform over the sky dome. Besides the dependence on the line of sight of the airglow radiance,
absorption and scattering, the presence of the Milky Way or other bright sky regions has a direct
impact in the value of the sky brightness in a given direction. The value of the brightness is there-
fore a function of the location, time, observing direction and atmospheric conditions.
We present in this work GAMBONS (GAia Map of the Brightness Of the Natural Sky), a model to
map the natural night brightness of the sky in cloudless nights. Unlike previous maps, GAMBONS
(Masana et al., 2020) is based on the extra-atmospheric integrated starlight radiance obtained from
the Gaia catalogue. The Gaia-EDR3 archive (Gaia Collaboration 2020) compiles astrometric and
photometric information for more than 1.8 billion stars up to G=21 mag. For the brightest stars, not
included in Gaia-EDR3, we have used the Hipparcos catalogue (ESA, 1997) instead. After adding
up to the star radiance the contributions of the diffuse galactic light and extragalactic light back-
ground, zodiacal light and airglow, and taking into account the effects of atmospheric attenuation
and scattering, the radiance detected by ground-based observers can be estimated. This methodolo-
gy can be applied to any photometric band, if appropriate transformations from the Gaia bands are
available. In particular, we present the expected sky brightness for V (Johnson), SQM and visual
photopic and scotopic passbands.
Methodology
The novelty of this work is the determination of the radiance outside the Earth’s atmosphere using-
Gaia and Hipparcos catalogues to obtain the integrated starlight. Gaia is an extremely ambitious
astrometric space mission of the scientific programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). The
48
ALAN 2021
third catalogue of the mission (Gaia-EDR3), with more than 1,8 billion sources, was released in
December 2020. It includes very high accurate positions, motions and parallaxes, as well as infor-
mation about the brightness, colour and several astrophysical parameters for all these sources. Gaia
is the successor of the Hipparcos ESA mission, launched in 1989. Hipparcos catalogue includes
around 120.000 stars, with information about their position, motion, brightness and colours. Alt-
hough the Gaia catalogue is several orders of magnitude more complete and precise than Hipparcos
catalogue, Gaia cannot observe bright objects (below 5st magnitude in G). For those stars, the Hip-
parcos catalogue address the lack of Gaia data.
As a first step, we have computed the total ISL irradiance from the Gaia and Hipparcos data in sev-
eral bands arriving to the Earth. The three passbands (G, GBP and GRP) of the Gaia photometric sys-
tem need to be transformed to the other passbands. However, a complete sky brightness model re-
quires the modelling of the other components, as the diffuse galactic light, the zodiacal light, air-
glow or atmospheric attenuation and scattering. We have implemented in GAMBONS the more
updated and reliable models available in the literature for those components.
Results
GAMBONS model can be used to

generate all-sky maps in a given
passband, as the shown in Fig.1.
These maps provide a realistic de-
scription of what one can expect to
observe in pristine locations free
from light pollution sources, under
different atmospheric conditions.
The multi-band capability of GAM-
BONS allows generating all-sky
images in several bands. The model
also allows estimating the nightly
and seasonal variation of the sky
brightness for a given location, al-
lowing to establish a limit value for
the darkest possible sky visible from
a given place.
Fig. 1. All-sky map in the V Johnson-Cousins band generated by
GAMBONS is available at GAMBONS.
gambons.fqa.ub.edu.
References
ESA, 1997, The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues, ESA SP-1200.

Gaia Collaboration et al. (2020). Gaia EDR3: Summary of the contents and survey properties. arXiv e-prints.
Masana E, Carrasco J.M., Bará S, Ribas S.J., (2020) A multi-band Gaia – Hipparcos map of the natural night
sky brightness. Mon Not R Astron Soc, submitted.
49
ALAN 2021
GLOW – The Global artificial Light Ocean netWork
Elena Maggi,1,* M. Aubè,2 L. Benedetti-Cecchi,1 I. Bertocci,1 Z. Botterell,3 P. R. Brooks,4 R.

Christofoletti,5 J. Coughlan,4 T. P. Crowe,4 K. Dafforn,6 D. Davoult,7 G. Franzitta,8 R. Gauff,7 , N.
Hubbard,3 L. Iveza,9 A.S. Martinez,5 E. Marzinelli,10 M. Mayer Pinto,11 A. Queiros,3 P. Quijon,12 F.
Rossi,13 M. Trethewy,6 F. Tuya,14
1
Dipartimento di Biologia, via Derna 1 – University of Pisa, CoNISMa, Pisa, Italy
2
Département de physique, Cégep de Sherbrooke, 475, rue du cégep, Sherbrooke (Québec),
Canada
3
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, PL1 3DH Plymouth, UK.
4
Earth Institute & School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin,
Dublin, Ireland
5
Institute of Marine Sciences - Federal University of São Paulo (IMar/UNIFESP) - Brazil
6
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109,
Australia
7
Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144, Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station
Biologique Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, 29680 Roscoff, France
8
Research Infrastructure for Marine Biological Resources Department, Stazione Zoologica
Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
9
Center for Marine Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, G. Paliaga 5, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia
10
Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Rm 147, Edgeworth David Bldg
A11, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
11
Centre for Marine Science and Innovation Evolution & Ecology Research Centre
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
12
Department of Biology, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue,
Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4P3, Canada
13
ECOSEAS laboratory, CNRS-UCA, 28 av Valrose, Nice, France
14
IU-ECOAQUA, Grupo en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología,
Universidad de Las Palmas de G.C., Las Palmas, Spain
[email protected]
*
presenting author
50
ALAN 2021
The Global artificial Light Ocean netWork (GLOW) is
a collaborative consortium of scientists studying the
potential effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) on
coastal assemblages worldwide. Established in Italy in
Summer 2018, GLOW has attracted partners from
several countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Croatia,
France, Ireland, Spain, UK), where researchers are
collecting data to quantify the intensity and quality of
night lightings and their potential effects on the
abundance of intertidal algae and invertebrates
colonizing artificial structures.
Why is it important to monitor the biological effects of

ALAN on artificial structures? Armouring of the
coastline is ubiquitous, due to commercial, residential, or Fig. 1: GLOW logo (by R. Gauff)
touristic activities. Jetties, pontoons or pier pilings,
seawalls, and riprap revetments or bulkheads are very common structures used to support human
activities and assets, and all represent new habitats for a plethora of organisms. These man-made
structures are usually brightly lit at night for security reasons (Bulleri and Chapman 2015). Increases
in human population and global climate changes will cause coastal artificial structures to proliferate,
thus replacing natural habitats with light-polluted coastal systems.
Activities of the GLOW network are based on the application of a concise protocol, that includes
both diurnal and nocturnal samplings replicated twice (i.e., 2 dates) within the Summer and Winter
seasons, at both lit and unlit areas, and focuses on measures of artificial lighting (by means of
SQMs and light meters) as well as visual estimates of abundance of sessile and mobile organisms
(including crabs). Optional activities related to sampling during additional moon phases, sampling
microbial biofilm (Maggi et al. 2020) and using additional instruments to quantify properties of
ALAN (LAN3; Aubé et al. 2020) are presented.
Variability observed among locations and between seasons in the difference in abundance of
organisms between lit and unlit areas are discussed, by considering possible natural or
anthropogenic drivers, with a focus on potential interactions between ALAN and other disturbances
related to urbanization in coastal areas (Maggi et al. in prep, ECOlight working group -
https://www.euromarinenetwork.eu/activities/emergent-impacts-coastal-areas).
References
Aubé M, Marseille C, Farkouh A, Dufour A, Simoneau A. Zamorano J, ... & Tapia C (2020). Mapping the
Melatonin Suppression, Star Light and Induced Photosynthesis Indices with the LANcube. Rem
Sens, 12, 3954.
Bulleri M, Chapman MG (2015) Artificial physical structures. In Marine Ecosystems. Human Impacts on
Biodiversity, Functioning and Services (Ed. T.P. Crowe and C.L.J. Frid). Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, UK.
Maggi E, Bongiorni L, Fontanini D, Capocchi A, Dal Bello M, Giacomelli A, Benedetti-Cecchi L (2020)
Artificial light at night erases positive interactions across trophic levels. Funct Ecol 34: 694–706.
Maggi E, ECOlight working group (in prep) Coastal light pollution and urbanisation: state of the art and
perspectives.
51
ALAN 2021
Lidar measurements of insect distributions near light fixtures with different spectra
Elizabeth M. Rehbein,1 Riley D. Logan,1 Kurt M. Fristrup,2 and Joseph A. Shaw1,*

1
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
2
National Park Service, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
The incursion of Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) into environments that evolved under
geologically stable lighting conditions has disrupted the natural biological rhythms of nocturnal
animals (Grubisic et al., 2018). Potential disturbances to the spatial distribution and behavioral pattern
of insects in response to ALAN can result in insect injury, failure to reproduce, and death–all events
with potential trophic cascades that may further alter an already disturbed ecosystem (Davies, Bennie,
& Gaston, 2012; Justice & Justice, 2016). Understanding the effects of various lighting sources on
insect movements will help provide valuable information to those seeking to minimize the effects of
anthropogenic lighting in pristine or protected areas such as national parks. To this end, we conducted
a collaborative effort to develop and use a wing-beat modulation lidar (US 2006025422A1, 2006) to
noninvasively monitor insect distributions and movements in response to a broadband light source
and a narrowband red light source. Our study aimed to establish the degree to which insect
distributions are altered by the replacement of broadband white lights with narrowband red lights.
Methods
To begin understanding insect response to artificial lighting, we conducted a field study near
Bozeman, MT using white and red light sources and a wing-beat modulation lidar to noninvasively
monitor flying insects. The light source was a Signify RoadFocus Medium (RFM) designed
specifically for use in ecological studies in Colter Bay Campground in Grand Teton National Park.
The luminaire has a set of broadband white Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and a set of narrowband
red LEDs to enable switching between the two spectra. We used the red and white LEDs on alternate
nights and scanned a volume of nearby air with the lidar to identify insects. The wing-beat modulation
lidar was developed to noninvasively and nonlethally monitor the spatial and temporal distributions
of flying insects for ecological studies. It detects insects without drawing them to a trap or removing
them from the study region. The lidar uses a laser beam with 532 nm wavelength and a high pulse
repetition frequency to probe a test region. We analyze the backscattered light with spectral analysis
to detect flying insects based on the oscillatory nature of light reflected by the insect wings.
Results and Recommendations for Future Studies
While there were no obvious distinctions in spatial insect distribution between the red light
and white light nights, there was some variability in the temporal distributions. Environmental
differences (e.g., temperature, wind, wildfire smoke levels) across the study period complicated our
ability to draw conclusions on insect response to the two light colors while the small sample size of
data inhibited our ability to account for environmental variability. Analysis currently is done manually
but we are investigating automated analysis with machine learning to decrease processing times.
52
ALAN 2021
Figure 1. Histogram of insect detections on the four nights of the field experiments.
This study suggests modifications in future experiments. A longer study period will improve
statistical sampling of environmental variables, and a new version of the insect lidar designed with a
larger transmit beam area will improve spatial sampling of insects (and increase their time in the
beam, which will lead to better-defined wing-beat spectra). The effects of weather differences
between nights could be avoided by operating two luminaires simultaneously–one running the white
LEDs and the other running the red LEDs. While we had only one luminaire available, access to two
would enable the field team to collect data on insect distributions in response to both light spectra
within the same night. We suggest setting up two luminaires, separated by a large enough distance
that they are unlikely to interfere with one another, and scanning small volumes of air near each
luminaire and a control area away from the lights. Future studies of this variety would improve our
capacity to understand insect response to different sources of nighttime artificial lighting.
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division of the National Park
Service, and the Kamerman family graciously allowed access to their beautiful farm on Hyalite Creek.
References
Davies, T. W., Bennie, J., & Gaston, K. J. (2012). Street lighting changes the composition of
invertebrate communities. Biology Letters, 8(5), 764–767.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0216
Grubisic, M., van Grunsven, R. H. A., Kyba, C. C. M., Manfrin, A., & Hölker, F. (2018). Insect
declines and agroecosystems: does light pollution matter? Annals of Applied Biology, 173(2),
180–189. https://doi.org/10.1111/aab.12440
Justice, M. J., & Justice, T. C. (2016). Attraction of Insects to Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent,
Halogen, and Led Lamps in a Light Trap: Implications for Light Pollution and Urban
Ecologies. Entomological News, 125(5), 315–326. https://doi.org/10.3157/021.125.0502
Shaw, J. A., Repasky, K. S., Carlsten, J. A., & Spangler, L. H. (2006). US 2006025422A1. United
States.
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Impact of light pollution on biodiversity: Challenges for education
(Poster presentation)
ÉVA NAGY1
1
Neumann János High School, Vocational School and College, Rákóczi Street 48, Eger 3300,
Hungary
1
Eszterházy Károly University, Doctoral School of Education, Eszterházy Square 1, Eger 3300,
Hungary
[email protected]
Introduction
Light is an essential source of energy for plants by photosynthesis (Pénzesné et al., 2020)
and it is a key factor in the orientation of some birds, movement of insects, and feeding of mammals
As living organisms, people are affected through their biorhythm, as well and the learning
efficiency, especially for growing children are also greatly influenced by the lights in the pre-sleep
period (Mika et al. 2020).
Today, there are fewer and fewer valuable biological stages through which the idea of
sustainability can be demonstrated in education, but light pollution can be presented in an
educational way for the next generation. We have to make them understand today that the right
view of their immediate environment and thus of the entire world's are fundamental and urgent
challenge. (Nagy 2020)
Stimulating active learning can produce unparalleled results in the long term. One of the
most effective ways of responding to challenges (especially for the high school age groups) is to
reconstruct young people’s partially acquired study materials aiming to correspond to the current
state, making them more personal, contributing to the regeneration of our environment.
In connection with the participation in a light pollution project (EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-
00014), interesting conclusions can be drawn with a detailed study of biodiversity. Among the
research opportunities, the study of nocturnal animals, appearing in the biology textbooks, has
proved to be the most instructive part, during which it was confirmed that in the textbooks,
obligatorily used in Hungarian public education, the existence of the animal species that are closely
related to the theme of nightlife, is described in an unexpected number. However, in many required
educational materials, the primary goal is still not to highlight the nocturnal aspects of biodiversity
even if lighting would be one of the most defining conditions. (Nagy 2020) (Living Planet Report
2020) (Council of Europe – point 5 2020)
In 2021, the János Neumann High School, Vocational School and College of Eger is
planning to join the Hungarian Eco-School network and our school will make a number of
observations related to the school’s natural surroundings. The implementation of this Eco-School
project offers practical activities for night observations in the future, as well The active observation
of the flora and fauna in the schoolyard, even at night, comes into the spotlight from a much more
natural aspect, and the observations related to the studies are processed through innovative
technological tools and methods. (Könczey 2016) A parallel project, a Bisel program, is also being
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ALAN 2021
implemented in our school in connection with light pollution, and it examines the effects of
pollution and the biology of nocturnal activity. (https://bisel.hu/verseny)
Methods
The aim of the poster presentation is to present the researched essential elements of
education in connection with the light pollution, which are currently found in all compulsory
secondary school knowledge in Hungary, but are not necessarily highlighted in terms of light
pollution.
Furthermore, it also presents methodological possibilities that adapt to the needs of
Hungarian children through the channels they use, and thus aim to draw attention to the dangers and
harmful effects of light pollution (Eco-school project, Bisel program).
Conclusions
In many cases, the drastic decline in biodiversity might happen due to the fact that, young
generation does not always have access to sufficient and up-to-date information from their
textbooks. However, a greater knowledge of species diversity might ensure natural sustainability for
all life forms, for us, humans, as well. Considering these facts within the environmental education,
its elements in the school materials were examined. (Nagy, 2020)
References
Council of Europe (2020) https://www.coe.int/en/web/bern-convention/bern-convention-institutions-

meetings-2020/-/asset_publisher/7T5G0cGwamcy/content/40th-standing-committee-
meeting?_101_INSTANCE_7T5G0cGwamcy_viewMode=view/ (Downloaded: January 18, 2021)
EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00014 "Developing an international research environment in the field of light pollution
testing"
https://bisel.hu/verseny (Downloaded: January 18, 2021)
Könczey et al., (2016) ÚT AZ ÖKOISKOLA FELÉ – MÓDSZERTANI SEGÉDANYAG ÉS ÚTMUTATÓ
LEENDŐ ÖKOISKOLÁKNAK https://ofi.oh.gov.hu/kiadvany/ut-az-okoiskola-fele-modszertani-
segedanyag-es-utmutato-leendo-okoiskolaknak (Downloaded: January 20, 2021)
Mika, J., Apró, A., Balogh, S., Hankovszki, M., Kertész, A., Novák, R., Pintér, I., & Sütő, L. (2020).
Measuring inhabitants’ knowledge on technical features and physiological effects of light
pollution. Journal of Applied Technical and Educational Sciences, 10(3), 115-128.
https://doi.org/10.24368/jates.v10i3.199
Nagy É., (2020) Acta Universitatis de Carolo Eszterházy Nominatae Sectio Biologiae / Az Eszterházy Károly
Egyetem Tudományos Közleményei. Tanulmányok a Biológiai Tüdományok Köréből Paper: NÉ
Nagy É., (2020) Biodiversity knowledge elements in Biology education: Nocturnal animals in Hungarian
education
Nature needs our help. Living Planet Report 2020
https://livingplanet.panda.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA9P__BRC0ARIsAEZ6irhE_zBgdCQZxhEt93tToo3
LlPsnXvzc6Rdzw5a7LqCg_NoW_yjIiMEaAkFREALw_wcB (Downloaded: January 20, 2021)
Pénzesné Dr. Kónya E., Peregrym M., Bezsmertna O., (2020) Artificial light at night as a new threat for the
efficiency of ex situ plant conservation
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333395222_Artificial_light_at_night_as_a_new_t
hreat_for_the_efficiency_of_ex_situ_plant_conservation (Downloaded: January 20, 2021)
Pénzesné Dr Kónya E, Peregry M., Falchibc F. (2020) Very important dark sky areas in Europe and the
Caucasus region
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479720310926?via%3Dihub (Downloaded:
January 20, 2021)
Pénzesné Kónya E., Peregrym M., Savchenkob M. (2020) How are the Mediterranean islands polluted by
artificial light at night?
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0964569120302738?via%3Dihub
(Downloaded: January 20, 2021)
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ALAN 2021
Computing light pollution indicators
Fabio Falchi,1, 2* Salvador Bará, 1

1
Dept. de Física Aplicada, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela,
Galicia
2
Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologia dell’Inquinamento Luminoso (Light Pollution Science and Technology
Institute), 36016 Thiene, Italy
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Light pollution modelling and monitoring has traditionally used zenith sky brightness as its
main indicator. Several other indicators (e.g. average sky radiance, horizontal irradiance, average
sky radiance at given interval of zenith distances) may be more useful for specific purposes of night
sky quality and environmental monitoring. For example, the average radiance in the first 10° above
the horizon is an indicator useful to describe the impact of light pollution on the night landscape,
both for humans (e.g. enjoyement of wilderness during the night) and animals (e.g. phototaxis), as
for terrestrial animals the average pointing direction of the eyes is toward the horizon. These
indicators can be calculated after the whole sky radiance is known with sufficient angular detail,
implying even several tens thousands or more directions in the sky. This means, for each site, to
integrate the contribution in each direction of the sky of each light source in the radius of hundreds
of km. This approach is extremely high time consuming if the mapping is desired for a large
territory and not for a single observing site. With our method, limited to the indicators that can be
defined as a linear operator acting on the all-sky radiance, we can have a gain in computation time
proportional to the desired number of directions in the sky (100000 directions in our case). Here we
present a way to obtain maps of large territories for a large subset of useful indicators, bypassing the
need to calculate first the radiance map of the whole sky in each site to obtain from it the desired
indicator in that site.
Methods
For each desired indicator, the point spread function (PSF) of the sources is calculated from
the whole sky radiance maps generated by a single source, at a given altitude, for a sufficiently
dense number of distances from the observing site, with its altitude. Then, using Digital Elevation
Maps we produce, for a given altitude of the observing site, a function describing the precise
contribution of a unit-radiance source located at any arbitrary point in its surroundings, taking into
account for each source altitude. Multiplying pixel-wise this function by a satellite radiance map of
the light sources, and adding up the contributions of all pixels, the value of the desired indicator at
the observing site is immediately obtained.
If we desire maps of the indicator(s) for a large territory, to speed up further the process, we
can relax the condition to use the exact altitude of sources and sites, using transversally shift-
invariant PSF, i.e. that depends only on the relative position of source and observer. In this way, we
can use Fast Fourier-Transform (FFT).
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Fig. 1: Function describing the contribution to the zenith sky brightness in Moran Point Overlook (Grand
Canyon National Park, USA) of unit-radiance sources located in its surroundings. The effect of the altitude
of the light sources are clearly visible in this false color 3D rendering.
Conclusions
We present here a method to compute light pollution indicators that were usually attainable
only computing in advance very detailed whole sky radiance maps.
References
Bará S, Falchi F, Furgoni R, Lima RC. Fast Fourier-transform calculation of artificial night sky brightness
maps, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer 240 (2020) 106658
Duriscoe, D.M. (2016). Photometric indicators of visual night sky quality derived from all-sky brightness
maps. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer, 181, 33–45
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ALAN 2021
Living the Pyrenean night
Theme: Society
Fernando Jauregui1*
1
Planetario de Pamplona, Pamplona, Spain
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
The European project Pirineos La Nuit (Interreg - POCTEFA EFA233/16 PLN) has three
main areas of activity: Science, Outreach and Strategy. We present the fulldome documentary
“Pirineos La Nuit” for planetarium domes as part of the outreach section of PLN. Three of the six
project partners manage a planetarium in their facilities, so it seems natural to produce this
audiovisual presentation as part of the project.
The Planetarium of Pamplona is producing original content for its dome since the center
opened in 1993, so we have a large experience in this type of media. The arrival of digital
planetariums with the first years of the new millennium allowed us to expand to new areas of
interest and visual resources as the video covered the entire surface of our domes. At the same time,
the progress in the quality of digital cameras (video and photography) and the evolution of 360º
cameras and the software for stitching and warping give us the ability to represent the real world in
our domes. Using fisheye lenses or devices
with multiple lenses, we can capture
180ºx360º or even 360ºx360º images that
we can project on the dome.
The fulldome show Pirineos La Nuit
aims to present to the public not the perfect
skies that are typical of planetariums, but
the real night we discovered there. To
achieve this goal, we had to capture images
and sounds of the real night.
The equipment
We started with some tests in 2016

to see if the equipment could do the job in
those hard conditions. As a result of those
tests we select the Nikon D850 DSLR
camera to be used with the Sigma 8mm
fisheye lens for dark scenes (photographic
time lapses) and the Insta360 Pro for
daylight and for the scenes recorded in the
cities. Both cameras allow us to render 4k Fig. 1: One of the frames taken in the Pic du Midi
planetarium frames (4096x4096 pixels square Observatory. Direct light from the surrounding cities can
be seen. The halos come from distant cities: Pau,
frames). The Insta360 Pro can also record 3D
Toulouse, Andorra, Girona, Barcelona, Zaragoza,
sequences in 4k planetarium resolution. Pamplona and the Basque Coast
These two cameras have been used to
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capture the true night in the Pyrenees and in the cities surrounding the mountains ... and more.
The night in the mountains
For those who are used to climb mountains, it is normal to get up early (or too early) to
reach the summit before noon and be safe in the valley or mountain shelter early in the afternoon.
But for us, that was not the case. Our goal was to reach the point where the tripod would be placed
in the afternoon and be ready to start with the sunset and stay there until dawn. This creates a new
dimension of experience. The summer of 2019 (not 69) was the time for touring the Pyrenees night.
The Col de Pombie, the valley of Pineta, the Brecha de Rolando, the Ibón de Llosas, the Col
D’Albere, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre or Ordesa-Monte Perdido National Park were some of the
places selected to shoot all night long. Some winter nights were also lived in Larra-Belagua and in
the Valley of Hecho but … those were too hard nights to be narrated here.
We lived under the stars (and clouds) in some of the most spectacular places in the Pyrenees
feeling the darkness, the wind, the sounds, the cold… that is, the natural conditions of the night.
Above, on the summits, we saw the horizon dyed with artificial light that is perceived as pale white
to the naked eye and yellowed in the photographs. But in the valleys the mountains blocked the
direct view of the horizon and only the stars and the Milky Way illuminated us. There, the night's
experience was complete.
The night in the cities
We also recorded the night in the places responsible for the light pollution we observe from
the mountains. We shoot a full night in Pamplona and we toured the Pyrenees visiting some of the
major cities: San Sebastian, Biarritz, Pau, Toulouse, Figueres, Girona, Barcelona, Lleida, Jaca,
Zaragoza, Tudela and, of course, Pamplona. Most cities are still lit with HP Sodium lamps, but the
tendency to use white LEDs is changing this scenario. The lighting industry is deciding for us, once
again, the color of our nights.
Conclusion
Producing a fulldome documentary for planetariums that shows the real state of the night in
the Pyrenees means that you have to spend many nights living and enjoying the night. The light of
the cities, even the big ones located hundreds of kilometers away, can be seen from almost
everywhere. Only those valleys where the mountains block the horizon line up to 40º in all
directions, are free of light pollution. To the naked eye, artificial light is confused with the natural
brightness of the sky because we do not distinguish colors when we are adapted to darkness. But in
the photographs, light pollution produces a yellowish background that clearly differs from natural
light.
We hope that the current trend of changing HP sodium lamps with white LEDs will end
soon and another warmer, more amber light will be used in the near future. This should be
mandatory for the villages within the Pyrenees.
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ALAN 2021
Testes histo-morphological changes in laboratory rats, Rattus norvegicus, exposed to Artificial
Light at Night (ALAN)
Theme: Health
Festus O. Kehinde,1,* Gabriel A. Dedeke, 1 Matthew A. Olude 1, Kehinde O. Ademolu1, Adeyin-

ka A. Aladesida1 and Fatimo O. Olatunde1
1
Federal University of AgricultureAbeokuta 1, Abeokuta, Nigeria
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Exposure to artificial light at night is becoming a global phenomenon. Artificial light has been
implicated in reproductive dysfunction in female rodent such as polycytic ovarian. Exposure to light
at night is presently inevitable hence the need to examine its spectra effect on male reproductive
function. Since the effect of light in animal is spectra specific, this study aimed at evaluating the
periodic change in testicular histological and testicular weight of albino rats exposed to various
light spectral at night. Albino rats were exposed to different light spectra (Blue, Green, Yellow, Red
and White) at night (6 pm – 6 am) for 126 days from birth. They were also exposed to ambient light
and darkness which served as the control. Compact fluorescence bulbs 11 watts were used and the
light intensity maintained between 350 and 300 lux using light meter. At day 63, 91 and 126, rats
was euthanized and the testes removed, weighed and fixed in 10 % formalin for histological
examination. Testicular weight (TW) was significant (p < 0.05) with highest value under BL at days
63, 91 and 126. Rats exposed to YL has the least significantly (p <0.05) TW at day 126. TW
increased significantly under GL (1.72±0.33 g) and significantly (p < 0.05) reduced under YL
(0.23±0.25 g) considering the difference between day 63 and 126. Spermatozoa were recorded at
day 63 under BL, YL and WL. Tubules had greatest diameter and elongation of seminiferous
tubules under BL. Non-specific atrophic degeneration of seminiferous tubules under DD with age.
Evidence of displacement and degeneration of the spermatogonia and pyknotic basal cells observed
close to the lumen under YL at days 91 and 126. In conclusion, exposure to YL and DD seemed to
pose risk to reproductive function while BL and GL enhanced male reproductive function in albino
rat.
References
Ali, M. N., Onyeanusi, B. I., Ayo, J. O., Salami, S. A, and Hambolu, J. O (2017) Effects of Contin-
uous Light Exposure on Testicular Structure and Function of the African Giant Rat (Cri-
cetomys gambianus). Nigerian Veterinary Journal 38(2). 159- 166.
Ashkenazi, L. and Haim, A. (2013) Effect of Light at Night on oxidative stress markers in Golden
spiny mice (Acomys russatus) liver. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A
(165) 353–357.
Berndtson W. E. and Thompson, T. L. (1990) Changing Relationships between Testis Size, Sertoli
Cell Number and Spermatogenesis in Sprague-Dawley Rats, Journal of Androbogy, 11:429-
435.
Biswas, N. M., Biswas, R., Biswas, N. M. and Mandal L. H. (2013) Effect of continuous light on
spermatogenesis and testicular steroidogenesis in rats: Possible involvement of alpha 2u-
globulin. Nepal Medical College journal, 15(1): 62-64
Biswas, R.; Sarkar, M. and Biswas, N.M. (1994) Protection of testicular activity by continuous light
in rats treated with lithium. Med. Sci. Res. 24: 297-298
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Cao, J. Liu, W. Wang, Z. Xie, D. Jia, L. and Chen Y. (2008) Green and Blue Monochromatic Lights
Promote Growth and Development of Broilers Via Stimulating Testosterone Secretion and
Myofiber Growth. Journal 0f Applied Poultry Research, 17:211–218
Chang, S. C., Zhuang, Z. X. Lin, M. J., Cheng, C. Y., Lin, T. Y., Jea, Y. S. and Huang, S. Y.
2016b. Effects of monochromatic light sources on sex hormone levels in serum and on se-
men quality of ganders. Animal Reproduction Science, pp
24,http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2016.02.012
Danilenko, K. V. and Sergeeva, O. Y. (2015) Immediate effect of blue-enhanced light on reproduc-
tive hormones in women. Neuroendocrinology Letter 36(1):84–90
Dominoni, D., Quetting, M. and Partecke, J. (2013) Artificial light at night advances avian repro-
ductive physiology. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 280:
20123017.
Falchi, F., Pierantonio, C., Christopher, D. E., David, M. K., and Haim, A. (2011) Limiting the im-
pact of light pollution on human health. Environment and stellar visibility Journal of Envi-
ronmental Management 1-9.
Fonken, L. K., Lieberman, R. A., Weil, Z. M. and Nelson, R. J. (2013) Dim Light at Night Exag-
gerates Weight Gain and Inflammation Associated with a High-Fat Diet in Male Mice. En-
docrinology, pp9 doi:10.1210/en.2013-1121
Haim, A. and Portnov, B. A. (2014) Light Pollution as a New Risk Factor for Human Breast and
Prostate Cancers. Springer, pp 165.
Haim, A. Boynao, S. and Zubidat A. E. (2019) Consequences of Artificial Light at Night: The Link-
age between Chasing Darkness Away and Epigenetic Modification: Epigenetics. Edt By Ro-
saria Meccariello. Pp 21.
Milošević, V., Trifunović, S. Sekulić, M. Šošić-Jurjević, B. Filipović, B. Negić, N. Nes-
torović, N. Manojlović, M. Stojanoski and Starčević, V. (2005) Chronic Exposure to Con-
stant Light Affects Morphology and Secretion of Adrenal Zona Fasciculata Cells in Female
Rats. Gen. Physiol. Biophys. 24: 299—309
Olatunji-Bello, I. I. and Sofola, O. A. (2001) Effect of continous light and darkness exposures on
the pituitary-gonadal axis and thyroid activity in male rats. Afr. J. Biomed. Res. l 4: 119 –
122
Robert, K. A., Lesku, J. A., Partecke J. and Chambers B. 2015 Artificial light at night desynchro-
nizes strictly seasonal reproduction in a wild mammal. Proc Biol Sci. 282(1816): 20151745.
Swami, C. G., Ramanathan, J. and Jeganath, C. (2007) Noise Exposure Effect in Testicular Histolo-
gy, Morphology and on Male Steroidogenic Hormone. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sci-
ences, 14 (1): 28-35
Zubidat A, Nelson R. J. and Haim A. 2011. Spectral and duration sensitivity to light-at-night in
‘blind’ and sighted rodent species. J Exp Biol 214:3206–3217
Zubidat, A. E., Fares, B., Fares, F. and Haim, A. (2018) Artificial Light at Night of Different Spec-
tral Compositions Differentially Affects Tumor Growth in Mice: Interaction with Melatonin
and Epigenetic Pathways. Cancer Control, 25: 1-15
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ALAN 2021
Investigation of the spectral response of the environment
Flóra Siska1*, Anna Skribanek2, Magdolna Dani2, Zoltán Kolláth3

1
2
. Eötvös Loránd University, BDPK, Department of Biology, Szombathely, Hungary
3.
[email protected]
*
presenting author
A recent development in solid-state lighting technology makes it possible to perform tests on

flora and fauna with different spectral distributions. We have built controllable light sources which
can be used in various field experiments, e.g., to study the phototaxis of insects or in the laboratory
to investigate the effect of spectral distribution on photosynthesis. LEDs are the first light sources to
have the capability of true spectral composition control, allowing wavelengths to be matched to plant
to influence plant development.
We developed a method to compare the dependence of phototaxis on spectral distribution.
First, the insects are trapped to white sheet illuminated by wide wavelength band lighting. Then two
other boards at the same distance but lighted with different spectral content switched on. The
movement of insects is recorded with digital cameras. With this experiment source with different
spectral composition can be compared in the same conditions, excluding the effect of different
weather conditions.
Light is a vital source of energy for photosynthesis, and its intensity is closely related to the
amount of incorporated CO2. In the case of angiosperm plants, the synthesis of chlorophyll occurs
exclusively in the presence of light, and it is also important for photomorphogenesis control. The light
and dark hours can act as a resource for organisms for various physiological processes and changes
in the availability of light and dark hours can have positive or negative effects. The visible light up to
700 nm wavelength is utilized in the process of photosynthesis. Spectral sensitivity of pigments
involved in light absorption are different, thus there is also different in their recovery.
Net photosynthesis was measured with LICOR 6400 (LI-COR Environmental, USA)
photosynthesis system at different light wavelength exposure. Measurements were made on a four-
week soybean (Glycine soja) plant. Data were collected for 2 minutes; net photosynthesis and
transpiration were evaluated. The efficiency of PSII reaction centre (Y(II))) of the soybean seedlings
grown under different lighting ((400–460 nm (blue); 500–530 nm (green); 615–740 (red); 400–740
nm (control) and natural light) (Table 1.) were measured with Imaging PAM-M- series chlorophyll
fluorimeter.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Wawelenght
395 410 440 460 500 525 590 615 630 655 690 735
max. (nm)
Wawelenght
18 20 20 22 27 35 17 17 18 20 20 24
bandwith (nm)
Table 1. Tested wavelengths with LED illumination
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Fig. 1: Net photosynthesis vs spectral composition
0,55
Efficiency of PSII reaction center
0,45
0,35
(Y(II))
0,25 blue
green
0,15
red
0,05
control
-0,05 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 75 natural light
PAR (µmols-2m-1)
Fig. 2: Fluorescence Yields of PSII reaction centres by different wavelengths
Based on our conclusive results, the transpiration showed a strong correlation with the light
intensity and wavelength. The net photosynthesis and yield of PSII reaction centre of the plant is
strongly dependent for the wavelength of illumination (Figure 1 and 2). We established the inhibitory
effect (photoinhibition) of short wavelength blue light (under 400 nm) (Fig. 1.). The net
photosynthesis and yield of PSII rection centre of the plant depended on the wavelength of the
illumination to a large extent (Fig. 1.). The developments of photosynthetic systems showed also
deviation for plants grown under different light quality (Fig. 2.). The development of photosynthetic
system and the efficiency of 2nd photochemical system were inhibited under green light compared to
the natural light, but the red and blue wavelength illumination resulted also inhibited photochemical
activity.
European Social Fund (Grant no. EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00014; Development of international research
environment for light pollution studies).
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Feeding of a diurnal caterpillar increased directly by artificial light at night, but not indirectly
via effects on host-plant quality
Geoffrey D. Miller,1,* Melissa H. Hey,2 Lauren K. Emer,3 Madaris C. S. Perez,4 and Kyle J.
Haynes2,5
1
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA
2
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA
3
University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, USA
4
Florida International University, Miami, USA
5
Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce, USA
[email protected]
* presenting author
Introduction
In recent years a multitude of pathways through which artificial light at night (ALAN)
affects the individuals and populations of terrestrial insects have been identified (Owens et al.
2019). For example, under ALAN, nocturnal moths have been found to exhibit reductions in
feeding (van Langevelde et al. 2017), reproduction (van Geffen et al. 2015), and predator-avoidance
(Wakefield et al. 2015). In contrast, little is known about the impacts of ALAN on diurnal insects.
In this study, we tested whether ALAN has direct and indirect effects (via effects on host-plant
quality) on the feeding behavior and performance of a diurnal herbivore, the monarch butterfly
(Danaus plexippus).
Methods
First, we grew common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) in a greenhouse under either natural
ambient light (i.e., no ALAN) or with broad-spectrum ALAN added at night, and tested for effects
of ALAN on nutritional quality (water content, percent nitrogen) and anti-herbivore defense traits
(trichome density, latex exudation) of plant foliar tissues. To test for indirect effects of ALAN on
the feeding preferences of the diurnal herbivore, we carried out feeding trials in which caterpillars
were presented with leaf material
collected from experimental plants
that were grown either under ALAN
or ambient light. We tested for
indirect effects of ALAN on
herbivore performance by rearing
caterpillars on diets consisting of
host-plant leaves collected either
from plants grown under ALAN or
ambient light and comparing pupal
weights. Next, we tested for direct
effects of ALAN on the feeding
behavior by comparing feeding Fig. 1: Monarch caterpillars exhibited increased pupal weight (A)
frequency between caterpillars and frequency of feeding at night (B) when exposed to ALAN
during development. Values are mean ± SE.
exposed to ALAN and caterpillars
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exposed to ambient light. Finally, we examined the direct effects of ALAN on herbivore
performance by testing for differences in pupal weights between caterpillars reared under ALAN or
ambient light.
Conclusions
There was no evidence that ALAN affected the growth, nutritional quality or defensive
capabilities of common milkweed, nor were there indirect effects of ALAN on caterpillar preference
or performance via effects of ALAN on common milkweed. However, compared to monarch
caterpillars not exposed to ALAN, those directly exposed to ALAN exhibited 58% higher feeding
frequency at night and showed a marginally significant 10% increase in pupal mass (Fig. 1). Our
study is the first to show direct effects of ALAN on the feeding frequency of a diurnal insect
herbivore. These findings suggest that exploring the impacts of ALAN on diurnal insects represents
an important avenue of future research.
References
Owens AC, Cochard P, Durrant J, Farnworth B, Perkin EK, Seymoure B (2020) Light Pollution Is a
Driver of Insect Declines. Biological Conservation, 241, 108259
Wakefield A, Stone EL, Jones G, Harris S (2015) Light-emitting diode street lights reduce last-ditch
evasive manoeuvres by moths to bat echolocation calls. R Soc Open Sci, 2, 150291
van Geffen KG, van Eck E, de Boer RA, van Grunsven RH, Salis L, Berendse F, Veenendaal EM
(2015) Artificial light at night inhibits mating in a Geometrid moth. Insect Conserv Divers 8:
282–287
van Langevelde F, van Grunsven RHA, Veenendaal EM, Fijen TPM (2017) Artificial night lighting
inhibits feeding in moths. Biol Lett, 13(3), 20160874
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Learning from Newport, Ireland
Theme: Technology and Design
Georgia MacMillan,1,* Brian Espey,2 Marco Palandella3 and Roberto Corradini3

1
Friends of Mayo Dark Skies, Newport, County Mayo, Ireland
2
Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
3
Lighting Design Workshop, Casale Monferrato-San Michele al Tagliamento, Italy
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Newport, County Mayo, is a beautiful heritage

town in the West Ireland. Situated at the edge of Clew
Bay on the Atlantic Coastline, it is a charming rural
town surrounded by natural habitats and wild
landscapes. It is the gateway town to many scenic
tourist attractions such as Wild Nephin Ballycroy
National Park, the Nephin Beg mountains and Clew
Bay.
In May 2016, a Gold Tier standard of International
Dark Sky Park was awarded to Wild Nephin Ballycroy
National Park, known as Mayo International Dark Fig. 1: Cover page of Newport Lighting
Sky Park (Mayo Dark Sky Park). Master Plan – 2020
(image by authours)
In order to safeguard the future of the International Dark Sky Park, a valuable sustainable tourism
asset to the area, it is necessary to protect the surrounding area from increasing light pollution.
Therefore, a lighting master plan was developed for Newport with objectives to protect the dark sky
area; to enhance the nocturnal environment of the town; and to serve as an example for other sites.
To the best of our knowledge this collaborative project, initiated by the community and not by the
local authorities, is the first of its kind. We will report on our approach, show some examples of our
work, and provide some lessons learned from the project.
An holistic teamwork’s approach
Recognising the increase in light pollution from Newport town, the Friends of Mayo Dark
Skies, a community group affiliated with the Dark Sky Ireland network and a chapter of the
International Dark Sky Association asked Lighting Design Workshop, to address the issue.
Thanks to the financial support of The Heritage Council (An Chomhairle Oidhreactht) the team was
created in September 2020 and began a concentrated effort to research themes of relevance to the
local community including biodiversity, heritage, traffic volumes, outdoor lighting, night sky
observation and the development of dark sky philosophy and illumination science.
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66
Methods
Due to the global pandemic situation, all the design and scientific work was managed and
completed remotely. We firstly built a shared framework for the Lighting Master Plan and thanks to
a careful planning, we held weekly online meetings with the key stakeholders in order to review
research, share proposals and discuss the critical issues. An online repository (via Google Drive)
was used as a tool for storing photos of sites, design sketches, scientific papers and stakeholders’
contribution. The project team shared the views of various stakeholders with the intention of
creating a bespoke plan for the town of Newport.
Despite working to such a short timeframe, the level of enthusiasm and dedication from the team
produced some impressive results, which were submitted to the Heritage Council in advance of the
agreed deadline.
Conclusions
Protecting, maintaining and improving the beauty of the night skies enjoyed by visitors to
Mayo Dark Sky Park whilst also improving the quality of life in Newport’s urban and rural
environmental settings, was a moral imperative. The shared vision presented in this project will
allow the community and visitors to safely enjoy Newport’s unique architectural heritage, against a
beautiful backdrop of a natural night sky, free from light pollution. Ultimately, the successful
preservation of the night sky in this beautiful area will depend upon the implementation of this plan
by the local authority, however, the initial response has been very positive.
The authors hope the holistic approach and the visible benefits of Newport’s Lighting Master Plan
could be shared with other Irish and Europeans towns.
References
Falchi F et al. (2019), Light pollution in USA and Europe: The good, the bad and the ugly, Journal
of Environmental Management 248, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.06.128
Grubisic M et al. (2019), Light Pollution, Circadian Photoreception, and Melatonin in Vertebrates,
Sustainability 2019, 11, 6400; doi:10.3390/ su11226400
Steinbach R, Perkins C, Tompson L, et al. (2019), The effect of reduced street lighting on road
casualties and crime in England and Wales: controlled interrupted time series analysis, J. Epidemiol.
Community Health 2015;0:1–7, doi:10.1136/jech-2015-206012
Di Lecce P et al. (2017), Outdoor Adaptive Lighting in the new UNI 11248 Italian Standard and
Result of Experience, 59-65, Lux Europa 2017, Ljubljana
International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics [IIIEE]. (2016). Circle of Light. The impact
of the LED Lifecycle. Lund: IIIEE.
Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE. (2012) OJ L 197, 38–71.
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Dark sky tourism and the need for a new academic network
Theme: Society
Hannah S. Dalgleish,1,2,*
1University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
2 University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
[email protected]
* presenting author
Dark sky tourism (DST) makes use of unpolluted nightscapes while empowering rural
communities and providing travellers with a sustainable, meaningful, educational, and cultural
experience. DST’s popularity has been ever-increasing, especially due to a desire to reconnect with
nature in addition to rising light pollution, caused by urbanisation and the introduction of white light-
emitting diodes (LEDs). Despite its worldwide appeal – and the increase of dark sky oases in recent
years – DST has been little researched. Out of a need for more evidence and understanding behind
DST, rose a desire to foster a new community. This has led to the successful creation of a dark sky
tourism network, bringing academics together from a wide range of disciplines. This newfound
collaboration offers a great deal of scope to contributing to academic knowledge.
Given the current pandemic and the climate crisis, it is paramount that we decarbonise tourism
and find sustainable solutions (Gössling & Higham, 2020), for which DST has the potential to be a
part. Of the limited scholarly output to date, dark sky tourism has repeatedly shown its relevance to
several of the UN's seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1; Fig. 1). Economically, DST
can generate significant income for a region, creating jobs and extending tourism activity into off-
peak times (Mitchell & Gallaway, 2019). Environmentally, the minimisation of artificial light at night
lessens interference with freshwater, marine, and terrestrial wildlife (Davies & Smyth 2018) and
reduces unnecessary carbon emissions. DST presents educational opportunities for tourists and local
residents, covering topics from astrophysics to light pollution (Blundell et al. 2020), and empowers
women in rural, underprivileged areas (see e.g., Astrostays2). Stargazing is also known to promote
health, well-being and connectedness with nature (Bell et al. 2014).
The DST network initially brought together a novel and cross-disciplinary group of physical
and social science experts from between the UK and Ireland3. First and foremost, the network is
inclusive – all are welcome to join. Our goals are to pursue new and exciting avenues of research;
collaborate, engage and share our findings with practitioners, the tourism industry and policy makers;
and to empower early career researchers. Together, we have already identified many areas of interest,
such as the potential of DST during a global pandemic; how DST is perceived and taken up by local
communities versus tourists; how DST can help to preserve indigenous knowledge; and the impact
of DST upon the planet. I will share this year-long journey of creating and developing the DST
network as an early career researcher, despite the limitations of remote working, as well as the
outcome of our inaugural meeting in April 2021.
1
https://sdgs.un.org/
2
https://astrostays.com
3
Fields have since expanded to include tourism, light pollution, sustainable development, cultural heritage,
environmental psychology, public health, light pollution, human geography, art, ecology, education, science
communication, and astrophysics.
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Fig. 1: Dark sky tourism has strong links to at least twelve of the United Nations’
seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. Credit: Dalgleish & Bjelajac (2021)
References
Bell R, Irvine, K N, Wilson, C, Warberd, S C (2014) Dark Nature: Exploring potential benefits of nocturnal
nature-based interaction for human and environmental health. European Journal of Ecopsychology, 5
Blundell, E, Schaffer, V, Moyle, B D (2020) Dark sky tourism and the sustainability of regional tourism
destinations. Tourism Recreation Research, 45, 4
Dalgleish H, Bjelajac D (2021) Dark sky tourism. Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing.
Editor: Dimitrios Buhalis. Publisher: Edward Elgar. In press.
Davies T W, Smyth T, (2018) Why artificial light at night should be a focus for global change research in the
21st century. Glob. Change. Biol. 24
Gössling S, Higham J (2020) The Low-Carbon Imperative: Destination Management under Urgent Climate
Change. Journal of Travel Research.
Mitchell D, Gallaway, T, (2019) Dark sky tourism: economic impacts on the Colorado Plateau Economy,
USA. Tourism Review, 74, 4
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SkyMeAPP: a citizen science project to study light pollution
Héctor Lamphar
1
Conacyt 1, Querétaro, México
[email protected]
Introduction
Citizen science encourages the public to collect

data in a variety of habitats and locations over different
periods of time. Citizen science projects have been
remarkably successful in advancing scientific
knowledge, and the contributions of citizen scientists
now provide a wealth of data on the occurrence and
distribution of different research problems worldwide.
Most citizen science projects also strive to help
participants learn about the topics they are observing
and experience the process to conduct scientific
research. Developing and implementing public data
collection projects that produce both scientific and
educational results require significant effort. Light
pollution is a recently studied environmental problem Fig 1: Main page of the SkyMeAPP.
worldwide and affects not only the performance of
astronomical activities but also has biological effects on photosensitive organisms, including
humans. Light pollution is spreading continuously, which results not only in high amounts of
wasted energy but as well in injudicious, harmful over illumination of natural environments (Rich
and Longcore 2006). To comprehend the properties of the artificial light at night (ALAN) is
essential in modelling the nocturnal radiance in a diverse nocturnal atmosphere.This article
describes the model for building and operating a citizen science project that is expected to
contribute to the study of light pollution.
Methods
The SkyMeAPP project is carried out to contribute to the study of light pollution worldwide
through the scope allowed by citizen science. The above, through three main axes: collect
information for research, generate a link between the general public and the scientific community,
and generate interest from the public regarding light pollution. Two efforts are considered to support
the project: a website and the creation and dissemination of SkyMeAPP for mobile devices. The
application covers two main areas: the classification of georeferenced photographs and the user
interface. The interface, based on the visualization of the device's geolocation, has two main
objectives. The first, to lead users to work as a team and generate a community interested in using
the application. The second is to tell users about the state of light pollution in their city or region in
order to obtain information from different places.
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Conclusions
This work addresses the importance of citizen science in modelling the emission function
and all the factors involved in its characterization. In this sense, we are presenting the SkyMeAPP
(fig. 1); a project that has the aim of contributing to the worldwide study of the emission function of
ALAN through the advantages of citizen science. Specifically, it follows three main goals: (1) to
gather data for research; (2) to generate networks among the general public and the scientific
community; (3) to bring attention to society regarding light pollution.
References
71
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A methodology for a light pollution network
with optimal sensor location
Héctor Lamphar1, Rodrigo López

1
Conacyt 1, Querétaro, México
[email protected]
Introduction
The design criteria for a light pollution

monitoring network must meet the objectives of the
environmental monitoring program that governments
have defined as priorities for the different zones to be
analyzed. The monitoring activities in this case should
be directed to the most sensitive environment. The
levels of concentration imply new conditions in the
selection of sampling methodologies, number of data
and frequency of sampling in addition of a good
statistical management of the data to have reliable
results. On a large scale, cities are heterogeneous (fig.
1). Several logics lead to a differentiation of the urban
space: the economic ones that determine the value of
soil, the social ones that imply a regrouping by
similarity, the spatial ones, among others. The city can Fig. 1 Image used in the experiment.
be considered as an element of observation and
measurement. It is configured as a mosaic, as a differentiated space in areas that are characterized
by their population and by the predominance of certain activities. The business center, residential
areas, industrial areas, periurban area, among others. For this reason, when establishing a
monitoring network these differences should be considered. Specifically, in the topic of light
pollution, the monitoring network must be distributed according to the lighting needs represented
by the city. In the case of images, the distribution is considered according to the poles of attraction
of the city; that is, the nodes where the pixels have a higher value.
Methods
We assume the light pollution satellite images have light concentration centers that spread
the light around with certain decaying. This decaying can be modeled with a radial basis function
e.g., a gaussian model. In order to find a good sensor location, we look for areas where a radial
basis function model describes with certain detail level the spread of light.
The first approximation we propose, is the use a basic k-means clustering algorithm to
decompose in groups a binary image, where 1 means the existence of light pollution. K-means
clustering algorithm is a variant of a Gaussian mixture model, where a gaussian distribution is a
kind of radial basis function assuming that the clusters we will find has the same variance for each
dimension (murphy 2013).
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Conclusions
Cities need to monitor the environmental problems they face. Light pollution can be
theoretically modeled; However, experimental physics is necessary not only to have a constant
monitoring, but to validate the theoretical models and make them more robust. The main
contribution of this work is the generation of an efficient and effective monitoring model, in such a
way that it is possible to use the sensors in disposal with the best likely benefit. It is important to
define the scope of the monitoring devices, as well as the spectrum to be analyzed in each of them,
thus achieving an efficient monitoring strategy. An advance of this work will not only determine the
ideal location of the sensors, but also the decision of the variables to be monitored, the location of
the stations, and the estimation of the sampling frequency.
References
Murphy K. (2013) Cambridge, Mass.
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Sky brightness simulation with Illumina over locations from the Pyrenees
Pyrenees La Nuit Project
Theme: Measurements & Modelling
Hector Linares,1,2,* Eduard Masana,2 Salvador J. Ribas,1 Martin Aubé,3 Salvador Bará,4 Alexan-
dre Simoneau5
1
Parc Astronòmic Montsec, Àger, Spain
2
Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICC-UB-IEEC), Barcelona, Spain
3
Département de physique, Cégep de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
4
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia
5
[email protected]
* presenting author
Pyreness la Nuit is an international project financed by the EU that aims to protect and
ameliorate the night natural darkness in the Pyrenees area. One of the major scientific goals of the
project is to establish a methodology that allows to recreate the night sky dome over any location
within the borders of the Pyrenees.
The team has been working on this for almost four years. The work started by simulating the
artificial radiance received in the Parc Astronomic Montsec (partner involved in the project) from a
mid-distance city, Lleida, using Illumina light pollution model (Aubé 2005, 2018). Then it followed
by showing that the model can appreciate changes in street lighting of this city, simulating the
radiance received before and after a street lighting change that took place in 2014 (Linares 2018).
As Illumina is very time consuming, we needed a way to know which cities and towns affect the
sky over a specific location before using the model to create all-sky maps. We used the
methodology presented by Bará and Lima (2018) to create light pollution contribution maps by
municipalities. These maps show the percentage of contribution from each municipality to the total
artificial radiance received in the observation point. The know-how acquired working with Illumina
allowed us to derive ad-hoc point spread functions (PSF) using the model. We used the PSF to
create contribution maps for the Parc Astronomic Montsec in the B, V and R filters of the Johnson-
Cousins system. The information of those maps was used to decide which sources had to be
included for simulating all-sky maps of that location (Linares 2020).
The methodology is now applied to study the night sky over eight locations in the Pyrenees
and its area of influence (see figure 1). For each of them contribution maps and all-sky maps are
presented. Satisfactory levels of correlation have been achieved between simulations and
measurements for the night sky brightness at each location. The typical deviation is below 0.2mag.
That is of the order of magnitude of the variations observed due to atmospheric condition, Milky
Way presence and other phenomena.
A new version of Illumina light pollution model has been released recently (Aubé 2020).
Using some of the locations studied we present a preliminary comparison between both versions of
the model.
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Fig 1. Locations studied. A: Parc Astronomic Montsec. B: Centre Astronomic Prades. C: Montgarri
refuge. D: Monsant Natural Park. E: Aigüestortes Natural Park. F: Orri Peak. G: Pico Larra. H: Pic du Midi
de Bigorre. Google Earth, earth.google.com/web/.
The methodology presented is very useful to estimate with great precision the quality of the
night in terms of brightness with no need of measurements, which is especially useful for remote
places. It also helps identifying main pollutant sources and it allows to study the implications of
changes in street lighting before they are applied, preventing this way the worsening of the quality
of the night.
References
Aubé M, Franchomme-Fosé L, Robert-Staehler P, Houle V (2005) Light pollution modelling and detection in
a heterogeneous environment: toward a night-time aerosol optical depth retreival method. In:
Atmospheric and Environmental Remote Sensing Data Processing and Utilization: Numerical
Atmospheric Prediction and Environmental Monitoring. Vol. 5890. International Society for Optics
and Photonics, p. 589012.
Aubé M, Simoneau A (2018) New Features to the Night Sky Radiance Model Illumina: Hyperspectral
Support, Improved Obstacles and Cloud Reflexion, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and
Radiative Transfer, Vol. 211, pp. 25-34.
Aubé M, Simoneau A, Muñoz-Tuñón C, Díaz-Castro J, Serra-Ricart M (2020) Restoring the night sky
darkness at Observatorio del Teide: First application of the model Illumina version 2. Monthly
Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 497, Issue 3, Pages 2501–
2516, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2113
Linares H, Masana E, Ribas S, Garcia-Gil M, Aubé M, Figueras F (2018) Modelling the night sky brightness
and light pollution sources of Montsec protected area. Journal of Quantitative spectroscopy and
Radiative Transfer 217, 178-188.
Bara S, Lima R (2018) Photons without borders: quantifying light pollution transfer between territories.
International Journal of Sustainable Lighting 20(2), 51-61.
Linares H, Masana E, Ribas S J, Aubé M, Simoneau A, Bara S (2020). Night sky brightness simulation over
Montsec protected area. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 249: 106990.
(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2020.106990.)
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ALAN 2021
Nachtlicht-BüHNE: update on the German citizen science project to create large area lighting
surveys
Helga U. Kuechly,1,* Yiğit Ö. Altıntaş,1 Nona Schulte-Römer,2 Andreas Hänel,3 Eva C. Weiss,4
Normän Naboulsi, 4 Sabine Frank,5 Sicco Bauer, 4 and Christopher C. M. Kyba1
1 GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
2 Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
3 Dark Sky Working Group VdS
4 Citizen Scientist
5 Sternenpark UNESCO Biosphärenreservat Rhön
[email protected]
* presenting author
Synopsis
Nachtlicht-BüHNE is a co-designed citizen science

project which investigates the proportion of different types of
outdoor lighting. We are developing an app that allows citizen
scientists to do lighting surveys. The two main research
questions we address are: How much of the light in satellite
imagery (e.g. Fig. 1) comes from which types of light sources?
How does this proportion change when you change settlement Fig. 1: Artificial lights of northern
context (from village to town to city center)? Germany, observed from Luojia-1.
Image courtesy Jacqueline Coesfeld.
Background
At the moment, the relative light emissions from different source types (e.g. streetlights,
advertising, façade lighting, and light escaping from windows) is not known. Several researcher
groups have examined the relative fraction due to street lighting, and have come up with values
ranging from 12-100% (Kyba et al. 2020). This uncertainty poses several problems for remote
sensing, for example in understanding the relationship between energy and light emissions observed
from space. It is also a problem for skyglow simulation, for example because light reflected from the
ground and horizontal surfaces propagate in different directions.
Project overview
The app is currently in development. It is based upon initial surveys that we conducted using
pen and paper in 2018 and 2019. A major challenge was to categorize the great variety of outdoor
lighting into a manageable number of classes. The participation of our team of about a dozen highly-
motivated citizen scientist co-designers was of great value here. Another challenge was to develop an
app within a constrained budget. To avoid costly revisions after the app was already developed, the
project leaders developed a detailed flowchart showing the entire app functionality, and this was
improved through several rounds of constructive criticism and discussion with the citizen scientist
co-design team.
During August to October, 2021, we will conduct a set of measurement campaigns in different
regions of Germany covering areas ranging in size from 0.5 to 2 km2. Within these regions, a set of
street segments (generally from one corner to the next) will be predefined, based on Open Street Map
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data (Fig. 2). Citizen scientists will survey all of the lights visible from each of these street segments.
These local campaigns will be planned and coordinated by citizen scientists, with support from the
institutional scientists. These data will then be compared to satellite imagery from Suomi NPP,
Luojia-1, as well as aerial photography from Cologne from the CALEC project. In order to facilitate
comparison with DNB imagery, at least
three of the regions will cover 2 km2 area.
Participants from around the world will also
be able to use the app by defining their own
transects. However, we do not plan to
analyze such data.
The project is part of the

CitizenScience@Helmholtz initiative. The Fig. 2: Transects assigned to a given area (right) are
German word Bühne means “stage”, and the developed based upon Open Street Map data (left).
project name means “Network of citizen and Helmholtz researchers studying night light phenomena”.
Together with a sister Nachtlicht-BüHNE project studying fireballs, we aim to demonstrate the
compatibility of co-designed citizen science with the overarching Helmholtz mission to solve the
grand challenges of science, society and industry.
Methodological details
We have categorized outdoor lights into a set of 18 types. For most categories, we have a
second attribute, for example the level of shielding for “lights mounted on buildings”, or the size for
“lit advertisements”. Illuminated areas will estimated via proportion to human dimensions (Fig. 3).
An “expert mode” for the app will allow participants to report the color of the lights (white, orange,
or other), as well as their perceived brightness (exceptionally faint, normal, or exceptionally bright).
Participants will need to complete an online

tutorial before they can submit data, in order to ensure
standardized data collection. The tutorial is currently
being developed by a team of undergraduate students
from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in USA, in
cooperation with our team of citizen scientists. The
tutorial training is based on a large set of images of
each type of lamp class, taken by our citizen scientists Size: Small Size: Medium Size: Big
and other contributors from around the world. These Fig. 3: Example of size classes within the app.
images are all released under a CC0 (public domain) license.
Acknowledgements
We thank the rest of our team of citizen scientist co-developers who chose not to be listed as co-
authors. This work was funded by the Helmholtz Association Initiative and Networking Fund under
grants CS-0003 and ERC-RA-0031, and from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and
innovation programme under grant agreement no. 689443 via project GEOEssential.
References
Kyba, C. C. M., Ruby, A., Kuechly, H. U., Kinzey, B., Miller, N., Sanders, J., ... & Espey, B. (2020). Direct
measurement of the contribution of street lighting to satellite observations of nighttime light
emissions from urban areas. Lighting Research & Technology, 1477153520958463.
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ART IN THE CITY OF LIGHT IN AN ERA OF INNOVATIVE ḖCLAIRAGE
Theme: Society
Hollis Clayson1,*
1
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Interest in the aesthetics of light shaped the work of countless modern artists across the far-
flung art worlds of the transatlantic. The bond between innovative art and light was especially
pronounced in France, and the Paris region was at the center of this artistic fascination. But Paris
light was compelling for a reason that is routinely overlooked: the capital city’s prominence in the
development of new illumination technologies. Indeed in order to come to grips with the
connections between art and light in La Ville Lumière (the City of Light), éclairage (lighting) and
lumière (light) must be uncoupled. Recognition of the difference is logical but also imperative
because éclairage was a foremost characteristic of nineteenth-century Paris – one of the three
largest world cities, the international headquarters of contemporary art, and La Ville Lumière (The
City of Light). Improvements in lighting helped in fact to define the cultural and technological
landscape of the French capital city during the entire course of the 1800s. For some artists
enthralled by light, aesthetic curiosity about night and its artificial illuminations coexisted with the
better-known love affair with the nuances of daylight. My lecture will present a sequence of Paris-
based art practices, dating from the 1850s to 1890, which were guided or at least provoked by
artificial illumination. Patterns of disavowal as well as artistic interest in the new lighting will be
considered.
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Pyrenees La Nuit: Impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal Lepidoptera in the Western
Pyrenees
Iker Pardo,1* Enrique Vergara2 and Carlos Armendariz2*

1 University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Dept. Plant Biology and Ecology, Leioa, Spain
2 Gestión Ambiental de Navarra S.A. GAN-NIK. Área de Biodiversidad, Pamplona/Iruña, Spain
[email protected]
* presenting authors
The present communication framed in Project ERDF “Pyrenees La Nuit” EFA233/16,

has been commissioned by Gestión Ambiental de Navarra S.A. GAN-NIK
Introduction
For nocturnal flying insects, a group with

widespread flight to light behavior, ALAN is
considered an important ecological threat, causing
temporal and spatial disorientation, desensitization, and
enhanced predation risk (Owens & Lewis 2018). The
attraction of flying insect to ALAN depends to a great
extent on the intensity and spectral composition of light
sources (Gaston et al. 2013). Changes in outdoor
lighting technologies (i.e. streetlight lamps) can
therefore have large impacts on insect populations.
Fig. 1: One of the interception traps used
Mercury vapour (MV), ceramic metal halide to capture flying insects attracted to
(CMH) and high-pressure sodium (HPS) are among the ALAN in the Western Pyrenees.
.
most frequent lamps used for street lighting in Europe. Comparative studies have shown that lamps
emitting short wavelengths such as MV and CMH attract more insects than HPS lamps. These
conventional lamps are being replaced by more energy-efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
However, it is unclear whether this shift in light technology would reduce negative impacts on
flying insects (Wakefield et al. 2017). Although both warm and cold white LEDs have lower UV
emissions than MV and CMH lamps, they are still rich (and richer than HPS lamps) in blue and
green wavelengths that are also attractive for insects (van Grunsven et al. 2020). Phosphor-
Converted Amber LEDs (PC-A) that were originally developed to reduce skyglow near
astronomical observatories, have an improved light spectrum with emissions concentrated towards
larger wavelengths; hence these novel LEDs are expected to be more wildlife friendly than white
LEDs (Ixtaina & Sanhueza, 2016). However, this remains to be tested in field conditions.
In this study we assessed the attraction of macro-moths to different types of lamps located in
small villages of the Western Pyrenees, one of the less light polluted spots of the Iberian Peninsula.
These villages are surrounded by similar natural habitats (conifer and riparian forests), which are
home of the endangered moths Graellsia isabellae and Proserpinus proserpina. No street lighting
policies have been adopted in the region so far, and as a result, existing streetlight technologies
varies from one village to another, and even within a village. Most villages have begun to retrofit
streetlight with white LEDs, whereas a few others have recently switched from conventional
ALAN 2021
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technologies to PC-A.
Methods
We monitored 6 different types of lamps (MV, CMH, HPS, warm and cold white LEDs and
PC-A) over the peak of activity of G. isabelae and P, proserpina (May 1st to July 1st) by using flight
intercept traps hanging from street lights (Fig. 1). Multiple lighting parameters were measured in
the field to characterize the actual intensity and spectral composition of each lamp. We analyzed
differences in the number of captured individuals and species among type of lamps by using
generalized linear mixed models. This analysis was repeated for each of the most abundant
Lepidoptera families and G. isabellae by using Zero-inflated Poisson models when necessary.
Conclusions
By analyzing 1625 specimens of 135 species of macro-moths systematically collected in 29

traps distributed across 12 villages, we found that MV and CMH attracted more macro-moths than
any other type of lamp. However, differences in total captures and within most abundant families
were only statistically significant in the case of PC-A. The number of captured species was also
significantly lower in PC-A than in white LEDs and traditional lamps (MV, CMH and HPS).
Regarding endangered species, no individuals of P. proserpina were captured over the study,
whereas several individuals of G. isabellae were captured in all but one type of light: PC-A.
Taken together, our results urge to replace conventional streetlights of VM and CMH to
reduce overall impacts of ALAN on nocturnal macro-lepidoptera and potential cascading effects.
Our study also stresses that detrimental effects of massive deployment of LEDs on macro-moths are
likely to be large unless the emission of short wavelengths (<500 nanometers) are controlled. We
therefore encourage local authorities to consider existing wildlife friendly alternatives to white
LEDs. The switch from conventional lamps to PC-A cannot only improve the quality night sky for
observation, but as shown in this study, contribute to lessen negative impacts of ALAN on macro-
moth populations, including those of the endangered G. isabellae.
References
Gaston KJ, Bennie J, Davies TW, Hopkins J (2013) The Ecological Impacts of Nighttime Light Pollution: A
Mechanistic Appraisal. Biol Rev 88 (4): 912–927.
Van Grunsven, RHA, van Jurriën JR, Donners M, Berendse F, Visser ME, Veenendaal E, Spoelstra K (2020)
Experimental Light at Night Has a Negative Long-Term Impact on Macro-Moth Populations. Curr
Biol 30 (12): 694–695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.083.
Ixtaina P, Sanhueza P (2016) Alumbrado vial de baja contaminación para la " Ruta del Algarrobo " , Chile.
Owens ACS, Lewis SM (2018) The Impact of Artificial Light at Night on Nocturnal Insects: A Review and
Synthesis. Ecol Evol, 8 (22): 11337–11358.
Wakefield A, Broyles M, Stone EL, Harris S, Jones G (2018) Quantifying the Attractiveness of road pectrum
Street Lights to Aerial Nocturnal Insects. J Appl Ecol 55 (2): 714–722.
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ASTMON and Sky Quality Camera: two devices and the same sky, but same results?
Immaculada Garrofé1,*, Salvador J. Ribas2,*, Ramon Canal-Domingo2

1
Master en Astronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Internacional de València(VIU)
2
Parc Astronòmic Montsec – Centre d’Observació de l’Univers
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Measuring night sky brightness (NSB) has been a complicated task with some kind of instruments
leading to different real methods of measurements. Nowadays the main methods to evaluate NSB,
from the ground, are well identified (see Haenel et al. 2018) but sometimes the difference of what
each instrument is measuring can generate confusion (see for example LoNNe intercomparison
campaign reports Ribas et al 2016a or Kyba et al 2015).
One of the best methods to evaluate NSB is the use of all sky devices or mosaic techniques to
reproduce all skies images (Jechow et al 2017,2018 or Kolláth et al 2017). This technique has an
important problem with the calibration of data obtained. One of the options is the use of stars as
calibrator; this is the proposal of ASTMON device and automatic software (Aceituno et al 2011) or
some parallel developed software as PyASB (Nievas 2013). Alternatively the use of DSLR cameras
has provided a good opportunity for all sky measurements and mainly they are calibrated in
laboratory or by intercomparison. The data processing of DSLR data can be done by commercial
software as Sky Quality Camera or by open source code like DicaLum (Kollath et al 2017).
Here we present a comparison of data obtained in six different places with both devices (ASTMON
vs DSLR + Sky Quality Camera) to check the agreements and disagreements of both instruments
and methods. Unfortunately a major issue with ASTMON device did not allow us to increase the
database, but with the six sites we have really different setups (dark sites, light sources or clouds) so
we have analyzed different situations.
Fig. 1: Map with the position of the six used locations (left panel)
Sample image obtained in Mas de l’Estrem with DSLR camera (right panel)
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ASTMON data has been processed using PyASB (Nievas 2013) and DSLR images has been
processed using commercial software Sky Quality Camera SQC (Euromix Ltd). With both
procedures we have subtracted night sky brightness of each image to compare and discuss the
discrepancies and possible reasons.
We can conclude that both systems obtain extremely similar results at higher altitudes from horizon
(60-90º) in all studied conditions. This accuracy always reduce in approaching to horizon but it is
still very good in the range 25-90 degrees, and sometimes more close to horizon.
Fig. 2: Plots showing absolute differences in magnitude on two sites. The left site is very cloudy (low-mid
clouds) and differences are smaller than in the right case with high clouds on the horizon.
The best fittings appears when there are not direct effect of lights in the field of view or high
clouds. So in dark sites with clear conditions or with low-mid clouds seems both systems are fully
compatible. The effect of the clouds in this comparison could be explained because high clouds in
dark sites could be illuminated by long distance sources in front of low clouds that are darkening
the sky blocking the natural sources (Ribas et al 2016b).
References
Aceituno J, Sánchez SF, Aceituno FJ, Galadí-Enríquez D, Negro JJ, Soriguer RC, Sanchez Gomez G (2011)
An All-Sky Transmission Monitor: ASTMON. Publications of The Astronomical Society of the
Pacific 123:1076-1086
Hänel A, Posch T, Ribas SJ, Aubé M, Duriscoe D, Jechow A, Kolláth Z, Lolkema DE, Moore C, Schmidt N,
Spoelstra H, Wuchterl G, Kyba CCM (2018). Measuring night sky brightness: methods and
challenges. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 205, 278-290.
Jechow A, Kolláth Z, Ribas SJ, Spoelstra H, Hölker, F, Kyba CCM (2017) Imaging and mapping the impact
of clouds on skyglow with all-sky photometry. Scientific Reports 7, 6741.
Jechow A, Ribas SJ, Canal-Domingo R, Hölker F, Kolláth Z, Kyba CCM (2018) Tracking the dynamics of
skyglow with differential photometry using a digitacl camera with fisheye lens. Journal of
Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 209:212-223.
Kolláth Z, Dömény A (2017). Night sky quality monitoring in existing and planned dark sky parks by digital
cameras. International Journal of Sustainable Lighting, 19, 1, 61-68.
Kyba CCM, Bouroussis CA, Canal-Domingo R, et al (2015) Report of the 2015 LoNNe Intercomparison
Campaign.
Nievas M, Absolute photometry and Night Sky Brightness with all-sky cameras (2013) Master Thesis,
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Ribas SJ, Aubé M, Bará S, et al (2016a) Report of the 2016 Stars4ALL/LoNNe Intercomparison Campaign.
Ribas SJ, Torra J, Figueras F, Paricio S, Canal-Domingo R (2016b). How Clouds are Ampliying (or not) the
Effects of ALAN. International Journal of Sustainable Lighting 1: 32-39.
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AZOTEA: (Zenithal astronomy during & after the lockdown)
Jaime Zamorano,1,2,3* Rafael González,1,8 Salvador Bará,4 Sergio Pascual,1,2 Jaime Izquierdo,1,3
José Luis Navarro,4 Ignacio Hilera,5 Jesús Gallego, 1,2,3 Nicolás Cardiel, 1,2,3 José Robles,1 Alejandro
Sánchez de Miguel, 6,3 Cristóbal García, 8 Esteban González, 9 and Lucía García1
1 Departamento de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
2 Instituto de Física de Partículas y del Cosmos, Univ. Complutense de Madrid, Spain
3 Agrupación Astronómica de Madrid, Spain
4 Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
5 Agrupación Astronómica de Cuenca, Spain
6 Sociedad Astronómica de Alava-Arabako Astronomia Elkartea, Vitoria, Spain
7 Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
8 Agrupación Astronómica AstroHenares, Coslada, Spain
9 Ontology Engineer Group, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
[email protected]
* presenting author
Introduction
The brightness of the night sky varies depending on the lights on the street, the movement of
cars and the activity of the offices. There is a sharp increase in darkness when, by law, the
ornamental lights go out at 12 at night. This project tries to detect variations in this brightness
produced by the lock down to stop the advance of COVID-19. From this difference the contribution
by human activity in sky brightness can be estimated. This is a citizen science project of ACTION,
ACTION (Participatory science toolkit against pollution) European project (Horizon 2020, SwafS
programme).
Methods
Due to the self-isolation we are experience, astronomical observation activities are reduced
to those that we can carry out from our home with the instrumentation we happen to have with us.
This project proposes a study over time of the brightness and color of the night sky through
measurements obtained at home with the help of DSLR cameras. The collaborators were requested
to point the cameras to the zenith and take pictures in RAW mode along the whole night all the
nights. To control the shooting they use an intervalometer or a computer. A sequence of one photo
every 6-12 minutes is enough to obtaing the sky brightness variation of the sky during one night.
The pictures are uploaded to the UCM repositories where we perform the analysis using a
software that we developed for this task. During the processing of the images, the information will
be decomposed into R, G and B channels so the flow will be measured in counts per second of the
central area. This value will be converted then into instrumental quantities that will allow the
researchers to make graphic representations to show the evolution over time of the brightness of the
sky and its color. All observations are processed on the fly by this free software. The resulting data
is also free and can be accessed from our dedicated webpage (https://guaix.ucm.es/azoteaproject).
Sky brightness measurements of this project can be compared with those of professional
instruments for the same night. The figure shows RGB measurements taken by Jaime Izquierdo
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with a DSLR camera at Madrid city, measurements of the Johnson B, V, R photometric bands
obtained by the AstMON-UCM instrument installed on the roof of the Facultad de Físicas UCM,
and also measurements taken with TESS-W stars1 photometer from the city of Coslada.
The data from the RGB channels of the camera (R1, G2, B4) adjust well to the astronomical
photometry measurements Johnson B,V,R (once scaled). This indicates that after calibrating the
cameras we will be able to use them to measure the evolution of the brightness and color of the
night sky. The stars1 photometer data shows slightly different values as it is not located at the same
place.
Conclusions
The data is still being analyzed. We have shown that the brightness and color of the
nocturnal sky can be measured and monitored with DSLR cameras. We are working to improve the
data acquisition using single board computers and/or cheaper cameras.
References
Salvador Bará, Ángel Rodríguez-Arós, Marcos Pérez, Borja Tosar, Raul C. Lima, Alejandro Sánchez de
Miguel & Jaime Zamorano Lighting Research and Technology; 51:1092–1107 (2019).
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Contrasting effects of street-light shapes and LED color temperatures on nocturnal insects
and bats
Theme: Biology&Ecology, Technology&Design
Janine Bolliger1, *, Beat Wermelinger1, Stephan Blum2, Jörg Haller2, and Martin K. Obrist1
1
WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
2
EKZ, Zürich, Switzerland
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Among the light sources in urban and peri-urban areas,

street lights make an important contribution to artificial
light at night (ALAN). Indispensable to warrant the
functioning of human society, ALAN intervenes mostly
negatively with the ecological environment with far-
reaching consequences for long-term interactions and
persistence of nocturnal organisms.
Among LED characteristics, ecological impacts of LED
color temperature are widely researched. A general
trend in the literature shows that cold-white color
temperatures have more negative effects on nocturnal
biodiversity compared to warmer color temperatures.
Yet, additional parameters of a light source may reduce Fig. 1: Street-light (4000K) with an
or amplify these effects. For example, the spatial automated insect trap (Photo: Martin K.
distribution of light and subsequently how bright the Obrist, WSL)
emitted light is perceived in the environment strongly
depends on the design of the luminaire. To date, we are not aware of any ecological assessment that
examines impacts of different LED color temperatures in combination with other luminaire
properties and corresponding consequences of different light distributions for nocturnal insects and
bats.
We provide an experimental ecological impact assessment of combined and relative impacts of

luminaire shapes and LED colour temperature on nocturnal insect and bat activity addressing the
following questions: (1) What is the relative role of luminaire shape with respect to light color in
driving nocturnal insect abundance and bat activity? (2) Are there differences among taxonomic
insect orders (Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Neuropterida, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera,
Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera) and bat guilds (short-range, mid-range and long-range echolocators) in
their response to light colour and luminaire shape? First, we hypothesize that enhancing the light
distribution of LED street luminaires increases the light’s visibility in the environment and thus
generally attracts more nocturnal insects and bats. Second, we expect fewer insects and fewer
acoustic bat signals recorded with warm-white LED color temperatures while luminaires with broad
light distributions and cold-white color temperatures attract more nocturnal insects and bats.
Methods
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We investigated the effects of two light treatments between May 20 and August 30, 2019 on insect
abundance and bat activity at the study site of Weiningen, Kt. Zürich, Switzerland. The first
treatment included three LED color temperatures (1750K, 3000K, 4000K), while the second
consisted of two luminaire shapes (standard street luminaires compared to cylindrical light
distributions by a modified luminaire shape). Along the study road, 29 street lights were part of the
experiment. Out of these 29, 18 street lights were divided into six groups with three street lights
each. Between the groups, two to three street lights with the same treatments (luminaire shape,
color temperature) as the adjacent group served as non-sampled buffers between treatments. The
groups were alternately equipped with luminaires with enhanced and standard light distributions.
Controls were represented by two dark sites.
Flying nocturnal insects were sampled with automated flight-intersection traps (Bolliger et al.,
2020; https://www.wsl.ch/en/services-and-products/media-center/biodiversity/automatic-insect-
trap.html) mounted on street-light poles at a height of about 4 m. The daily resolved insect catches
were stored in alcohol and sorted into nine taxonomic groups with the help of a binocular: Diptera,
Coleoptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, Neuropterida and
'Other'. The category 'Other' referred to infrequently trapped insects from other taxa.
A total of six batloggers (Elekon AG, Luzern, Switzerland; http://www.batlogger.com) were
mounted on the central street-light pole of each treatment group at a height of 4 m. Additionally, a
batlogger was installed at each of the two dark sites. The batloggers recorded echolocation calls
from bats within species-specific ranges of 10-50 m.
We fit GLMMs using a negative binomial error distribution. Dependent variables were insect abun-
dance (total insects and each insect group individually), overall bat foraging activity and bat feeding
activity, each calculated for all bats as well as for recordings individual guilds (long-range, mid-
range, and short-range echolocators).
Conclusions
Combined effects of luminaire shape and color temperatures showed that (1) we caught more
insects at street lights with increased light distributions compared to standard shapes, and (2)
luminaire shapes with increased light distribution amplified the differences in captured insects
between the 1750 and 4000K LED colors. On average 92% more Diptera were caught under
enhanced light distribution at 4000K, while the treatment combination of enhanced light
distribution and 1750K yielded up to 40% more Coleoptera. We therefore conclude that luminaire
shape is a more consistent and stronger driver for the number of captured insects than the three LED
color temperatures considered here. In addition, the warmer color temperature of 1750K appears
less detrimental than amber or cold-white color temperatures (3000K and 4000K, respectively).
Reference
Bolliger J, Collet M, Hohl M, Obrist MK (2020) Automated flight-interception traps for interval
sampling of insects. PLoS ONE, 15(7), e0229476
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Impact of light pollution on human imagination
Protected (and Secured)Area for Darkness Conservation (interactive art installation)
Theme: Society
Jeanne Bloch1*
1
Independant artist, former artist in residence at Ecole Polytechnique, Chaire Art et Science,
Paris, France, [email protected]
Introduction
The Western world has been built upon the idea of an

obscure to be cleared up outside of us, designating all forms
of lights as forms of progress. Based on an artistic research
and creation using dance/movement and technology, I
explore light pollution impact on human imagination. I
suggest that darkness is the activator of our sense of being
and must be protected from indoor and outdoor light
pollution. Moreover, I explore the links between the loss of
imagination due to excess light and the development of a
surveillance society based on computing vision.
By means of standardized experiences and

consequently weaker imagination, consumer culture Fig.1: Performance, Jeanne Bloch.
diminishes our perceptive skills while erasing our inner and Video capture used with permission
outer darkness. We observe how over-exposure to light of Jan Klein
transforms our experience of the world into a controlled life.
In his essay, La nuit, vivre sans témoin (At night: living without witness), the French philosopher
Michael Foessel mentions the "worker for whom sunset is a non-event". Michel Foucault’s
Surveiller et punir famous book devotes a chapter to the architecture of the Panopticon: a 1791
prison design using light as a tool for subtle prisoners control. Paul Landauer, French architect and
researcher, describes in L'architecture, la ville et la sécurité, the transition from the concept of the
Panopticon to Bruno Latour's concept of Oligopticon. Landauer refers to the practice of movements’
control (bodies but also data) through the observation of intersections. Art historian, Jonathan Crary,
evokes in 24/7, The capitalism in the assault on sleep, the weakening of multiple subjectivities in
favor of a 24/7 production.
Fig. 1: Light Augmented by Dance,
Jeanne Bloch, image from Jan Klein
Protected (and Secured) Area for Darkness Conservation (artistic installation)
The artistic installation, Protected (and Secured) Area for Darkness Conservation, features a
dark room or cabin and invites participants to wear a large cloak created by the artist. The cloak is
very soft on the outside emphasizing comfort and cosy feelings. On the inside, the garment has all
over its surface small video cameras embedded in the fabric as well as a few bio sensors. While
wearing the cloak, participants feel on their body the technological objects. Data (such as colors,
speed and rhythm variables) from images and sensors are collected during the presentation of the
installation and analyzed through algorithms developed especially for the artistic project.
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As a result, participants experience simultaneously various space qualities in relation to light
and darkness, visibility and invisibility:
1) The space under the cloak (dark but with sensors) where participants are observed when
standing in a dark room;
2) Participants stand in a dark room but free of the observational cloak. They are not seen
but can’t see either;
3) Participants stand in a luminous room (artificial/natural) while wearing the
observational cloak. They are able to see and can be seen in different ways (in the
luminous room and via the videos and sensors…) as well.
4) Participants stand in a luminous room (artificial/natural) and do not wear the cloak.
Through this artistic research, I associate the definition of intimate spaces to light and darkness. I
question the ethics of being under observation versus the observer. I highlight how computing
vision blur the traditional distinction between dark and light, abolishing spaces to hide,
metaphorically and physically. I tempt to outline our different experiences of light and darkness as
human beings, including our inner intimate vision and perception which to be clear needs some
level of obscurity, far from the overflow of artificial lights.
Conclusions
We expect that artistic analyses of collected data as well as in situ observations through a
dialogue between the artist and participants to serve as a creative base to understand the complexity
of human relationship to artificial light, natural light, artificial darkness and natural darkness.
References
Barad, K (2017) Meeting the Universe Halfway, Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and
Meaning. Duke University Press
Barad, K (2014) Diffracting Diffraction: Cutting Together-Apart. Parallax, V.20, Routledge, pp 168-187
Barbour, K (2011) Dancing Across the Page: Narrative and Embodied Ways of Knowing. Intellect Books
Crary, J (2013) 24/7, Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep. Verso
Dunn, N, Edensor T (2020) Rethinking Darkness: Cultures, Histories, Practices. Routledge
Endensor,T (2017) From Light to Dark. Daylight, Illumination, and Gloom. University of Minnesota Press
Elcott, N (2016) Artificial Darkness. An Obscure History of Modern Art and Media. The University of
Chicago Press
Ellis, C, Bochner E (2003) Autoethnography, personal narrative, reflexivity: Researcher as subject. In Denzin,
N. K., Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.), The landscape of qualitative research: Theories and issues. SAGE, pp
199-258
Foessel, M (2017), La nuit, vivre sans témoin. Autrement
Landauer,P (2009), L’architecte, la ville et la sécurité. PUF
Latour, B. (2007). Changer de société, refaire de la sociologie. Paris: La Découverte.
Seth, A (2017) From Unconscious Inference to the Beholder's Share: Predictive Perception and Human
Experience. PsyArXiv
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BATS : WHICH TOLERABILITY FOR LIGHT POLLUTION ?
J. LOIRET 1*, E. LOPEZ 1, E. PONCET,2

1
CPIE Bigorre-Pyrénées, BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE, FRANCE
2
CEN Midi-Pyrénées, TOULOUSE, FRANCE
[email protected]
[email protected]
*
presenting study
Introduction
In 2017, as part of the ADAP’TER program, the

National Park of the Pyrenees (PNP) requested the
engeneering office Dark Sky Lab for modelling and
mapping light pollution on its territory. The PNP later
asked to cross these informations with indicatives and day-
light fleeing species’ behaviour. These species enjoy the
darkness but avoid too bright environments. Goals are first
to identify a range of light pollution below which the
presence of these species would decrease and second to Fig. 1: Carte de la pollution lumineuse sur
prioritize areas where light pollution should be reduced. As le territoire du Parc national des Pyrénées
nocturnal species, bats have been selected for this study.
This new study is financed by the POCTEFA «Pyrénées la Nuit» program which is driven in
France by the CPIE Bigorre-Pyrénées. It focuses on two species: the Greater Horseshoe Bat
(Rhinolophus ferumequinum), the Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) and on the
genus murines (Myotis sp.). The purpose is to calculate their activity level and their probability of
presence in order to compare these results with the light pollution gradient. Murines and horseshoes
bats are day-light fleeing species. As a consequence, they are good indicators for the entire
nocturnal wildlife.
The light pollution, or sky quality, is measured in mag.arsec² and expresses the brightness of
the sky background. Brightness and sky quality are better when this value increases.
Protocole
280 listening points have been distributed over the

major valleys of the National Park of the Pyrenees in the
Hautes-Pyrénées department. Between 2018 and 2019, an
automatic recorder has been located on each of them
during two consecutive nights to recording every bats visit.
Apart from the sky quality, the altitude and the
distance of the nearest water point were calculated for each Fig. 2 : Listening points localization
point. Moreover, the rates of urban, forested and open areas
have been measured into a surface of 6,25 hectares around each point.
Recordings have then been analyzed to determine the activity and the presence of studied
species in order to compare these results with the differents measured variables.
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Results and conclusions
• The murines and Greater Horseshoe Bat
probability of presence and Greater Horseshoe
Bat activity decrease for sky quality values
ranging from 19.1 to 19.6 mag.arsec²,
• necessity of reducing light pollution on the
areas where the sky quality is lower than these Fig. 2 : Greater Horseshoe Bats
threshold values, Sophie Bareille
• Importance to ensure a good sky quality around
water points, forests and opened environments. All of this landscape componants are
essential for the two species and the genus studied in this work, but it is also the case for
all bats.
References
BARATAUD M. 2004. — Fréquentation des paysages sud-alpins par des chiroptères en activité de chasse.
Le Rhinolophe 17, 11–22.
BARATAUD M. & TUPINIER Y. 2012. — Écologie acoustique des chiroptères d’Europe identification des
espèces, étude de leurs habitats et comportements de chasse. Mèze; Paris, Biotope éd. ; Publications
scientifiques du Muséum, 344p.
Conservatoire régional des espaces naturels de Midi-Pyrénées (France), BODIN, J. & Groupe Chiroptères de
Midi-Pyrénées (EDS.) 2011. — Les chauves-souris de Midi-Pyrénées répartition, écologie, conservation.
Toulouse, Conservatoire régional des espaces naturels de Midi-Pyrénées.
FREY-EHRENBOLD A., BONTADINA F., ARLETTAZ R. & OBRIST M.K. 2013. — Landscape
connectivity, habitat structure and activity of bat guilds in farmland-dominated matrices, in POCOCK M.
(ed.). Journal of Applied Ecology 50 (1), 252–261.
MICKLEBURGH S.P., HUTSON A.M. & RACEY P.A. 2002. — A review of the global conservation status
of bats. Oryx 36 (1), 18–34.
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Dark sky advocacy in Stanley, Idaho: a case study of a rural community's dark sky friendly
LED streetlight retrofit and related dark sky initiatives
Theme: Society
Jessica L. Heim1
1
University of Wales Trinity St. David, Lampeter, Wales, UK
[email protected]
Introduction
The widespread implementation of light

emitting diodes (LEDs) in exterior lighting applications
has rapidly and radically altered the nighttime
landscapes and skyscapes across the globe. Though
often seen as a "green" solution for humanity's lighting
needs due to their energy efficiency, the LED lighting
revolution has resulted in a variety of unintended
consequences. Many LEDs used in outdoor lighting
emit a significant portion of their light in the blue part Fig. 1: Lumicana 60 Watt, 2200 K of
the spectrum, which can be highly disruptive to LED fixture in Stanley, Idaho.
wildlife, may be perceived as more glaring, and creates Photo: Steve Botti
much more skyglow as compared against older lighting Used with permission
technologies, such as High Pressure Sodium (e.g. Pawson & Bader, 2014; Royal Society Te
Apārangi, 2018; Luginbuhl et al., 2014).
However, LED lighting options with minimal blue light content, shields, and other features
deemed "dark sky friendly" are becoming more widely available, and some communities have
utilized such fixtures in their LED conversions. One such place is the small town of Stanley in rural
central Idaho, U.S.A. Dark sky advocates in this community and surrounding areas have worked to
raise awareness of light pollution for many years, an effort which culminated in the successful
designation of the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association
(IDA) in 2017. The city of Stanley sought to further reduce its lighting impact by retrofitting all of
its streetlights in November 2019 with low blue light 2200 Kelvin Correlated Color Temperature
(CCT) LED fixtures designed to reduce backlight, uplight, and glare (see fig. 1).
In this research, I sought to obtain an in-depth understanding of dark sky advocacy in

Stanley. My aim was to gain insight into the community processes which led both to the
implementation of their recent LED streetlight retrofit and to many area businesses and residents
voluntarily altering their lighting so as to reduce light pollution. I wanted to ascertain how this
retrofit was received by the community, as well as how residents felt about dark sky friendly
lighting and maintaining the area's dark nighttime skies. By conducting a case study on dark sky
advocacy in this community, I endeavored to discover key elements necessary for such initiatives to
be successful and to gain a richer understanding of dark sky advocates' thoughts and experiences in
regard to dark skies and efforts to preserve them.
Methods
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For this research, I conducted semi-structured interviews, distributed a short online
questionnaire, and reviewed relevant primary and secondary source material. As I wanted to gain a
deeper understanding of the experiences and actions of those most involved with the area's dark sky
initiatives, in selecting individuals to interview, I sought to connect mainly with those who had been
highly involved with these endeavors. Thus the majority of my interviewees could be described as
"dark sky advocates." However, in distributing my questionnaire, I sought to solicit responses from
the community more broadly, seeking insight into their thoughts and feelings about dark skies as
well as their feedback on the new streetlights.
Findings
Overall, the streetlight retrofit appeared to be well-received by the Stanley community.

While some individuals indicated a lack of interest in maintaining the area's dark skies and did not
approve of the city's efforts to utilize dark sky friendly lighting, such perspectives seemed to be
relatively uncommon. Many interviewees expressed that they believed one of the reasons why the
municipal lighting changes were accepted with little complaint was due to the fact that the city
allowed for a lengthy period of public input before making final decisions, was willing to listen to
any concerns, and worked to find lighting solutions which would meet the community's needs.
Additionally, those advocating for lighting minimizing light pollution made a point of being
respectful of those who disagreed with them and sought to listen to others' perspectives as well as
sharing their own. Also, the fact that the changes to business and residential lighting were
voluntary was important - it was clear that many in the community would have opposed attempts to
mandate any particular kind of lighting. While there were many reasons expressed as to why dark
skies were seen to be something of value and were worth preserving, most could be summed up as
the idea that the region's starry night skies contributed to the "quality of life" and "well-being" of
those living in and visiting the area. Such ideas were powerful motivating factors driving
advocates' engagement with this issue over the long term.
Conclusion
The implementation of dark sky friendly lighting in and around the Stanley area would not
have been possible without a core group of dedicated, patient, and persistent advocates, as well as
city officials supportive of these initiatives. In addition, it was imperative that these individuals
were aware of the interests and concerns of others in the community, found ways that dark skies
preservation might benefit various stakeholders, and were willing to work collaboratively to find
workable solutions. In order for dark sky friendly practices to be adopted widely, the broader
community needed to both be aware of these concepts and see how altering their lighting could
benefit them or their neighbors. Essentially, they needed to care about this issue - it needed to
matter to them personally if they were to support dark sky initiatives.
References:
Luginbuhl, C. B., Boley, P.A., & Davis, D.R. (2014). The impact of light source spectral power distribution
on sky glow. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, 139, 21-26.
Pawson, S.M. & Bader, M.K.F. (2014). LED lighting increases the ecological impact of light pollution
irrespective of color temperature. Ecologial Applications, 24 (7), 1561 - 1568.
Royal Society Te Apārangi. (2018). Blue Light Aotearoa: Impacts of Artificial Blue Light on Health and the
Environment. Royal Society Te Apārangi.
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Eco-linguistic analyses of knowledge transfer on the topic of artificial outdoor lightning: Are
the extent and the effects of light pollution regularly underestimated? On the discussion of
consequences for nature conservation and environmental protection against the background
of the sustainability discourse
Theme: Society
Jochen Krautwald1, *, Herbert Lohner2

1
Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt(Oder), Germany
2
BUND-Berlin e.V., Berlin, Germany
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
The research question was whether the extent and impact of light pollution are underestimated by
laypersons without expert knowledge. The null hypothesis (H0) was thus: The extent and impact of
light pollution are not underestimated by laypersons. The alternative hypothesis (H1) was: The
extent and impact of light pollution are underestimated by laypersons. The null hypothesis would be
confirmed if no substantive evidence, linguistic regularities or implications could be identified in
the linguistic discourse that would indicate an underestimation. In the opposite case, i.e. if there
were serious indications of underestimation, the alternative hypothesis H1 would be confirmed or at
least appear to be probably correct.
Methods
As part of the eco-linguistic study, 32 experts were asked twelve questions on the topic of light,
darkness and light pollution. These experts came from the fields of astronomy, biology, chemistry,
medicine, sociology, physics, nature conservation as well as administration. In addition, over a
period of five years, around 150 visitors of the annual public event "Long Day of Urban Nature" in
Berlin were surveyed on site by questionnaire.
Conclusions
From a linguistic point of view, most experts emphasize in many ways that the entire discourse with
regard to the environmental issue has the problem that light has a positive linguistic connotation and
darkness a negative one. Thus, almost all idioms found on the subject of light and darkness are
subject to this simple dichotomy. Accordingly, it can be assumed that due to this fact alone, the
ecological dangers of too much artificial outdoor lighting at night are underestimated by many
people. A weighty point in the survey of lay people here is the deeply anchored fear of darkness
with regard to individual safety, which is also expressed linguistically. The experts, in turn, have
long since reacted to this circumstance by developing some very interesting linguistic strategies to
escape the problem described, thus making a linguistically convincing and hopefully sustainably
effective contribution in the discourse against light pollution.
References
Fill, Alwin: Ecolinguistics: State of the Art 1998. In: Ders. [Hg.]: The ecolinguistics reader:
Language, Ecology and Environment. London [u.a.]: Continuum, 2001, 43-53
Meyer-Abich, K.- Michael (2001). Nachhaltigkeit: Ein kulturelles, bisher aber chancenloses Wirtschaftsziel.
3, 2, 291–314
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An Urban Starry Sky Oasis in the Heart of the City of Sherbrooke, Canada
Theme: Society
J. Roby,1,* and M. Aubé1

1
Cégep de Sherbrooke, 475 rue du Cégep, Sherbrooke, Canada, J1E 4K1
[email protected]
*
presenting author
A regional and societal educational project is underway at the Cégep de Sherbrooke. This project
aims to create an urban starry sky oasis located in the heart of the city of Sherbrooke at the Mont-
Bellevue Nature Reserve Park (Fig. 1). It aims to make the Milky Way visible to the citizens of
Sherbrooke while protecting the natural environment and human health. This protected area will be
easily accessible within the city of Sherbrooke on foot, by bike, by public transportation, or by car.
Such a place will give citizens the opportunity to reconnect with a quality starry sky and a living
environment respectful of flora and fauna.
a b
Fig. 1: a) The Parc du Mont-Bellevue (PMB) is located in the heart of Sherbrooke City ~130 kilometers east
of Montreal and ~50 kilometers north of the US border. b) Satellite image of the city of Sherbrooke where the
red polygon represents the land area of the Parc du Mont-Bellevue. This natural site contains an outstanding
biodiversity (Images from Google Map).
The implementation of this oasis relies on the collaboration of three regional educational institutions:
Cégep de Sherbrooke (CdeS), Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS) and Bishop's University (BU). The
group is funded by a regional pole in higher education. The CS is the driving force of the project. The
City of Sherbrooke, through Hydro-Sherbrooke (HS), the DH Éclairage lighting company and the
Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve are also partners. The networking between partners
allows bridges between knowledge generators and municipal organizations. It will foster the transfer
of technical information and the optimization of lighting conversions to be carried out by HS. The
region is already committed to preserving nighttime integrity through its legislation and innovative
lighting initiatives thanks to the implementation of the first international dark sky reserve in Mont
Mégantic. In addition, a request to obtain an Urban Night Sky Place recognition from IDA is in
progress.
We will present an overview of the ongoing and achieved works of this collaborative project for the
establishment of a night integrity zone.
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Long-term assessment of light pollution in 3 major European cities - How to overcome SQM
aging and meteorological effects
Johannes Puschnig,1* Stefan Wallner2,3

1
Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, University of Bonn, Germany
2
Institut für Astrophysik, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
3
ICA, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
[email protected]
*
presenting author
We present a long-term analysis of the zenithal night sky brightness (NSB) development in
the three major European cities of Stockholm, Berlin and Vienna. A novel data reduction method for
Sky Quality Meters (SQMs) is described, that comprises routines to select clear sky SQM readings
and minimize remaining scatter via application of climatological data products that are freely
available through the European
Centre for Medium-Range Weather
Forecasts. That way, the scatter of
our clear-sky SQM measurements
obtained over periods of 6-10 years
could be significantly reduced.
We further report on the

quantification of the SQM aging
effect, as recently published in Fig. 1: The SQM aging effect, assessed from twilight
Puschnig et al. (2021), where observations obtained in Berlin-Babelsberg.
twilight SQM observations are used
as calibrator. A linear degradation of
the measurement systems (SQM + housing window) was found with the following slopes: 34±4,
46±2 and 53±2 mmagSQM arcsec−2 yr−1 for Stockholm, Potsdam-Babelsberg and Vienna. With the
highest slope found in Vienna (latitude ∼48∘) and the lowest one found in Stockholm (latitude
∼59∘), we find an indication for the dependence of the trend on solar irradiance (which is a function
of geographic latitude).
Taking into account the combined effects of aging and meteorological conditions on night sky
brightness measurements, allows us for the first time to constrain the anthropogenic change of the
zenithal NSB within the given period of time. We find that albedo, vegetation state, aerosol content
and total water vapour are key parameters that impact clear-sky NSB measurements, causing a
relative change of the zenithal NSB up to one magnitude.
References
Puschnig, Näslund, Schwope, Wallner (2021) Correcting Sky Quality Meter measurements for aging effects
using twilight as calibrator arXiv. 2012.04042
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Pyrenees La Nuit: Influence of artificial lighting on bat activity in Western Pyrenees
Juan Tomás Alcalde*1, Xabier Puig 1,2

1 SECEMU, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
2
GALANTHUS, Celrà, Spain
[email protected]
* presenting author
The present communication framed in Project ERDF “Pyrenees La Nuit” EFA233/16,

has been commissioned by Gestión Ambiental de Navarra S.A. GAN-NIK.
The technical supervision of the project by GAN-NIK has been carried out by Carlos Armendaiz.
Dept. of Biodiversity, Pamplona/Iruña, Spain
Introduction
The recent technological development of human society has led to artificial lighting in many
places. This change in the environment involves alterations in the behaviour of many living beings,
mainly nocturnal, that have evolved over millions of years under regular conditions of darkness.
Chiroptera are among these organisms. They carry out most of their activity in darkness, for which
they have developed a specific anatomy and physiology. The current artificial lighting of many
towns and cities interferes with natural processes of bats and can negatively affect some
populations. The present study aims to know how different types of artificial lighting interact on the
activity of bat species in villages of Western Pyrenees.
Methods
The bat activity has been recorded in four small villages of Western Pyrenees using
ultrasound recorders and two types of experiments have been carried out:
-acoustic surveys in fixed stations were carried out in illuminated areas (streetlights) and in dark
areas (natural habitats). Areas illuminated by four types of lamps have been selected: High-Pressure
Sodium Steam (HPSS), Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH), Mercury Vapour (MV) and and light-
emitting diodes (LED).
-vehicle itineraries on the roads that run through the villages recording bat activity.
Recordings have been subsequently analysed by means of specific programs. Several

parameters have been measured to identify the species: peak frequency, initial and final frequency,
duration of calls and interval between them.
Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) have been made to determine the influence of
artificial lighting and to know the effect of each type of lighting on bat species.
Conclusions
48714 bat flights have been registered and 14 taxa have been identified. The average activity
recorded in the lighted areas is much higher (128,49 flights/hour of recording) than in the dark areas
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96
(6,38 f/h). Similar differences havebeen bserved in the four villages and in the four types of
lighting.
Six taxa show significantly higher activity in the lighted areas: Eptesicus serotinus,
Pipistrellus kuhlii / nathusii, Nyctalus leisleri, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus /
Miniopterus schreibersii and Tadarida teniotis. In contrast, six other taxa show significantly higher
activity in areas without lighting: Barbastella barbastellus, Hypsugo savii, Myotis sp., Plecotus sp.,
Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Rhinolophus hipposideros.
Differences between the species that go to the different types of streetlight have also been
observed.
In short, all types of lamps studied interfere with the behaviour of certain species of bats,
although not in the same way. Some species are attracted and take advantage of the unusual and
artificial abundance of insects concentrated around the lampposts, while others flee from the
illuminated areas. The latter can be disadvantaged by lighting, since it attracts a part of the prey-
insects of the place and removes it from its natural habitat (Eisenbeis 2006). In addition, the light
can reduce the available hunting area for these species and can cause a barrier effect that prevents
the transit of some bats (Stone et al. 2015).
Taking into account these results, and other studies (Voight et al. 2018), it is recommended
to replace the current lighting with amber LEDs, which seem not to interfere with the behaviour of
bats.
References
Eisenbeis G (2006) Artificial night lighting and insects: attraction of insects to streetlamps in a rural
setting in Germany. In: Rich, C., Longcore, T. (Eds.), Ecological Consequences of Artificial
Night Lighting. Island Press, Washington, pp. 281–304.
Stone EL, Harris S, Jones G (2015) Impacts of artificial lighting on bats: a review of challenges and
solutions. Mamm. Biol. - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkd. 80(3): 213–219.
Voigt CC, Azam C, Dekker J, Ferguson J, Fritze M, Gazaryan S, Hölker F, Jones G, Leader N,
Lewanzik D, Limpens HJGA, Mathews F, Rydell J, Schofield H, Spoelstra K, Zagmajster M
(2018) Guidelines for consideration of bats in lighting projects. EUROBATS Publication
Series No. 8. UNEP/EUROBATS Secretariat, Bon, 62 pp.
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97
Urban to rural nighttime light emissions observed with a simultaneous radial transect of
GONet all-sky cameras
Ken Walczak1,*, Geza Gyuk1, Cynthia Tarr1, Jesus Garcia1, Claudia Jimenez1, Laris Turkic1, Jeff
Wiedemann1, Frederic Johnson1 and Charles Roche1
1
Adler Planetarium, Chicago, USA
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
To improve the understanding of emission from artificial light at night (ALAN) from urban
areas it is preferable to have detailed data with spatial and temporal continuity. Proper modeling of
radiance emanating from concentrated urban areas can help define its impacts in various research
fields. A number of experiments have been performed to collect such information. Some of these
methods include Sky Quality Meter (SQM) readings from mobile platforms (Ges et al., 2018;
Zamorano et al., 2016), with synchronized regional observations (Ribas et al., 2016) or by all-sky
digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) photometry (Jechow et al., 2020).
Here, we describe the Chicago radial transect experiment, a synchronized deployment of
nearly twenty Ground Observation Network (GONet) all-sky cameras at regular intervals from the
center of Chicago to a rural environment 140 km distant. The GONet camera is a compact, automated,
all-sky nighttime imaging system designed for collecting ground-based data for light pollution
research. The devices autonomously provide a set of 2π, RGB nighttime sky images every five
minutes. These simultaneous and continuous observations generate a dataset with temporal and
spatial definition that helps eliminate potential confounding factors in modeling such as atmospheric
and environmental variations over time as seen in asynchronous experiments. This experiment is also
used to demonstrate and validate the utility of the devices for ALAN research.
Results and Applications

The GONet prototype was designed using off-the-shelf electronic components with a goal of
keeping unit cost at approximately $100 US while still providing data valuable to light pollution
research. This experiment was performed using the prototype GONet cameras. The version 2 GONet
camera will improve on the prototype with a number of design and hardware upgrades guided by the
results of this experiment as well as additional testing, field use, and researcher feedback. These
improvements include: higher quality camera and optics, improved user interface and options, better
stability, calibration and shared data access, which will be discussed.
We use the Chicago radial transect experiment to explore the capabilities and limitations of
the system as a light pollution research tool. Due to the low relative cost and ease of use of GONet
cameras, they provide a number of potential applications beyond the bounds of other existing
methods. We describe and provide examples of applications such as: light dome identification via
triangulation, observing brightness and color variations of sky glow throughout a night or over time,
inter-comparison campaigns, monitoring of transient light sources, creation of a citizen science or
research database of all-sky data and multidimensional observations for radiative transfer modeling.
We also describe known limitations of the system.
References
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Ges, X., Bará, S., García-Gil, M., Zamorano, J., Ribas, S. J., & Masana, E. (2018). Light pollution
offshore: zenithal sky glow measurements in the Mediterranean coastal waters. Journal of
Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, 210(Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 328 2001),
91–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2018.02.014
Jechow, A., Kyba, C. C. M., & Hölker, F. (2020). Mapping the brightness and color of urban to rural
skyglow with all-sky photometry. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer,
250, 106988. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2020.106988
Ribas, S. J., Torra, J., Paricio, S., & Canal-Domingo, R. (2016). How Clouds are Amplifying (or
not) the Effects of ALAN. International Journal of Sustainable Lighting, 18, 32–39.
https://doi.org/10.26607/ijsl.v18i0.19
Zamorano, J., Miguel, A. S. de, Ocaña, F., Pila-Díez, B., Castaño, J. G., Pascual, S., Tapia, C.,
Gallego, J., Fernández, A., & Nievas, M. (2016). Testing sky brightness models against radial
dependency: A dense two dimensional survey around the city of Madrid, Spain. Journal of
Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, 181, 52–66.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2016.02.029
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Artificial Light at Night affects the timing of stridulation and locomotion behavior in the
cricket Gryllus bimaculatus
Keren Levy,1,* Amir Ayali,1 and Anat Barnea 2

1
School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
2
Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
The rhythmic changes of light and

darkness are at the basis of behavioral
synchronization and circadian regulation in all
organisms. Artificial Light at Night (ALAN)
thus disturbs the perception of this periodicity
and was reported to negatively impact the
natural behavior of various animals (Rich &
Longcore, 2006). Specifically, exposure to
ALAN may affect the daily activity patterns of
many animals, including insects (Owens &
Lewis, 2018). Fig. 1: ALAN intensities induce variation in the
The nocturnal field cricket Gryllus temporal behavior of (A) stridulation and (B)
bimaculatus is an established model in studies locomotion behavior of male crickets. The
of insect physiology, and also serves as a median and variance of the period (hour) under
model for the characterization of the circadian the different lighting conditions are presented.
clock machinery in hemimetabolous insects Significance of differences in medians is noted
(Tomioka & Matsumoto, 2019). In other above. Significant differences in the variance of
cricket species a shift in times of stridulation the data are noted between the data violins.
activity was demonstrated following changes
in light regimes (Loher, 1972). Such light-dependent changes in courtship behavior may disturb
reproduction. We studied for the first time the effect of ALAN on stridulation and locomotion
behavioral patterns (simultaneously) in male field crickets.
Methods
Crickets were reared under different lifelong light regimes, including ALAN. All
experimental groups were exposed to 12 hours daylight (40 lux, CFL bulbs). Night conditions
differed between the treatments as follows: (i) LD (complete dark nights), (ii) LA2 (ALAN of 2
lux), (iii) LA5 (ALAN of 5 lux) and (iv) LL (constant 40 lux). During the experiments, individual
adult male crickets were housed in a custom-made anechoic chamber and monitored for a minimum
of five consecutive days and nights. The anechoic chamber was equipped with day and night
illumination (as above). A condenser microphone and an infra-red camera were used for
simultaneous monitoring of stridulation and locomotion activity respectively. For each specimen,
the periods of the daily activity rhythms were calculated. The median of the periods and the equality
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of variance among individuals were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Dunn-Sidak
approach and the Bonferroni correction, respectively.
Results and conclusions
G. bimaculatus under LD showed a behavioral rhythm of 24h, stridulating at night and being
locomotory active during the day. In the other treatments, LA2, LA5 and LL, an increasing
proportion of the animals demonstrated free-running periods, resulting in loss of synchronized
rhythmicity of the population expressed by a growth of the variance of the individual periods (Fig.
1). Accordingly, there was a significant difference in the calculated median of the period of
stridulation activity between the LD conditions and the LA5 and LL treatments (Kruskal-Wallis test,
p<0.001). Significant light-exposure-dependent differences were also found in the calculated
variance of the stridulation period of LD compared to all other three treatments (Fig. 1A, Dunn-
Sidak approach with Bonferroni correction, p<0.006). The median period of locomotor activity
differed significantly among LD, LA2, and LA5 compared to LL (Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.001),
while differences in the calculated variance were found among LD, LA2 and LL (Fig. 1B, Dunn-
Sidak approach with Bonferroni correction, p<0.001).
These findings demonstrate a clear effect of life-long light regimes on stridulation and
locomotion activity of the individual and the population in the laboratory, and suggest that even a
low ALAN intensity of 5 lux, which is encountered in proximity to street lights, may affect the
synchronization of cricket communities. Moreover, our results confirm that the field cricket Gryllus
bimaculatus is a suitable model for studying the effects of ALAN on insect behavior. Further
investigation of the mechanisms of the ALAN effects are currently underway.
References
Loher, W. (1972). Circadian control of stridulation in the cricket Teleogryllus commodus Walker.
Journal of Comparative Physiology, 79(2), 173–190.
Owens, A. C. S., & Lewis, S. M. (2018). The impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal insects:
A review and synthesis. Ecology and Evolution, 8(22), 11337–11358.
Rich, C., & Longcore, T. (2006). Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting. Washington
DC: Island Press.
Tomioka, K., & Matsumoto, A. (2019). The circadian system in insects: Cellular, molecular, and
functional organization. In Advances in Insect Physiology (1st ed., Vol. 56, pp. 73–115).
Elsevier Ltd.
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Bat activity patterns may change when exposed to Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) at their
foraging sites
Léa Mariton1,2,3*, Christian Kerbiriou1,2, Yves Bas1, Brigitte Zanda3 and Isabelle Le Viol1,2
1
Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d’Histoire
naturelle (MNHN), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
2
Centre d’Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d’Histoire
naturelle (MNHN), Sorbonne Université, Quai de la Croix, Concarneau, France
3
Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie (IMPMC), Sorbonne
Université, 7C Rue Guy de la Brosse, Paris, France.
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Light pollution induced by artificial light at night (ALAN) has resulted in modifications of
nightscapes worldwide and in alterations of natural light patterns. Such changes impact a wide
range of nocturnal and diurnal taxa and modify their behaviours (foraging, commuting, reproduc-
tion) at numerous scales (Longcore & Rich, 2004). Light pollution disrupts species spatial distribu-
tion (e.g. birds (Jones & Francis, 2003), bats (Rydell, 1992), insects (Eisenbeis, 2006)) but it also
impacts species temporal distribution (Gaston et al., 2017). It has been widely shown that diurnal
species tend to extend their activity during night due to ALAN exposure (e.g. birds (Amichai &
Kronfeld-Schor, 2019; Raap et al., 2015)). However, light pollution potential impacts on nocturnal
species temporal distribution has been less studied, despite ALAN potential disruptive effect on
foraging time-budget.
In particular, bats are interesting models to study light pollution impacts on biodiversity as
they are particularly sensitive to ALAN and due to their place in food webs. It has been shown that
light pollution affects bat spatial distribution both at local (Rydell, 1992) and landscapes scales
(Azam et al., 2016; Laforge et al., 2019) by altering their foraging and commuting behaviours. It
might also disrupt their activity rhythm by inducing rhythm shifts (e.g. delayed emergence from
roosts (Downs et al., 2003)) which might result in a desynchronization with the peak of activity of
their prey and more generally a reduced time budget for foraging. Eventually, such a curtailed time
budget might lead to a decreased fitness for bat species and impact their demography. However, to
our knowledge, modifications of bat activity patterns due to light pollution have been poorly studied
and we do not know how much ALAN affects the nycthemeral activity rhythm of different bat spe-
cies depending on their traits, their sensitivity to light and the stages of their reproductive cycle.
Methods
Thus, we assessed effects of light pollution on temporal distribution by comparing

nycthemeral parameters of bat activity along a large light pollution gradient (Suomi NPP-VIIRS
Day/Night Band), for more than 15 bat species. We used data from the French national citizen
monitoring program Vigie-Chiro (7,500,000 bat passes, 7,000 full-night recordings on 4,000 sites
across 5 years). Calls were identified at the species or group level using the semi-automatic
identification software Tadarida (Bas et al., 2017). Nycthemeral parameters of bat activity studied
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were the time of the first and last contacts, median time of activity, shape of the activity pattern. We
assessed how those parameters are shifted along the light pollution gradient using generalized linear
models which accounted for the spatial and temporal data structure and the effects of environmental
covariates, to disentangle and hierarchize light pollution impacts from other anthropogenic
pressures and environmental factors.
Results - Conclusions
The results of this study are of utmost interest to determine how much bat species tend to
shift their nycthemeral activity rhythm because of light pollution and when they are the most
vulnerable if exposed to ALAN at different time scales (nights and reproduction period) depending
on their traits and sensitivity to light. Hence, this study has a real applied dimension as its
conclusions provide further insights on how to reduce impacts of light pollution on bats. In
particular, by highlighting when lights have to be switched-off, it will allow to make measures, such
as total or part-night extinction, really effective to protect bats. Furthermore, it will allow to
promote land-uses that might mitigate light pollution impacts on bats due to their opposite effects
on temporal patterns compared to ALAN ones.
References
Amichai, E., & Kronfeld-Schor, N. (2019). Artificial Light at Night Promotes Activity Throughout the Night
in Nesting Common Swifts (Apus apus). Scientific Reports, 9(1), 11052.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47544-3
Azam, C., Le Viol, I., Julien, J.-F., Bas, Y., & Kerbiriou, C. (2016). Disentangling the relative effect of light
pollution, impervious surfaces and intensive agriculture on bat activity with a national-scale
monitoring program. Landscape Ecology, 31(10), 2471–2483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-016-
0417-3
Bas, Y., Bas, D., & Julien, J.-F. (2017). Tadarida: A Toolbox for Animal Detection on Acoustic Recordings.
Journal of Open Research Software, 5, 6. https://doi.org/10.5334/jors.154
Downs, N. C., Beaton, V., Guest, J., Polanski, J., Robinson, S. L., & Racey, P. A. (2003). The effects of
illuminating the roost entrance on the emergence behaviour of Pipistrellus pygmaeus. Biological
Conservation, 111(2), 247–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00298-7
Eisenbeis, G. (2006). Artificial night lighting and insects: Attraction of insects to streetlamps in a rural
setting in Germany. In C. Rich & Longcore, Travis, Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night
Lighting (Island Press, pp. 281–304).
Gaston, K. J., Davies, T. W., Nedelec, S. L., & Holt, L. A. (2017). Impacts of Artificial Light at Night on
Biological Timings. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 48(1), 49–68.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110316-022745
Jones, J., & Francis, C. M. (2003). The effects of light characteristics on avian mortality at lighthouses.
Journal of Avian Biology, 34(4), 328–333. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0908-8857.2003.03183.x
Laforge, A., Pauwels, J., Faure, B., Bas, Y., Kerbiriou, C., Fonderflick, J., & Besnard, A. (2019). Reducing
light pollution improves connectivity for bats in urban landscapes. Landscape Ecology, 34(4), 793–
809. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-019-00803-0
Longcore, T., & Rich, C. (2004). Ecological light pollution. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2(4),
191–198. https://doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2004)002[0191:ELP]2.0.CO;2
Raap, T., Pinxten, R., & Eens, M. (2015). Light pollution disrupts sleep in free-living animals. Scientific
Reports, 5(1), 13557. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13557
Rydell, J. (1992). Exploitation of Insects around Streetlamps by Bats in Sweden. Functional Ecology, 6(6),
744. https://doi.org/10.2307/2389972
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Leading the Natural Night Skies Stewardship and Science in the US
Theme: Measure and Modeling
Li-Wei Hung
Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA
[email protected]
The U.S. National Park Service Night Skies team provides measurements, modeling,
analyses, and knowledge syntheses to inform management decisions and support conservation of
night skies and nocturnal light environments for all park units in the system. The Night Skies team
has collected data from 126 NPS park units and 60 non-park units across the United States. Dr.
Hung, the lead scientist for the Night Skies team, will review the instrumentation and analyses used
to quantify skyglow intrusions into the natural night sky. These data identify priority partners for
night sky preservation and restoration at each park, and they support development of geospatial
models that predict sky conditions at locations lacking measurements. Recent work by the team
focuses on measuring outcomes from replacing legacy luminaires with LED systems, examining
relationships among summary night sky metrics, studying the effects of ALAN on wildlife,
providing training for night skies visitor programs in parks, and pursuing synergetic partnerships
with the Illuminating Engineering Society and International Dark-Sky Association.
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Artificial light at night alters leaf litter consumption, growth and behaviour of freshwater
shredders
Magdalena Czarnecka,1,* Tomasz Kakareko,1 Maja Grubisic2 and Jarosław Kobak3

1
Department of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
2
3
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń,
Poland
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Shredders are an important macroinvertebrate group contributing to leaf litter breakdown in

freshwater ecosystems by its physical fragmentation (Graça, 2001). Previous studies showed that
sunlight accelerated the litter breakdown by stimulating algal development, which increased leaf
palatability for shredders (Dangles et al., 2001; Guo et al., 2016). In consequence, the shredder
growth was also enhanced (Franken et al., 2005). The presence of natural night (undisturbed by
artificial light) can also be important for the leaf breakdown. Many shredders are nocturnal and
usually increase their activity at night, hence, some of them may consume more in darkness (Feio
and Graça, 2000).
There is some evidence that artificial light at night (ALAN) affects both shredders and algal
communities and thus may disturb leaf processing in urban and suburban areas. For instance,
increased light levels at night modified shredder behaviour and suppressed their drift compared to
unlit conditions (Perkin et al., 2014). Apart from light intensity, the spectral composition of ALAN
may also be important. Hölker et al. (2015) showed that a long-term exposure to yellowish light of a
high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamp (~8.5 lx, wavelength peak around 600 nm), enhanced algal
growth. On the contrary, nocturnal illumination by white LEDs, emitting blue-enriched light,
decreased algal biomass compared to HPS light of similar intensity (Grubisic et al., 2018).
Therefore, given the potential of ALAN to affect biota, the aim of this study was to test whether
nocturnal light differing in wavelength would affect leaf breakdown, shredder behaviour and algal
colonisation on leaves.
Methods
The effect of ALAN on leaf consumption was tested in laboratory microcosms assigned to
three light treatments, which included 12 h of mimicked daylight (~370 lx) and 12 h of night-time
differing as follows: 1) dark night (0 lx); 2) night illuminated by LED light (2 lx); 3) nights
illuminated by a HPS lamp (2 lx). Microcosms contained a single dried alder (Alder glutinosa L.)
leaf (Ø 35 mm) or a microscope slide. Leaves and slides were conditioned for 21 days in water
inoculated with biofilm brushed from decomposing leaves collected in a stream and 20 ml of WC
medium to enhance algal growth. After 3 weeks of algal development, single specimens of
gammarids: native Gammarus jazdzewskii and invasive Dikerogammarus villosus, common
shredders in fresh waters, were introduced to the microcosms with leaves. The leaf consumption
was measured after 2 weeks. The growth of shredders was also estimated, based on their
photographs taken at the beginning and end of the experiment, using length-mass regressions.
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Changes in algal biomass on the microscopic slides were estimated using high‐performance liquid
chromatography.
Separate tests were carried out using new gammarid specimens to observe their activity
under different night conditions: in darkness, and at LED or HPS light (2 lx). Their behaviour was
recorded and analysed by the video tracking software, distinguishing the following types of
shredder activity: 1) total distance covered, 2) movement velocity, 3) % time spent in the shelter
(under the leaf), 4) % time spent in movement.
Conclusions
ALAN affected the consumption of leaves by shredders and their growth rate. Food intake
by both species was significantly greater in the LED treatment, compared to the treatments with
dark night and HPS light. On the other hand, gammarids exposed to LED light exhibited a tendency
to slower growth rate, which was particularly pronounced in G. jazdzewskii. This suggests that LED
light increased the energetic demand of gammarids. This might be related to deteriorated food
quality, however, our results showed that even though algal biofilm tended to be less abundant in
the LED and HPS treatments, this tendency was non-significant. D. villosus reduced its activity and
spent more time in shelter when exposed to LED and HPS light, which seemed to be associated
with generally increased light level at night. In contrast, G. jazdzewskii did not change its activity in
the presence of ALAN. However, given its significantly lower growth accompanied by increased
consumption under LED light, we cannot exclude that this type of illumination was a source of
stress for this species, increasing its metabolism and hunger.
This study showed that alteration of the natural day-night cycle by ALAN can potentially
disturb the processing of organic matter in aquatic ecosystems. Particularly LED light, widely used
in street illumination, can affect behaviour and growth rates of shredders, however, the mechanism
underlying this phenomenon is not fully understood.
References
Dangles O, Guerold F, Usseglio-Polatera P. (2001) Role of transported particulate organic matter in the
macroinvertebrate colonization of litter bags in streams. Freshw Biol 46: 575–586
Feio MJ, Graça MAS (2000) Food consumption by the larvae of Sericostoma vittatum (Trichoptera),
an endemic species from the Iberian Peninsula. Hydrobiologia 439: 7-1
Franken RJM, Waluto B, Peeters ETHM, Gardeniers JJP, Beijer JAJ, Scheffer M (2005) Growth of shredders
on leaf litter biofilms: the effect of light intensity. Freshw Biol 50: 459-466
Graça MAS (2001) The role of invertebrates on leaf litter decomposition in streams - a review. Internat Rev
Hydriobiol 86: 383-393
Grubisic M, van Grunsven RHA, Manfrin A, Monaghan MT, Hölker (2018) A transition to white LED
increases ecological impacts of nocturnal illumination on aquatic primary producers in a lowland
agricultural drainage ditch. Environ Pollut 240: 630-638
Guo F, Kainz MJ, Valdez D, Sheldon F, Bunn SE (2016) High-quality algae attached to leaf litter boost
invertebrate shredder growth. Fresh Sci 35: 1213-1221
Hölker F, Wurzbacher C, Weissenborn C, Monaghan MT, Holzhauer SIJ, Premke K (2015) Microbial
diversity and community respiration in freshwater sediments influenced by artificial light at night.
Phil Trans R Soc B 370: 20140130
Perkin EK, Hölker F, Tockner K, Richardson JS (2014) Artificial light as a disturbance to light-naïve
streams. Freshw Biol 59: 2235-2244
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Light stress - light pollution
Effect of street lights on the development of Celtis occidentalis L.
M. Dani1*, F. Siska2, Z. Kolláth3, A. Skribanek1

1
Eötvös Loránd University, BDPK Department of Biology, Szombathely, Hungary
2
3
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
The energy of the sun (light and heat) plays a significant role in life on Earth, so many life process-
es and their cyclic changes are determined by the alternation of bright and dark periods.
The existence of photosynthetic plants is directly determined and influenced by light energy, so it
could be believed that light pollution can only produce a positive effect, more efficient photosyn-
thesis, more chemical energy. However, it has been reported in the literature that certain light
sources (e.g.: nocturnal illumination by white LEDs) may also inhibit the growth of certain aquatic
microscopic plant communities called periphyton (Grubisic M., 2018).
In plants, exposed to street lights, light pollution results in a decrease in photosynthetic activity such
as the maximum photochemical quantum yield of PS II (photosystem II) (Fv / Fm), the fluorescence
yield (YII) of PS II, and the degree of photochemical quenching (NPQ). Thus, light pollution is
stressful for street plants (Meravi and Prajapati, 2018).
Common Hackberry is an indigenous tree in North America with a strong shading effect upon good
water supply (Houle and Bouchard, 1990). It is typically planted as a roadside tree in Europe be-
cause of its ability to withstand polluted urban air, its low water demand and its ability to withstand
drought.
In our study we investigated the morphological and photosynthetic physiological processes of
leaves polluted with western HPS lamps compared to leaves of non-polluted shoots of Common
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.).
Methods
Shoots near the street lights (HPS lamps) and shoots farther the lights (shaded) located on the same
plants (n=6) were examined. The mass, length, width and thickness of 10-10 leaves on each shoot
were measured and the anatomy of the leaves was also studied on histological sections.
Various parameters of photosynthetic activity was determined through the study of the function of
the electron transport chain using a Photosynthesis Yield Analyzer (WALZ Germany). Similarly
orientated (east-west) leaves were used (6-6 individuals 8-8 leaves). The results were analyzed by
analysis of variance and two-factor T-test in SPSS program.
Conclusions
Leaves exposed to light pollution are significantly larger in weight, longer and wider than leaves
growing under non-light polluted conditions. The thickness of light-contaminated leaves is also
significantly higher, on average 188.41µm + 14.41, while the light-contamination-free leaves are
174.84µm + 6.41.
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The photosynthetic tissue (mesophyllum), of the light-polluted leaves is more developed (Figure 1).
The activity of the photosynthetic apparatus can be determined from the maximum quantum yield
(Fv / Fm) of the second photochemical system.
The light-polluted leaves could be characterized by significantly (P <0.01%) higher yield (0.789 +
0.011), the quantum yield of the light-pollution-free leaves were Fv/Fm = 0.75 + 0.038, which is
between 0.75-0.82 regular values for the normal leaves of pot plants. This parameter is also a
measure of the degree of stress (Björkman and Demmig, 1987).
Thus, according to our investigations, Common Hackberry utilizes light pollution of HPS lamps as
a resource, the photosynthetic activity of plants increased, which was accompanied by an increase
in leaf size, thickness and a change in tissue structure. Leaf fall was also shifted to a later time near
the light source (Figure 2.), a phenomenon observed in other species (Škvareninová et al., 2017).
The study was carried out thanks to the support of the EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00014 project entitled
“Developing an international research setting in the field of light pollution research”
References
Benes K (2018) Is light pollution changing how plants do – and don’t - grow?. Mas Sci
https://massivesci.com/articles/light-pollution-plants-grow-rest/
Björkman O, Demmig B (1987) Photon yields of O2 evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics
at 77-K among vascular plants of diverse origins. Planta 170: 489–504
Grubisic M (2018) Waters under Artificial Lights: Does Light Pollution Matter for Aquatic Primary Produc-
ers?. Bul Limn and Ocean 76-81
Houle G, Bouchard F (1990) Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) at the northeastern limit of its distribution in
North America: population structure and radial growth patterns. Can J of Bot 68: 2685-2692
Meravi N, Prajapati S. K (2018) Effect street light pollution on the photosynthetic efficiency of different
plants. Biological Rhythm Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/09291016.2018.1518206
Škvareninová J, Tuhárska M, Škvarenina J (2017) Effects of light pollution on tree phenology in the urban
environment. Mor Geogr Rep 25: 282–290
Figure 1. Leaf cross section of Celtis occidentalis
Figure 2. Common hackberry alley in December. The

leaves don’t fall near the street lamp
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Skyglow modifies effects of browning on benthic primary producers in lakes
Maja Grubisic1,*, Ivana Trbojevic2, Franz Hölker1, Michael T. Monaghan1, Elisabeth Funke1,
Stella A. Berger1,3, Mark O. Gessner1,3,4, Andreas Jechow1,5, Christopher C. M. Kyba5, Gregor A.
López Moreira M.1,6, Jens C. Nejstgaard1,3, Gabriel Singer1,7, Sabine Hilt1
1
Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin & Stechlin, Germany
2
Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
3
Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany
4
Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Berlin, Germany
5
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
6
Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento,
Italy
7
Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
[email protected]
* presenting author
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a disturbance for many aquatic organisms and
ecosystems, yet its effects on lakes are largely unknown. Many lakes experience indirect, diffuse
ALAN in the form of skyglow. Simultaneously, browning of lake water due to the increased input
of humic substances is occurring in many lakes worldwide as a consequence of climate change.
These two stressors can change light availability in opposing ways, thus altering this major resource
with potential consequences for lake productivity and biodiversity. We performed a full-factorial
experiment in 20 large enclosures (1300 m3) to test how skyglow and browning affect benthic
primary producers in lakes. We tested how white LEDs and browning agent HuminFeed, in
isolation and in combination, affect biomass, photophysiology and taxonomic composition of
periphyton communities, and growth of submerged aquatic plants, at five water depths after four
weeks. Surprisingly, browning increased periphyton biomass in the shallow water, and skyglow
alleviated this effect. Browning also reduced algal diversity and species richness in the periphyton,
and these effects were enhanced by the presence of skyglow. Plant growth was suppressed by
skyglow, both in isolation and in combination with browning, whereas algal physiology was only
affected by browning. These results show that skyglow affects primary producers in lakes and that it
can interact with other co-occurring stressors. As both skyglow and browning are globally
increasing, this raises concerns about potential consequences for lake biodiversity and ecosystem
functioning.
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Sky Brightness Assessment in Catalonia
Manuel Garcia Gil1*, Salvador J. Ribas2, Eduard Masana3, Hector Linares3, Ramon Canal-
Domingo2
1
Generalitat de Catalunya
2
Parc Astronòmic del Montsec
3
Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Light pollution evaluation is an essential parameter to develop environmental policies. On the one
hand, this action allows knowing good and poor quality areas. On the other hand, this knowledge
allows monitoring the issue, so we can know the evolution over time: for a year, a whole night,
long-term…
In Catalonia, first measurements were along year 2000, within the framework of the evaluation of
sky brightness, to design future regulation. They were perform with techniques that required very
complex temporary and operating conditions, and a significant investment of resources :calibrated
telescope and CCD camera were used in each one of the analyzed angles, for a series of typical
locations (in Catalonia).
From 2012 until know, new measurements have been initiated. They have aimed to analyze the
quality of the sky in natural protected areas. It has been carried out with the collaboration of
different organizations: Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (ICC-UB-IEEC), Universitat
Politècnica de Catalunya, Parc Astronòmic del Montsec and Generalitat de Catalunya. Four
different methodologies are included:
- Extensive analysis of the zones: Using photometer (Sky Quality Meter), on paved and unpaved
road. The subsequent analysis of the data has required the adjustment and filtering by an specific
software developed for this type of work.
- Temporary specific analysis: In specific points of the natural protected areas (SQM static
situations).
- Punctual analysis of brightness of the entire sky: Using calibrated CCD camera (ASTMON and
SQC equipment), which allows analyzing the quality of the entire dome. Besides, it permit
determining the most polluting source directions.
- Pilot plan to extend a photometer network along Catalonia, which means, a long-term analysis.
All these information and measurements have provided valuable data to know more accurately the
sky brightness in particular protected areas. Promoting specific lighting regulation is the target.
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Fig. 1 and 2.. Sky brightness measurements on paved and unpaved road along Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant
Maurici National Park. By Parc Astronòmic del Montsec for Generalitat de Catalunya.
Measurements by photometer net in Montsec Observatory and Lleida city. Generalitat de Catalunya network
A summary of the most representative measurements is accessible on website:

http://mediambient.gencat.cat/ca/05_ambits_dactuacio/atmosfera/contaminacio_luminica/avaluacio
-qualitat-cel-nocturn/.
References
Bará, S., B. Espey, F. Falchi, C. M. Kyba, M. Nievas, P. Pescatori, S. Ribas, A. Sanchez-de-Miguel, P.

Staubmann, C. Tapia Ayuga, G. Wuchterl and J. Zamorano Calvo (2015). Report of the 2014 LoNNe
Intercomparison Campaign. LoNNe.
Ges, X., S. Bará, M. García-Gil, J. Zamorano, S. J. Ribas and E. Masana (2018). "Light pollution offshore:
Zenithal sky glow measurements in the mediterranean coastal waters." Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy
and Radiative Transfer 210: 91-100.
Hänel, A., T. Posch, S. J. Ribas, M. Aubé, D. Duriscoe, A. Jechow, Z. Kollath, D. E. Lolkema, C. Moore, N.
Schmidt, H. Spoelstra, G. Wuchterl and C. C. M. Kyba (2017). "Measuring night sky brightness: methods
and challenges." Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer.
Linares, H., E. Masana, S. J. Ribas, M. Garcia - Gil, F. Figueras and M. Aubé (2018). "Modelling the night
sky brightness and light pollution sources of Montsec protected area." Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy
and Radiative Transfer 217: 178-188.
Linares, H., E. Masana, S. J. Ribas, Aubé, M., Simoneau, A., Bara, S. (2020). " Night sky brightness
simulation over Montsec protected area." Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 249:
106990. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2020.106990.)
Ribas, S. (2016). "How Clouds are Ampliying (or not) the Effects of ALAN." International Journal of
Sustainable Lighting 1: 32-39.
Sanchez-de-Miguel, A. (2015). Variación espacial, temporal y espectral de la contaminación lumínica y sus
fuentes: Metodología y resultado. PhD thesis, Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
GENERALITAT DE CATALUNYA. (2020). "Sky brightness measurements in Catalonia." Retrieved 19-
jan-2020, from
http://mediambient.gencat.cat/ca/05_ambits_dactuacio/atmosfera/contaminacio_luminica/avaluacio-qualitat-
cel-nocturn/.
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ALAN 2021
Modelling and Assessing Light Pollution for Environmental Planning with GIS
Theme: Society
Maria Zschorn1,*
1 Institute for Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Technische Universität Dresden,
Dresden, Germany
[email protected]
* presenting author
Awareness of the effects of ALAN on the environment has recently increased. Scientists and
planners are looking for ways to avoid the negative impact that can result from artificial lighting
(Böttcher 2001; Held et al. 2013; Rich and Longcore 2006 and many others). The task of
environmental planning in Germany is to protect nature and landscape, biological diversity, the
performance and functioning of the natural balance, the diversity, characteristic features and beauty
of nature and landscape (BNatSchG 2009). This means that the analysis and assessment of light-
related impairments is also in the field of responsibility. However, a study of landscape planning
tools shows that the issue has received little attention to date (Zschorn 2018). Around 90 % of the
examined examples are incomplete in the investigation of the topic. Missing recommendations and
methods to analyse and assess light pollution usable for planners can be assumed as a reason. The
PhD project aims to develop a methodological approach for environmental planning that can be
implemented by actors in landscape and spatial planning. In the past, methods have been developed
and used to model light pollution in other disciplines (Jin et al. 2017; Goronczy 2018; Jechow et al.
2019; Posch et al. 2018; Falchi et al. 2016; Kuechly et al. 2012 and others). These are to be tested
for their suitability and further developed for their application in nature conservation.
An analysis of light-related impairments in landscape planning should answer the question:

Where and how (strongly) does artificial light influence the values and functions of the protected
issues of nature and landscape on a study area? Thus, the question with regard to existing lighting
is: How and on what data basis can the area influenced by existing lighting installations be
delimited? In order to achieve a correct presentation of the results, methods developed and already
applied in other disciplines will be considered as possible approaches. To check their suitability for
the landscape planning the following criteria must be met:
- high quality of the result (high objectivity, validity and reliability)

- low effort in the implementation (low cost and time expenditure, low complexity, little
(additional) expertise required, few additional equipment necessary)
- usable result of the method (scale between 1:5.000 and 1:10.000, full area coverage for
the study area, possibility of further processing in Geoinformation Systems (GIS))
The following methods, were examined as possible approaches: measurement of ground

illuminance (illuminance meter), luminance measurements (luminance measurement camera),
measurement of sky brightness (sky quality meter), analysis on the basis of satellite data and photos
from space, measurements by airplane, drone or balloon, modeling based on the city location and
size/number of inhabitants, modeling based on the current land use, modeling based on a lighting
inventory, analysis by means of Citizen Science methods.
Measured against the aforementioned requirements, modeling the current lighting situation
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based on a lighting inventory turns out to be particularly suitable for landscape planning. However,
since only a few cities have digital data on their existing lighting installations, modeling based on
the current land use offers an alternative to analyse light-influenced regions (see Fig. 1).
Fig. 1: Modelling of light distribution with the Viewshed2-tool in ArcGIS (ESRI)

based on a lighting inventory (left) and on the current land use (right) (maps
without scale, data basis: lighting inventory Freital, Corine Land Cover 2018)
The selected approaches are well suited for landscape planning, as they require a low cost
and time expenditure and hardly any additional expertise or equipment from the planners. The
results of the modeling cover the full extent of the study area and can be further processed in GIS.
Different levels of accuracy can be achieved depending on the underlying data. The next step in the
development of the method is to determine, where light influenced area overlap regions with special
values and functions for nature and landscape. The final aim is to set objectives and measures for
the identified conflict zones.
References
BNatSchG. 2009. Bundesnaturschutzgesetz vom 29. Juli 2009 (BGBl. I S. 2542).
Böttcher, M. (Ed.). 2001. Auswirkungen von Fremdlicht auf die Fauna im Rahmen von Eingriffen in Natur
und Landschaft: Analyse, Inhalte, Defizite und Lösungsmöglichkeiten.
Bundesamt für Kartografie und Geodäsie. 2020. Digitales Landbedeckungsmodell, CLC5-2018 5 ha.
Falchi, F., Cinzano, P., Duriscoe, D., Kyba, C., Elvridge, C., Baugh, K., Portnov, B., Rybnikova, N., Furgoni,
R. 2016. „The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness“. Science Advances 2 (6):
e1600377. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1600377.
Freitaler Stadtwerke GmbH. 2019. Leuchtenkataster der Stadt Freital.
Goronczy, E. 2018. Lichtverschmutzung in Metropolen: Analyse, Auswirkungen und Lösungsansätze.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-22974-0.
Held, M., Hölker, F., Jessel, B. (Ed.). 2013. Schutz der Nacht – Lichtverschmutzung, Biodiversität und
Nachtlandschaft - Grundlagen, Folgen, Handlungsansätze.
Jechow, A., Kyba, C., Hölker, F. 2019. „Beyond All-Sky: Assessing Ecological Light Pollution Using Multi-
Spectral Full-Sphere Fisheye Lens Imaging“. Journal of Imaging 5 (4): 46.
https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging5040046.
Jin, X., Li,Y., Zhang, J., Zheng, J., Liu, H. 2017. „An Approach to Evaluating Light Pollution in Residential
Zones: A Case Study of Beijing“. Sustainability 9 (4): 652. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9040652.
Kuechly, H., Kyba, C., Ruhtz, T., Lindemann, C., Wolter, C., Fischer, J., Hölker, F. 2012. „Aerial survey and
spatial analysis of sources of light pollution in Berlin, Germany“. Remote Sensing of Environment
126 (Nov): 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2012.08.008.
Posch, T., Binder, F., Puschnig, J. 2018. „Systematic Measurements of the Night Sky Brightness at 26
Locations in Eastern Austria“. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 211
(Mai): 144–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2018.03.010.
Rich, C., Longcore, T. (Ed.). 2006. Ecological Consequences of Artificial Night Lighting. Island Press.
Zschorn, M. 2018. Licht und Lichtverschmutzung in der Landschaftsplanung.
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Revisiting the Third Age of Light
Theme: Futures
Mark Major
Speirs Major, London

[email protected]
“London in the near future: a city in which the experience of the night is focused and autonomous,
yet variable and shared. A world immersed in media and light, but where darkness once again has a
tangible role. This is the ‘Third Age of Light’.
In the ‘First Age’ we used naked flame in portable lanterns to create illumination. Technology was
limited, and the glimmer of functional light barely punctuated the night.
The ‘Second Age’ saw the development of organised industrialised systems of gas and then electric
public lighting. These ultimately resulted in a careless and wasteful use of light, leading to exces-
sive energy use, light pollution and over-illumination, underpinned by a lack of respect for the qual-
ities of the night.
Now imagine that, following improved understanding of our physical, psychological, biological,
social and economic needs, the role of public light comes under scrutiny. Artificial light is re-
elevated to a precious commodity, no longer taken for granted. A new generation of technologies
and techniques begin to emerge as society looks for other ways to extend the day.
Welcome to the ‘Third Age of Light’…”
Introductory text to Third Age of Light VR Experience 2017
Back in 2017, our practice Speirs Major, were invited to contribute to an exhibition in Paris that
looked at how urban lighting might be experienced 50 years in the future.
We came up with a vision of the future called the ‘Third Age of Light’: If the ‘First Age’ was one in
which we lit our cities and towns with primitive devices that burned, the ‘Second Age’ was ushered
in by the industrialisation of light, first through gas and then electricity. This is the age we still find
ourselves in with the further evolution of public lighting using LED, increasingly controlled by so
called ‘SMART’ systems. We imagined however that the ‘Third Age’ might be one in which a com-
bination of innovative approaches and a wide range of technologies might inform the way our cit-
ies, towns and even villages might be experienced after dark.
Whilst we were minded five years ago that the future may be driven by a response to the climate
emergency and the growing awareness of the environmental consequences of using artificial light at
night, the pace of change has been far quicker than anticipated. The urgent need to reduce energy
use, carbon emissions and waste, minimise light pollution and prevent adverse impacts on ecologies
has seen an increasing focus on the problems created by artificial light - not just its benefits. Also,
interest in the relationship between light, social interaction and well-being is growing. The im-
portant role light plays in supporting the night-time economy is becoming better appreciated since
recent lockdowns to help combat COVID-19.
My richly illustrated talk aims to review some of the ideas and concepts we explored as part of the
Third Age of Light and examines whether our predictions still hold true, how the vision may be
improved, and the likely direction of travel in the use of ‘artificial light at night’ in a post pandemic
world.
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The radiative transfer model Illumina v2.0: Added features and capabilities
Theme: Measurement and modeling
Martin Aubé,1,2,3,* Alexandre Simoneau3, Julien-Pierre Houle1, Nikki Veilleux1, Justine Desmarais1,
Émie Bordeleau1, Casiana Munoz-Tunon4, Javier Castro-Diaz4, Miquel Serra Ricart 4
1
Cégep de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke J1E 4K1, Canada
2
Bishops University, Sherbrooke, J0H 1O5, Canada
3
Université de Sherbrooke, J1K 2R1, Canada
4
Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, 38205, Spain
e-mail: [email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
The propagation of artificial light at night (ALAN) into real environments is a complex phenomenon
involving many physical processes. To properly model the phenomenon, the position, the angular
photometry and the spectral properties of the lighting devices, the spectral properties of the underlying
ground reflectance, the size and distribution of small-scale obstacles, the masking effect of topography, and
the atmospheric transfer functions have to be taken into account. For the latter, aerosol distribution,
composition and size, are of major importance because of their high variability with time and position (both
horizontally and vertically). One good way to anticipate how a change in the lighting infrastructure and/or in
the environment properties may affect the ALAN is to use a detailed radiative transfer model. The accuracy
of the modeled ALAN relies on the implementation of the physical processes involved but also on the quality
of the input data which must describe, as accurately as possible, the actual environment.
Methods
In this paper, we first describe the second version of the Illumina model. Major improvements have been
made to the model, including a multiscale approach allowing a more accurate description of the lighting
infrastructure and environment close to the observer. We also added the possibility of defining point sources
in combination to the usual gridded light inventory. Another important addition is the calculation of the
direct radiance and irradiance from the sources and reflecting surfaces, so that Illumina is not anymore
restricted to sky brightness modeling experiments. Direct radiance/irradiance calculation is of major
importance for studying the effect of ALAN on ecosystems and human health or even to simulate
measurements made with space borne sensors.
(a) (b) (c)

Figure 1 : Modeled radiance (direct and scattered) of Sherbrooke (Canada) at 550nm (integrated from 500 to 600
nm) from Mont Bellevue lookout. (a) represents the direct light from a fixture, (b) the light reflected by the ground
and (c) the light scattered by the atmosphere. Note that for panel (c), the maximum level of the scale is the
minimum level of panels (a) and (b). The city center is approximately located at azimuth 40deg. In panels (a) and
(b), the dark horizontal stripe around -5 deg elevation correspond to the Magog river.
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Results
We will show results from a
diversified set of model
applications including: 1-
examples of direct and scattered
radiance simu-lations as seen
from Mont Bellevue lookout in
Sherbrooke (Canada), 2-
scenarios to restore the night sky
darkness at Teide Observatory,
and 3- an attempt to determine
(a) (b)
the flux of the lamps and their
spectra by using SAVE-STARS Figure 2 : Contribution of different parts of the Canary Islands to the zenith
radiance in the Johnson’s V band at Teide Observatory. The pixel color
Consulting S.L. preprocessed indicates the zenith radiance seen at the observatory that is produced by
International Space Station color the sources of that pixel per units of squared km. The integral of all pixels
images. over the image surface is equal to the zenith radiance at the observatory.
Panel (b) is a zoomed view of Tenerife while panel (a) shows contributions
of most islands of the archipelago. The main contributors to the Teide
Observatory zenith sky brightness are sources located on Tenerife island.
References
Aubé, M., Simoneau, A., Munoz-Tunon, C., Diaz-Castro, J., & Serra-Ricart, M. (2020). Restoring
the night sky darkness at Observatorio del Teide: First application of the model Illumina
version 2, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 497(3), 2501-2516.
de Miguel, A. S., Kyba, C. C., Aubé, M., Zamorano, J., Cardiel, N., Tapia, C.… & Gaston, K. J.
(2019). Colour remote sensing of the impact of artificial light at night (I): The potential of
the International Space Station and other DSLR-based platforms. Remote Sensing of
Environment, 224, 92-103.
(a) (b)
Figure 3 : ISS imagery to determine the inputs of Illumina v2 model. (a) Classification of Montréal’s
(Canada) lighting technologies derived from ISS imagery using de Miguel et al. (2019) combined with some
spatial and noise filtering methods. Red=HPS, Orange=PCamber and warm HPS, Cyan=Warm CFL and
warm MH, Blue=Cool MH and 4000K+ LEDs, Purple=no data. Panel (b) shows the relative V band
radiance of Montréal (Canada) in arbitrary units.
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The impact of image resolution on power, bias, and confounding: A simulation study of
ambient light at night exposure
Theme: Health
Michael A. McIsaac1,2, Eric Sanders3*, Theres Kuester4, Kristan J. Aronson2,5, Christopher C. M.

Kyba4
1 School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, University of Prince Edward Island,

Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
2 Dept of Public Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
3 Dept of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
4 GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
5 Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Cancer Research Institute, Queen’s University,
Kingston, ON, Canada
Corresponding Author: [email protected]
*
presenting author
Background
Studies of the impact of environmental pollutants on health outcomes can be compromised by
mismeasured exposures or by unmeasured confounding with other environmental exposures. Both
problems can be exacerbated by measuring exposure from data sources with low spatial resolution.
Artificial light at night, for example, is often measured from low-resolution satellite images, which
may result in substantial measurement error and increased correlation with air or noise pollution
(Kyba, 2016).
Methods
Novel simulation studies were employed to quantify the errors that can result when measuring an
environmental exposure from a source with low spatial resolution. Based on simulated
epidemiologic studies in Vancouver, British Columbia, light at night exposure was the primary
exposure of interest. Figure 1 presents a visualization of the range of resolutions explored. First, we
assessed statistical power and bias for hypothetical studies that replaced true light at night exposure
with estimates from sources with low resolution. Next, health status was simulated based on
pollutants other than light exposure, and we assessed the frequency with which studies might
incorrectly attribute negative health impacts to light exposure as a result of unmeasured
confounding by the other environmental exposures (i.e. make a Type I error). The studied pollutants
were ‘all noise,’ ‘street noise,’ black carbon, NO, NO2, PM2.5, and Ultrafine Particles.
Results
When light was simulated to be the true causal agent, the simulated studies using lower-resolution
data suffered from lower statistical power and more biased estimates. In addition, correlations
between light and other pollutants increased as spatial resolution decreased, although this
relationship varied by pollutant. In the case of NO, NO2, PM 2.5, and black carbon, the resolution
of the LAN image played a clear role in the frequency of Type I errors, and using high-resolution
light imagery reduced the rate of making incorrect conclusions about causality due to confounding.
Other measured pollutants (noise, ultrafine particles) saw consistent Type I error rates regardless of
light imagery resolution.
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Figure 1: Street map (a) and topographic map (b) of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Distribution of light at night in Vancouver as measured from the International Space
Station (full resolution; c) and at calculated reduced resolutions (50m, 100m, 200m,
500m, 1000m, and 2000m; d-i) using a Gaussian Point Spread Function (PSF).
Conclusion
Studies measuring exposure to pollutants from data with lower spatial resolution are prone to
increased bias, increased confounding, and reduced statistical power. Studies examining effects of
light at night should avoid low resolution measures of exposure and should consider potential
confounding with other environmental pollutants. This work may help explain some of the
variations in results in epidemiologic studies of artificial light at night exposure as a potential cause
of adverse health outcomes (Ritonja et al. 2020, Rybnikova et al. 2017).
References
Kyba C (2016) Defence meteorological satellite program data should no longer be used for epidemiological
studies (Letter to editor). Chronobiol Int 33:943-945.
Ritonja J, McIsaac MA, Sanders E, Kyba CCM, Grundy A, Cordina-Duverger E, Spinelli JJ, Aronson KJ
(2020) Outdoor light at night at residences and breast cancer risk in Canada. Eur J of Epidemiol
35:579-589.
Rybnikova NA, Portnov BA (2017) Outdoor light and breast cancer incidence: a comparative analysis of
DMSP and VIIRS-DNB satellite data. Int J of Remote Sens 21:5952-5961.
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Moth matchmaking in moonlight: For male moths the quest to find mates is influenced by the
position of the moon
Mona Storms1*, Andreas Jechow2, Franz Hölker2, Aryan Jakhar3, Tobias Degen1 and Jacqueline
Degen1
1
University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
2
3
School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram,
India
[email protected]
* presenting author
A significant decrease in the abundance and distribution of moths has been observed in
many European countries [Fox 2013, Groenendijk & Ellis 2011]. Since it is known that moths play
an important role as pollinators [Devoto et al. 2011, LeCroy et al. 2013, Macgregor et al. 2015], it is
important to understand the reasons for their decline. Loss and fragmentation of habitats, use of
chemicals in the agriculture, climate change and light pollution are discussed as possible drivers
[Fox 2013, Grubisic et al. 2018], all of them resulting in a modified environment with possible
effects on behavior and orientation and therefore their reproductive success.
The most easily perceived celestial body during the night is the moon, which, however, can
be more difficult to use as a compass than the sun because of its variable, temporally limited
visibility [Wehner 1984]. Nevertheless, it is used by many nocturnal insects for orientation and
navigation [Warrant & Dacke 2011]. However, the importance of the moon for sex partner finding
and the risk potential by light pollution has not been investigated so far.
In this study we used male

moths of the species Sphinx
ligustri, which were reliably
attracted by females, and analyzed
the importance of the moon for
their orientation.
Specially calibrated digital
cameras that are suitable to
measure the dynamics of night-
time lighting conditions [Jechow et
al. 2020] allowed us to track Fig. 1: Luminance maps of clear night skies. Left: The moon was
changes in the artificial lighting below the horizon (altitude: 0°). July 23, 2019 12:25 am. Right:
conditions and the brightness of the The clearly visible moon was 26° above the horizon. July 23, 2019
03:23 am.
sky simultaneously (Figure 1).
The percentage of animals that arrived at the females increased when the moon crossed the
horizon. Additionally, the time males needed to reach the females decreased with increasing moon
altitudes − the higher the moon was above the horizon, the faster the males reached the females.
This was accompanied by a reduced variance of flight durations, indicating that the rising moon
generally facilitates olfactory orientation of moths. In order to determine the origin of the high
variances in flight duration, the lighting conditions of the horizon were analyzed in detail. The high
intensity and variability, but especially the mixing of artificial and natural light signals could be an
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explanation for the high variance of flight durations.
Landscapes around the world have been drastically restructured in terms of light intensity
and light spectrum due to the rapid spread and increase of electrical lighting [Cinzano et al. 2001].
The final consequences are still uncertain, especially because artificial light at night is still
increasing exponentially [Kyba et al. 2017].
References
Cinzano, P., Falchi, F. and Elvidge, C. D. (2001) The first World Atlas of the artificial night sky brightness.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 328 (3): p. 689-707.
Devoto, M., Bailey, S. and Memmott, J. (2011) The 'night shift': nocturnal pollen-transport networks in a
boreal pine forest. Ecological Entomology. 36 (1): p. 25-35.
Fox, R. (2013) The decline of moths in Great Britain: a review of possible causes. Insect Conservation and
Diversity. 6 (1): p. 5-19.
Groenendijk, D. and Ellis, W. N. (2011) The state of the Dutch larger moth fauna. Journal of Insect
Conservation. 15 (1-2): p. 95-101.
Grubisic, M., van Grunsven, R. H., Kyba, C. C., Manfrin, A., and Hölker, F. (2018). Insect declines and
agroecosystems: does light pollution matter? Annals of Applied Biology, 173 (2): p. 180-189.
Jechow, A., Kyba, C. C. M. and Hölker, F. (2020) Mapping the brightness and color of urban to rural
skyglow with all-sky photometry. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer. 250:
p. 106988.
Kyba, C. C. M., Kuester, T., de Miguel, A. S., Baugh, K., Jechow, A., et al. (2017) Artificially lit surface of
Earth at night increasing in radiance and extent. Science Advances. 3 (11).
LeCroy, K., Wayne Shew, H. and Van Zandt, P. (2013) Pollen presence on nocturnal moths in the Ketona
Dolomite Glades of Bibb County, Alabama. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 35 (3): p. 136-
142.
Macgregor, C. J., Pocock, M. J., Fox, R. and Evans, D. M. (2015) Pollination by nocturnal Lepidoptera, and
the effects of light pollution: a review. Ecological Entomology. 40 (3): p. 187-198.
Warrant, E. and Dacke, M. (2011) Vision and visual navigation in nocturnal insects. Annual Review of
Entomology. 56: p. 239-54.
Wehner, R. (1984) Astronavigation in Insects. Annual Review of Entomology. 29: p. 277-298.
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Simulations of light pollution over the Natural Reserve "La Primavera" in Guadalajara
Jalisco México
Monica Lozada-Muñoz 1,* and Héctor Solano-Lamphar 2

1
Universidad del Valle de México, Calz. de Tlalpan 3016 y 3058
Ex Hacienda Coapa,
Alcaldía Coyoacán, C.P. 04910, CDMX
2
Cátedras CONACyT, Av. Insurgentes Sur, San José Insurgentes, C.P. 08600, CDMX
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Abstract
Light pollution (LP) is an environmental problem caused by the combination of aerosols and
atmospheric particles in their interaction with artificial light. It was described by Hollan (2009) as
the alteration of the standard level of light night in the environment. The different devices used in
cities to generate artificial light are the main factors that cause LP. This radiation is directed to the
atmosphere and it is scattered by air molecules and atmospheric aerosols; causing in the night sky a
characteristic color which depends on the illumination technology.
These devices are well represented by luminaires in parks, streets and different public and
private spaces. In general, the use of not appropriate artificial night lighting affects not only dark
skies, but also reduces the visibility of stellar objects (Crawford 1991; Cinzano 2000d; Cohen &
Sullivan 2001), as well as wildlife and human beings. According to the nighttime maps of artificial
luminosity by Cinzano et al. (2001), 88% of the population in Mexico lives under an artificial sky
brightness 0.11 times greater than the average level1.
There are many types of luminaries, such as the mercury vapor lamp (MC) with a strong
emission in the UV spectra (Solano-Lamphar & Kocifaj 2013). These kinds are known as gas
discharge lamps, since they generate light by sending an electric discharge using ionized gas.
Mercury has an visible emission at 405, 435 and 545 nm. These wavelengths are important in
processes such as photosynthesis, so they are used generally as growth lights. The metal halide
lamp (MH) produces light using an electric arc compound by a mix of vaporized mercury and
halide metals (Hordeski 2005). They have presence in almost all the visible spectra with peaks at
several wavelengths, such as 385 nm, 422 nm, 497 nm, 540 nm, 564 nm, and the major amplitudes
at 583 nm, 630nm and 674 nm. They are the most used in public zones because they have a strong
yellow color nearly as natural as daylight. The high-pressure sodium lamp (HPS) uses sodium at an
excited state to produce light. It has a major amplitude at 568 nm at green in the visible spectrum
with some important peaks at yellow (near to 590 nm), orange (near to 605 nm) and finally at red
(approximately at 632 nm). Their spectra are dominated by the emission line at Sodium-D (at 589
nm in the yellow range). The low-pressure sodium lamp (LPS) has a visible emission cause the
emission line sodium-D at 589.3 nm, this kind of lamps are the least attractive to insects (Solano-
1
The luminosity average of the sky below the atmospheric level is fixed at bn=8.61 x 107 V ph cm-2 s-1 sr-1 , which is ap-
proximately to 21.6 V mag arcsec-2 or 252 µ cd m-2 (Cinzano et al. 2001).
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Lamphar & Kocifaj 2013). In general, the luminaries most frequently used in Mexico are light
emitting diodes (LED) this kind apparently causing adverse effects in humans and animals affecting
melatonin, which is related with the exposition to blue light (Falchi et al. 2011).
The main objective of this project is to know the real affectation of light pollution at one
natural reserve in Mexico. The territorial characterization was based on the study of all the factors
that represent light pollution in its relationship with atmospheric optics, theoretically analyzing the
predominant characteristics related to the problem of the brightness of the night sky. Rigorous light
scattering and radiative transfer theories were applied to model the interaction of artificial light with
an inhomogeneous atmosphere and to interpret specific optical characteristics such as skyglow
typologies under high turbidity conditions.
The recovery of light pollution was carried out through the results of a theoretical
development, including characterization for different climatic conditions. The calculations are based
on an implementation of the Eddington approximation. Consequently, the numerical tools were
based on the rigorous Mie theory to obtain the dispersion properties of spherical particles. In the
case of a cloudy sky, a one-kilometer thick cloud layer with a cloud base located one kilometer
above the ground was considered. The optical thickness of the cloudy layer will vary over a wide
range to cause an alteration of the total atmospheric optical thickness of 5 to 10.
Aerosols can be emitted directly into the atmosphere in the form of particles, or as gases that
by chemical reactions between reactive molecules form particles in the atmosphere. Another
element of complexity in the analysis of light pollution is the territorial distribution of artificial light
in the urban space. A large part of artificial night lighting comes from public light sources. To
recover its effects on the light levels of the sky it is necessary to analyze different installations of
individual lamps in the urban environment. The distribution of electromagnetic energy in the
spectra of the lamp plays a crucial role in understanding the problem, as well as the intensities of
the emitted glow. In the present study, the characteristics of the glow of the sky under different
conditions and its effect on different natural areas near a metropolitan area were analyzed.
The results of the first analysis show that the situation of light pollution is critical in the
selected places, considering the geographic center of the city, large effects near the metropolitan
area were identified. Specifically, night sky patterns lose their natural structure due to significant
increase in luminance amplitudes. This effect is reinforced by the increase in the color temperature
of the LEDs, which have been included in the lighting system of the City in recent years. The
results show that scattering effects and differences in efficiency can lead to significant impacts on
the brightness of the night sky.
References
Cinzano P., 2000d, in Cinzano P., ed., Measuring and Modelling Light Pollution, Mem. Soc.
Astron. Ital., 71, 1.
Cinzano, P., Falchi, F. and Elvidge, C. (2001). The first World Atlas of the artificial night sky
brightness. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 328(3), pp.689-707. Recovered
from: https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0108052.
Cohen, R.J. & Sullivan, W.T., eds (2001). Preserving the Astronomical Sky. IAU Symposium No.
196, Viena, Austria, 12-16 Julio 1999. PASP, San Francisco, 2001.
Crawford, D.L. (1991). IAU Colloquium No. 112: Light Pollution, Radio Interference, and Space
Debris, San Francisco: Astronomy Society of the Pacific Conference Series vol 17.
Falchi, F., Cinzano, P., Elvidge, C. D. , Keith, D. M., Haim, A. (2011). Limiting the impact of light
pollution on human health, environment and stellar visibility. J. Environ. Manage. 92, 2714–2722.
Hollan J. (2009). What is light pollution and how do we quantify it?.,N. Copernicus Observatory
and Planetarium, Brno. Recovered from: http://amper.ped.muni.cz/light/lp what is.pdf
Solano-Lamphar, H. A., Kocifaj, M. (2013). Light Pollution in Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrum:
Effect on Different Visual Perceptions. PLoS ONE 8(2): e56563.
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Metabolic Health and Physical Development of Barn Swallow (Hirundo Rustica) Chicks
Under Natural Photoperiod and Artificial Light at Night
Murry L. Burgess,1,* Caren B. Cooper,1 and Margaret A. Voss2

1
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
2
Syracuse University, Syracuse, USA
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Seasonal changes in photoperiod are ubiquitous cues used by virtually all life on Earth
(Dominoni et al. 2013). Through the expression of clock genes and neuro-endocrine signals, the
timing of life-cycle events and daily fluctuations in physiological processes are synchronized with
local photoperiodic environments. Phenology - the timing of life cycle events - is heavily influenced
by circannual light and dark (Dominoni et al. 2013). Birds rely on circannual light cues for
migration and reproduction (Dominoni et al 2013; Ouyang et al. 2015) and circadian photoperiod
for cueing the start (Cooper et al. 2009; Voss & Cooper 2013) and termination (Cooper et al. 2009;
Voss & Cooper 2013) of laying a clutch of eggs. Songbirds lay one egg per day, so photoperiodic
influences on laying can determine clutch size (Cooper et al. 2009; Voss & Cooper 2013).
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is quickly becoming a prevalent component of nightscapes
worldwide (Ouyang et al. 2015; Raap et al. 2015). ALAN has several well-documented effects on
birds, including altering circadian cycles (Dominoni et al. 2013; Newport et al. 2014; Ouyang et al.
2015; Raap et al. 2015), mating and reproduction (Dominoni et al. 2013; Newport et al. 2014;
Ouyang et al. 2015; Raap et al. 2015), eyesight and object perception (Newport et al. 2014),
orientation (Ouyang et al. 2015; Raap et al. 2015), and foraging (Newport et al. 2014). ALAN is a
novel selection pressure in the human-built environment that alters photoperiodic timing cues.
Artificial photoperiods can also interact with clutch initiation and termination, which ultimately
determines clutch size (Voss & Cooper 2013), and can influence nutrition to affect metabolic health
(Raap et al. 2015).
Under typical circumstances, sleeping chicks lower their metabolic rate at night and store
unused glucose, repair tissues, and recharge their bodies (Raap et al. 2015). However, ALAN
disrupts circadian rhythm, increasing the metabolic rate of growing chicks. The metabolic demand
for glucose continues during the night, although the chicks are not being fed. Therefore, glucose
must be converted from other sources, such as lipids and proteins (i.e., gluconeogenesis). This shift
in metabolism affects developing anatomy and inhibits chick growth (Ardia 2006; Downs et al.
2009). Chicks typically have little to no fat stores; therefore, proteins are targeted for glucose
production. However, protein is also needed to fuel the immune system and energetic functions,
such as flight (Ardia 2006). If the feeding rate does not increase, gluconeogenic pathways can
maintain high plasma glucose concentrations even though the cells themselves are not metabolizing
glucose (Beauchat & Chong 1998). This can be thought of as a mechanism to spare glucose for
emergency responses, such as flight from predation. In this case, we might see a shift in phenotype,
such as delayed growth, as chicks exchange protein for glucose.
Hyperglycemia, high blood sugar, is symptomatic of diabetes, even in birds (Beauchat and
Chong 1998; Ardia 2006). ALAN may cause avian diabetes by increasing blood glucose levels even
higher above the avian norm. Because ALAN alters circadian rhythm, and blood glucose is
regulated by circadian rhythm (Downs et al. 2009), daily blood glucose concentrations may
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similarly be altered by ALAN. In other words, ALAN may increase blood glucose concentrations
thus affecting metabolic health and potentially leading to metabolic disease such as avian diabetes.
I investigated multiple research questions about natural photoperiod and artificial light at
night on chick health and development: RQ1. Does chick development vary with natural
longitudinal photoperiods? RQ2. How is chick development altered by ALAN? RQ3. Does parental
feeding behavior change in the presence of ALAN?
Methods
During spring 2020, I researched the effects of ALAN on chick glucose levels, growth, and
health through a field experiment with Barn Swallows, (Hirundo rustica), a common, urban-
adaptable songbird found nearly globally. In a barn in Snow Camp, NC, I randomly selected half
the nests for illumination with artificial lights 24 hours a day and half of the nests for controls with
natural photoperiods. I collected a drop of blood from each chick to sample glucose levels at 3-day
intervals throughout chick development. Similarly, I took repeated morphological measurements
(mass, feather growth, wing chord length, tarsus length, and fat score) and standardized photos of
pin feather tracks. When broods were 10 days old, I pooled blood from broodmates for more robust
laboratory blood testing of glucose, lipids, proteins, and expression of genes that regulate glucose. I
completed data analysis using mixed model regressions with random effects. Previous data was
collected in 2014 and 2015 with Barn Swallows in NY using the same methods, and I was able to
combine data from both locations to compare control and treatment nests across both sites.
Conclusions
Based on data analysis results, chick growth and development are impeded by ALAN and
also affected by location. There was a statistically significant difference in Barn Swallow conditions
between latitudes and treatments. All body measurements and glucose levels were greater in chicks
from NY, while head size, wing chord, and mass were affected by the treatment. With standardized
photos, I documented striking visual differences between chicks in each treatment.
References
Ardia, D. R. (2006). Glycated hemoglobin and albumin reflect nestling growth and condition in American
kestrels. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 143: 62-66. DOI:
10.1016/j.cbpa.2005.10.024.
Beauchat, C. A. and Chong, C. R. (1998). Hyperglycemia in hummingbirds and its consequences for
hemoglobin glycation. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 120: 409-416.
Cooper, C. B., Voss, M. A., and Zivkovic, B. (2009). Extended laying interval of ultimate eggs of the Eastern
Bluebird. The Condor 111(4):752-755. DOI: 10.1525/cond.2009.090061.
Dominoni, D. M., Helm, B., Lehmann, M., Dowse, H. B., and Partecke, J. (2013) Clocks for the city:
circadian differences between forest and city songbirds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B
280:20130593.
Downs, C. T., Wellman, A. E., and Brown, M. (2009). Diel variations in plasma glucose concentrations of
Malachite Sunbirds Nectarinia famosa. Journal of Ornithology. DOI: 10.1007/s10336-009-0439-6.
Newport, J., Shorthouse, D. J., and Manning, A. D. (2014). The effects of light and noise from urban
development on biodiversity: Implications for protected areas in Australia. Ecological Management
& Restoration 15(3): 204-214
Ouyang, J.Q., de Jong, M., Hau, M., Visser, M.E., van Grunsven, R.H.A., and Spoelstra, K. (2015) Stressful
colours: corticosterone concentrations in a free-living songbird vary with the spectral composition of
experimental illumination. Biology Letters. 11: 20150517.
Raap, T., Pixten, R., and Eens, M. (2015). Light pollution disrupts sleep in free-living animals. Scientific
Reports 5:13557. DOI: 10.1038/srep13557.
Voss, M. A. and Cooper, C. B. (2013). Solar noon and tactile cues synergistically regulate clutch size: a new
approach to investigations of avian life-history theory. Ibis 155:709-713.
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The impact of light pollution on celestial visual information invertebrates use as a
navigational cue
Nicholas W. Roberts*1, Rochelle J. Meah1 and Lauren Sumner-Rooney1,2

1
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, BS8 1TQ
2
Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford OX1 3PW
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Artificial light is a major sensory pollutant.

While we understand how the intensity, spectral
distribution and timing of light pollution can affect
individual aspects of biochemistry, physiology and
behaviour, the overall impact of artificial light masking
visual cues used by animals for task-specific behaviours
has received relatively little attention.
Light from the sun becomes polarized as it

passes through, and is scattered by, the atmosphere.
This results in a predictable and directional overhead
polarization pattern that many invertebrates use as a
directional cue. This pattern not only occurs during the
day, but also at night, when the sun’s light is reflected Fig. 1: The degree of polarization of the
by the moon. night sky under both dark and light-
polluted conditions, at different times
after sunset.
In a series of experimental studies, we have investigated the effects of artificial light
pollution on the visibility of the night-time polarization pattern. Figure 1 shows four projections of
the entire overhead hemisphere, with the false colour illustrating the degree of polarization across
the night sky. Comparing the night-time polarization pattern viewed simultaneously from two sites
of different levels of light pollution (the Mendip hills vs. Bristol city centre) demonstrates how
ground-based artificial light masks the pattern. In particular, a significant reduction in the degree of
polarization occurs approximately one hour after sunset in polluted areas. However, we should not
focus solely on the changes to physical properties of the light; it is more biologically relevant to
determine how those changes are seen by the visual system of the specific species or group under
consideration.
Ground spiders (Gnaphosidae) are central place foragers, using the polarization pattern as
navigational information to return directly to their shelter after foraging (Dacke M 1999). They
have a pair of secondary eyes specialized to detect the polarization of the overhead light. The eyes
are lensless; they do not form images, but each integrate incoming light over an overlapping 60-
degree field of view. Polarization information is opponently processed between perpendicularly
orientated photoreceptors in the two eyes. We can thus calculate the photoreceptor contrast
available between these eyes in a given scene where we know the polarization pattern.
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Fig. 2A illustrates the calculated photoreceptor contrast of the polarization pattern at a
variety of different light pollution levels across the UK and Europe. When sampled by and
integrated over the spider field of view, Fig 2B demonstrates how the contrast between the two eyes
follows a strong non-linear inverse relationship with the amount of night time light produced. For
these calculations we used the VIIRS measured radiance values (Earth Observation Group 2019) in
order to provide a direct link between the amount of artificial light produced and the impact on the
polarization pattern, without the need for correction for species sensitivity functions as required by
photometric data.
Fig. 2: A) The photoreceptor contrasts of the night-time polarization pattern, viewed at human resolution.
Columns are grouped by levels of VIIRS radiance in nW cm2 sr-1. B) The functional relationship between
photoreceptor contrast and the amount of light pollution produced.
Finally, we can use this relationship between

the level of light pollution and the photoreceptor
contrast to map how the visibility of the polarization
pattern is impacted across Europe. Fig. 3 takes the
2019 yearly average of the VIIRS radiance data and
recasts this as photoreceptor contrast data. This
provides a unique approach by which to understand
the spatial and broad scale impact of light pollution on
the critical sensory information for particular groups
of animals.
References
Wehner R (2001) Polarization vision–a uniform sensory
capacity? J Exp Biol 204: 2589-2596.
Dacke M, Nilsson DE, Warrant EJ, Blest AD, Land MF
and O'Carroll DC (1999) Built-in polarizers form part of a
compass organ in spiders. Nature, 401: 470-473.
Earth Observation Group (2019) Payne Institute for Pub-
lic Policy https://eogdata.mines.edu/ download_dnb_com-
Fig. 3: The calculated levels of photoreceptor posites.html
contrast of the overhead polarization pattern Falchi F, Cinzano P, Duriscoe D, Kyba CC, Elvidge CD,
available to gnaphosid spiders. Baugh K, Portnov BA, Rybnikova NA and Furgoni R
(2016) The new world atlas of artificial night sky
brightness Sci Adv 2: e1600377.
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Definition of a new RGB photometric system and UCM library of synthetic
spectrophotometric standard stars
Nicolás Cardiel,1,2,* Jaime Zamorano,1,2 Salvador Bará,3 Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel,1,4,5 Cris-
tina Cabello,1,2 Jesús Gallego,1,2 Lucía García,1 Rafael González,1 Jaime Izquierdo,1 Sergio Pas-
cual,1,2 José Robles,1 Ainhoa Sánchez,1 and Carlos Tapia,1
1
Departamento de Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
2
Instituto de Física de Partículas y del Cosmos, Univ. Complutense de Madrid, Spain
3
Departamento de Física Aplicada, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
4
Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
5
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Granada, Spain
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Abstract
One of the most challenging problems that users of high-quality digital cameras equipped
with Bayer-like color filter systems are facing is the accurate calibration of their images. Although it
is possible to use bright star measurements for that purpose, the available data correspond to
photometric magnitudes obtained through typical astronomical filters (e.g., Johnson-Cousins
UBVRI), which exhibit spectral sensitive responses that do not match with those of common RGB
filters (see Fig. 1).
Fig. 1: Comparison of spectral sensitivity responses of the well-known Johnson-Cousins astronomical filters
UBVRI (labelled thin lines) with the median RGB curves (thick blue, green and red lines with shaded re-
gions) derived in Cardiel et al. (2021) using the compilation of 28 sets of response curves of Jiang et al.
(2013). The reference flux density (in photon s-1 cm-2 Å-1) employed to define the zero point for the AB,
VEGA and ST magnitude systems (dashed, full and dotted lines respectively) are overplotted.
In order to solve this problem, in Cardiel et al. (2021) we have employed historical 13-color
(C13) medium-narrow-band photometric data from Johnson & Mitchell (1975), Schuster (1976)
and Bravo Alfaro et al. (1997), gathered with quite reliable photomultipliers, to fit the spectrum of
1346 bright stars belonging to the Bright Star Catalogue (Hoffleit 1964), using the stellar
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atmosphere models of Castelli & Kurucz (2003). Some representative stellar spectra are displayed
in Fig. 2. The accuracy of the fitted spectral energy distributions has been checked by comparing
synthetic Johnson B and V magnitudes with the corresponding data available through the Simbad
database (available at http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/), with a typical ±3s scatter in both bands
around 0.10 mag, being part of this dispersion attributable to the heterogeneous source compilation
in the Simbad data. A subsample of the fits (39 stars) was compared with actual flux calibrated
spectra from Kiehling (1987), providing synthetic magnitude uncertainties below ±0.05 mag. The
whole set of fitted star models, that constitutes the UCM library of spectrophotometric standards,
has been employed to compute synthetic RGB magnitudes and uncertainties. In addition, a new
RGB photometric system, that can be used as a standard reference, has been established, by
defining standard RGB sensitivity curves as the median of the corresponding curves of 28
commercial cameras (also shown in Fig. 1).
The RGB magnitudes of the UCM library of spectrophotometric standards makes the sky an
accessible and free laboratory for the calibration of digital cameras, facilitating their use not only in
many astronomical fields, such as the study of meteors, solar system bodies, variable stars, and
transient objects, but also in the detailed monitoring of light pollution and its impact on the night
sky brightness. The results of this work are publicly available at https://guaix.ucm.es/rgbphot.
Fig. 2: Examples of spectrum fits to stars with different effective temperature. The filled circles correspond
to C13 photometric data from Johnson & Mitchell (1975). The continuous lines are the fitted Castelli &
Kurucz (2004) models. The spectra have been numbered by decreasing effective temperature.
References
Bravo Alfaro H, Arellano Ferro A, Schuster WJ (1997) Temperatures for A0-K0 Supergiants from 13-Color
Photometry. PASP, 109, 958
Cardiel N, Zamorano J, Bará S, et al. (2021) Synthetic RGB photometry of bright stars: definition of the
standard photometric system and UCM library of spectrophotometric spectra. Mon Not R Astron Soc
in press
Castelli F, Kurucz RL (2003) New Grid of ATLAS9 Model Atmospheres. IAU Symposium Vol. 210,
Modelling of Stellar Atmospheres, p. A20
Hoffleit D (1964) Catalogue of Bright Stars. Yale University Observatory
Jiang J, Liu D, Gu J, Süsstrunk S (2013) What is the Space of Camera Spectral Sensitivity Functions for
Digital Color Cameras? IEEE Workshop on Applications of Computer Vision, pp 168-179
Johnson HL, Mitchell RI (1975) Thirteen-color photometry of 1380 bright stars. Rev. Mex. Astron. Astrofis.,
1, 299
Kiehling R (1987) Spectrophotometry of bright F-, G-, K- and M-type stars. I. Measurements of 60 southern
and equatorial stars. Astron. Astroph. Supl. Ser., 69, 465
Schuster WJ (1976) 13-color photometry of solar-type stars. Rev. Mex. Astron. Astrofis. 1, 327
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Mapping the Melatonin Suppression Index with the International Space Station colour images
Nikki Veilleux,1,* Justine Desmarais,1 Émie Bordeleau1, Martin Aubé,1,2,3 and Alexandre Simo-
neau3
1
2
Bishops University, Sherbrooke, Canada
3
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Recently, many studies have started linking the increasing exposure to artificial light at night
to the rate of hormonal cancers, such as prostate and breast cancer. Suppression of the melatonin
hormone may be the cause of this link that happens when people are exposed to light at night,
especially for visual light of short wavelengths. This suppression happens naturally in the morning,
as the sun rises, causing the end of the sleeping state. Although this response is essential to our
well-being, it may become damaging when it gets triggered at the wrong time. Indeed, it is believed
that the production of melatonin during sleep helps to inhibit the reproduction of cancerous cells.
The Melatonin Suppression Index (MSI) is an interesting metric to use to study this
particular link. It depends mostly on the shape of spectral emissions of the various light sources.
International Space Station (ISS) colour images of light emitted towards the sky during the night
could be an efficient tool at mapping the Melatonin Suppression Index.
Methods
We will present the steps undertaken in order to obtain a clean and representative MSI map
of Montréal, Canada. We present manipulations that were needed to eliminate aberrant data and
noise coming from a preprocessing of the images from the ISS as executed by SAVE-STARS
Consulting S.L. We also show our process in obtaining approximate MSI from the classification of
the type of light sources present in the area of Montréal, Canada.
Conclusions
We present a map of the different kinds of technologies illuminating Montréal at night as

well as two maps of the Melatonin Suppression throughout the city: one relating the absolute MSI
and one taking into account both the visual radiance and the MSI in the quantification of the
melatonin suppression.
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(a) (b)
Figure 1: P Melatonin suppression maps derived from ISS imagery using Sanchez de Miguel et
al. (2019) and combined with some spatial and noise filtering methods. Panel (a) shows the
absolute MSI assigned according to the different lamp technologies of Montréal’s (Canada).
Panel (b) shows the MSI relative to the V band radiance of Montréal (Canada).
References
Sanchez de Miguel, A., Kyba, C. C., Aubé, M., Zamorano, J., Cardiel, N., Tapia, C, Bennie, J.,&
Gaston, K. J. (2019). Colour remote sensing of the impact of artificial light at night (I):The potential
of the International Space Station and other DSLR-based platforms. Remote Sensing of
Environment, 224, 92-103.
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Poisoning the web: Effects of artificial light at night and pesticides on urban spiders
Nikolas J. Willmott1,*, Kathryn B. McNamara1, Bob B.M. Wong2, and Therésa M. Jones1
1
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
2
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
The world is facing an environmental crisis, as
anthropogenic stressors are increasingly permeating
every ecosystem on Earth. While the effects of
individual stressors, such as artificial light at night
(ALAN), are increasingly well understood, there are
several key gaps in the literature. This includes
knowledge gaps for certain taxa (Luck & Smallbone,
2010), or how these impacts are mediated by
interactions with other stressors (Piggott et al., 2015).
Additionally, while most research rightly focuses on Fig. 1: An adult female Australian garden
negative consequences for animals, many species orb-weaving spider (Eriophora
appear to thrive under these conditions, and this has biapicata). These spiders are large and
nocturnal, and are found in a wide range
important implications for ecosystems broadly (Lowry
of natural and anthropogenically
et al., 2013). Little is known about the extent of disturbed habitats across southern
potential fitness benefits for these species or how long Australia. Photo: Nikolas J. Willmott
these benefits are likely to last in the future.
Pesticides are pervasive across a wide range of environments, and they affect many
target and non-target species (Pekár, 2012). Among their many physiological impacts, they can
increase oxidative stress, allowing an interaction with ALAN, which reduces anti-oxidant
capacity (Jones et al., 2015). Additionally, some insects show a circadian rhythm in
susceptibility to pesticides (Yang et al., 2010). Despite this, there has been no experimental
research looking at the interactive effects of ALAN and pesticides on invertebrates. Both of
these pollutants can affect spiders, which are among the most diverse, abundant, and
ecologically important terrestrial predators on the planet. Pesticides can have both lethal and
sublethal effects on spiders, and trace pesticide exposures can increase foraging activity and
growth (Pekár, 2012). In the field, ALAN increases foraging success for some spiders (Willmott
et al., 2019), but chronic exposure to ALAN in the absence of foraging benefits can accelerate
development and reduce adult body size and fecundity (Willmott et al., 2018).
In my PhD, I am investigating the potential for animals to exploit anthropogenic change,

and the balance of costs and benefits associated with this exploitation. I will illustrate this by
looking at the effects of ALAN and the insecticide imidacloprid on development, foraging,
physical performance, and mating in the Australian garden orb-weaving spider (Eriophora
biapicata), which is large, nocturnal, and prevalent in anthropogenically disturbed habitats.
Methods
To understand the scope of exploitation of anthropogenic change, I conducted a literature
review of research showing a benefit of anthropogenic change for animals across taxa and
biomes. In this review, I highlight the benefits, but also describe potential costs, and discuss how
the balance between apparent benefits and costs will affect ecosystems in the future.
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To investigate the impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN) on spiders, I reared orb-
weaving spiders (Eriophora biapicata) from egg to adult under a natural LD cycle or under
chronic ALAN exposure (cool white LED, 20 lux at night), and measured development and
growth rates, mortality, and fecundity. I also conducted field experiments to compare prey
capture rates of spider webs in dark sites or comparable sites experimentally illuminated with
cool white LED lights.
I have also tested the combined effects of ALAN and the neonicotinoid insecticide
imidacloprid on climbing performance in E. biapicata. Climbing performance is an important
trait reflecting spider health and morphology, and is a potential predictor of foraging and mating
success. I exposed spiders to ALAN (as above) for several weeks in the lab, and performed
repeated pesticide exposures, and measured climbing speed before and after each exposure.
Conclusions
Numerous animals can exploit a suite of anthropogenic stressors, and this has important
consequences for the compositions of urban communities, and thus for the health of ecosystems
in an increasingly urbanised world. Artificial light at night (ALAN) and pesticides have a
number of negative impacts on many species, but under certain conditions they have the
potential to benefit species, either directly or indirectly, particularly through shifts in
interspecific interactions. Urban spiders face a wide range of anthropogenic stressors, but many,
at least in the short term, appear to be coping with and thriving under these conditions. While
current evidence suggests that individual stressors can have either positive or negative effects
for these spiders, our understanding of their impacts may change as we investigate interactions
between stressors. Understanding these impacts on spiders will improve our understanding of
ecosystem-level effects of pollutants, better informing future management practices for the
conservation of native invertebrate fauna.
References
Jones, M., Durrant, J., Michaelides, E. B., & Green, M. P. (2015). Melatonin : a possible link between the
presence of artificial light at night and reductions in biological fitness. Philosophical Transactions
of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, 10.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0122
Lowry, H., Lill, A., & Wong, B. B. M. (2013). Behavioural responses of wildlife to urban environments.
Biological Reviews, 88(3), 537–549. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12012
Luck, G. W., & Smallbone, L. (2010). Species diversity in urban landscapes: patterns, drivers and
implications (K. J. Gaston (ed.); 1st ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Pekár, S. (2012). Spiders (Araneae) in the pesticide world: An ecotoxicological review. Pest Management
Science, 68(11), 1438–1446. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.3397
Piggott, J. J., Townsend, C. R., & Matthaei, C. D. (2015). Reconceptualizing synergism and antagonism
among multiple stressors. Ecology and Evolution, 5(7), 1538–1547.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1465
Willmott, N. J., Henneken, J., Elgar, M. A., & Jones, T. M. (2019). Guiding lights: Foraging responses of
juvenile nocturnal orb-web spiders to the presence of artificial light at night. Ethology, 125(5), 289–
297. https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12852
Willmott, N. J., Henneken, J., Selleck, C. J., & Jones, T. M. (2018). Artificial light at night alters life
history in a nocturnal orb-web spider. PeerJ, 2018(10), e5599. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5599
Yang, Y. Y., Liu, Y., Teng, H. J., Sauman, I., Sehnal, F., & Lee, H. J. (2010). Circadian control of
permethrin-resistance in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Journal of Insect Physiology, 56(9), 1219–
1223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2010.03.028
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The light for the value of the night.
Are the basic principles for interior good lighting design not present in the night of our cities?
Theme: Technology and Design
Paulina Villalobos
DIAV / Noche Zero, Santiago, Chile
[email protected]
Introduction
According to Lou Michel there are 7 relevant factors of visual balance such as Lighting
levels, Lighting distribution, Shades, Reflexion, Glare, Colour of light & consideration of Textures
and surfaces to check if a space has good lighting for visual comfort. Those principles are some of
the basic factors considered in a professional lighting design process. If we randomly chose any city
around the world it would not pass the test of visual comfort in lighting, I don't know any city! Most
of them will fail if we test the lighting distribution and the glare control, both linked directly to light
pollution. So why is the public realm not taking in consideration the good quality of life related to
visual comfort for the outdoor lighting?
Figure 1: Standard luminaire graphic

showing the luminous flux
distribution and different types of
light pollution. This graphic was
made for the Ministry of Energy
from Chile, public administration
and politics.
This is a single lighting solution for
the space and not a unit of a good
lighting design project.
by Paulina Villalobos 2018 (Ciluz /

NocheZero for Minergia).
I propose that the absence of “design” in the lighting solutions for the outdoors is the key,
normally the solution for put light would solve the problem of lux required in a surface plane that
probably is for the car only. Also we have to take in consideration that lighting design is a “new”
field and with few exceptions it is still not recognised as a profession yet in most of the countries.
Hence “design the night” could be one of the solutions, not just for light pollution but for the urban
quality in general, because the design process use a different route to achieve a good result, were
creativity, the visual balance, life quality, the respect for the environment, glare and light pollution
free spaces, energy responsible decisions, security and safety are “by default” part of the outcome
of a XXI good lighting design because are part of the basic factors to consider in a design process.
The inclusion of the “design process” in the lighting planning of our cities and new
regulations or guidelines to design the night will help to solve the problem of light pollution and
recover the value of the night, not just for astronomical reasons but also to recover the sky as a
human heritage and natural ecological environment.
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Design for the night
The presentation will show some of the lighting projects I have designed for the night with
my team at DIAV. A park, an interactive square and a façade, a bridge and an art installation.
Through those projects and their different scales the design process will show how the
factors of visual balance and I will introduce the time and the sequence as a new factor to include in
the lighting design for the night.
Fig. 2: Fluvial Park in Santiago. DIAV by M.Cirano Fig. 3: Square of light and art at Artequín Museum.
DIAV by M.Cirano
Fig. 4: Artequin Museum Lighting Façade colour Fig. 5:Malleco Bridge. 800 lighting sources RGA
sequence of 2 minutes. of 8º pointing down and programmed to tell the
story of the construction. DIAV by V. Urra.
References
Lou Michel (1995) Light: The Shape of Space: Designing with Space and Light. Editor: John Wiley
& Sons.
Paulina Villalobos (2016)“Manual de elementos Urbanos Sustentables”. Ministerio de Vivienda y
Urbanismo. Tomo 3. Iluminación.
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Instrument verification and atmospheric phenomena in relation to the NSB time series
P. Fiorentin1*, S. Cavazzani1,2,3*, S. Ortolani2,3, A. Bertolo4, and R. Binotto4

1
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Italy
2
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, Italy
3
INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Italy
4
Regional Environmental Prevention and Protection Agency of Veneto, Padova, Italy
[email protected]
(*) presenting author
Introduction
The long-term trend of the night sky brightness (NSB) in relation to artificial light at night
(ALAN) is very important for the multidisciplinary effects on astronomical observations, biology,
ecology and medicine. Different trends have been shown by Sky Quality Meter (SQM) and camera
networks for different sites, they can present an increase of the readings or a drift to show darker
sky [1-4]. Trends could be influenced by variations of the instruments in the nets, those could be
caused by their ageing. Some ageing effects on the SQM components are here considered by
detailed laboratory analysis, then links with the trends are looked for. An attempt of describing the
causes of the time trends for two sites, Asiago (Italy) and La Silla (Cile), are presented considering
also satellite data. The described algorithm provides these results with the NSB analysis measured
by common SQMs.
Methods and results
The spectral response of some SQM components are obtained during laboratory
measurements; in particular different kinds of external protecting windows and internal IR blocking
filter are considered. Both new and aged components are studied. The analysis shows difficulties in
detecting on protecting windows an ageing effect due to their outdoor use. On the contrary a clear
deterioration of the IR blocking filter appears
when comparing a 9-years-old one versus a new 0,014
one: its transmittance changed more than 30% at 0,012

the shortest visible wavelengths. This decay can 0,01
clearly affect the SQM response (Fig. 1), but the
a.u. ( · )
amount of the variation depends on the spectrum 0,008
of the considered light. 0,006
Figure 1 presents also the distributions of 0,004

the radiation from the night sky in 2018 and
0,002
2020, any function in figure 1 has the area
normalized to unit. The normalization of the 0
380 430 480 530 580 630 680 730 780
radiation means supposing the same total power
Wavelength (nm)
emitted by the sky. Considering at the same time
Fig. 1: SQM spectral response: blue curve
the decay of the SQM and the variation of the
represents a new device, red curve an aged
night sky spectrum, the SQM reading reduces by device. Spectral distribution of radiation from the
0.18mag/arcsec2, showing an increase of the sky night sky for two years: 2018 in yellow, 2020 in
brightness. With the same the spectrum variation green
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a new SQM should show a larger
reduction of the SQM output, about
0,25mag/arcsec2.
The analysis of the decay of the
external protecting windows shows very
small changes, often the variation is
within the dispersion among new
components. In any case the changes do
not explain reduction in sky brightness.
For the analysis of the trend in the two
sites we make use of data provided by the
satellites Aqua/MODIS and NPP/VIIRS
[5-7]. Finally, the VIIRS data provide the
mean monthly magnitude in clear sky
conditions [8]. We compare the NSB time
series in an uncontaminated site and one
contaminated by ALAN: La Silla
(European Southern Observatory) and
Asiago (Ekar observatory) respectively. Fig. 2: Location of the analysed site. The top left panel
We demonstrate the aerosol concentration shows the topographical characteristics of Asiago, the point
detected by the satellite influences the indicates the Ekar observatory, the bottom left panel shows
Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer the average light emission in 2018 for the Asiago area. The
Suite (VIIRS) satellite data and the sky panels on the right show the same characteristics for La Silla
quality meter (SQM) ground observatory.
measurements in opposite ways for the
two sites. The aerosol concentration increase blocks the natural contribution of the night sky
brightness (NSB). The aerosols make the sky darker at an ALAN uncontaminated site, while they
make the sky brighter by diffusing the ground radiation at an ALAN contaminated site.
Conclusions
The analysis of the decay of the considered SQM components can not be the sole
explanation of the long-term trend of the night sky brightness. Aside it was demonstrated the
aerosol concentration can influence both satellite and SQM data. The results suggest going both
ways to find a more complete answer to explain long time series of Night Sky Brightness.
References
[1] Bertolo, A., Binotto, R., Ortolani, S., Sapienza, S., 2019, J. Imaging, 5, 56
[2] Kyba, C.M., et al., 2017, Science advances 3.11: e1701528
[3[ Bará, S., Lima, R. C., Zamorano, J., 2019, Sustainability, 11(11), 3070.
[4] Fiorentin, P., Bertolo, A., Cavazzani, S., Ortolani, S., 2020, JQSRT, 255, 107235
[5] Cavazzani, S., Ortolani, S., Zitelli, V., 2015, MNRAS, 452, 2185
[6] Cavazzani, S., Ortolani, S., Zitelli, V., 2017, MNRAS, 471, 2616
[7] Cavazzani, S., Ortolani, S., Bertolo, A., et al., 2020, MNRAS, 493, 2463
[8] Cavazzani, S., Ortolani, S., Bertolo, A., et al., 2020, MNRAS, 499, 5075
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Light pollution and nocturnal navigation using the lunar polarization pattern in a spider
Rochelle J. Meah,1, * Lauren Sumner-Rooney,2 and Nicholas W. Roberts1

1
University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
2
University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Light pollution conceals and obscures the visual cues

used by nocturnal arthropods for navigation at night.
The lunar polarization pattern, concentric bands of
polarized light formed in the sky when moonlight
enters and scatters in the Earth’s atmosphere, is one
such navigational cue used by many polarization-
sensitive arthropods (Zeil et al. 2014; Warrant & Dacke
2016). Light pollution reduces the availability of this
cue and diminishes its reliability within an animal’s Fig. 1: i) Drassodes cupreus (photo credit:
celestial compass. Research on cue hierarchies, cue- Mike Bok, used with permission), ii)
clashes and cue impairment show that directional Drassodes cupreus on the spherical treadmill
precision is reduced when celestial cues are removed, used to test the effect of light pollution on
substituted, or altered, but little focus has been given to navigation using the lunar polarization
the effects of light pollution on polarization-guided pattern.
navigation in nocturnal arthropods (Wehner, 1997; el Jundi, et al. 2015; Dreyer et al. 2018).
Drassodes cupreus is a central-place forager; unlike web-hunting spiders, this spider leaves and
returns to its nest following foraging bouts. To successfully make its homeward journey, the spider
has a pair of skyward-facing secondary eyes responsible for the detection of the lunar polarization
pattern, which it uses as a compass cue to orientate homeward (Dacke et al. 1991). Light pollution
threatens the availability of this cue as a navigational aide and its impact on nocturnal navigators,
such as Drassodes cupreus, is likely to increase as it spreads geographically and increases locally
(Kyba et al. 2017). To investigate the potential impacts of light pollution on polarization-guided
navigation, we tracked the trajectories of Drassodes cupreus on a spherical treadmill under an
artificially polarized and unpolarized ‘sky’.
Methods
Figure 1 shows Drassodes cupreus magnetically tethered on top of a rotating trackball. This set up
allowed us to track the fictive trajectory of the spider as it walked whilst remaining stationary on the
trackball (Fig.1). Above the spiders was a filter stack arranged such that that one face transmitted
polarized light (degree of polarization=0.67) and the opposite face transmitted unpolarized light
(degree of polarization=0.02). The angle of polarization was fixed and uniform across the diameter
of the filter stack.
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The spiders walked on the trackball for one minute before
being exposed to three stimuli and a control in a pseudo-
random order: 1) 90o rotation of the polarized ‘sky’, 2) 90o
rotation of the unpolarized ‘sky’, 3) flip of the filter stack
from polarized to unpolarized ‘sky’ and a feigned flip of
the filter stack (control). The spiders were filmed
continuously from above and the fictive paths of the
spiders were tracked using FicTrac (Moore et al. 2014).
Several metrics such as mean direction, directedness (r),
speed, distance, and tortuosity of the path were calculated.
Figure 2 shows an example of the walked distance and Fig. 2: An example of the paths of
heading of a spider over time following rotation of the Drassodes cupreus exposed to a 90o
rotation of the polarized (red) and
polarized and unpolarized stimuli. The plotted paths of the
unpolarized (blue) ‘sky’. The black line
spiders were manually scored to compare turning indicates the time of rotation.
responses between stimuli.
Future work
Future investigations using the same experimental assay are planned for 2021 to determine the
detection threshold of Drassodes cupreus, i.e., the lowest degree of polarization required for the
perception of the lunar polarization pattern. This detection threshold, coupled with real-world
measurements of the polarization pattern in differentially light polluted areas, allows us to quantify
what magnitude of light pollution reduces the perceptibility of the lunar polarization pattern below
the detection threshold of Drassodes cupreus and other similar species. Thus, providing evidence of
a behavioural mechanism that is disrupted by light pollution and potentially contributing to the
widespread impacts of artificial light on nocturnal arthropods.
References
Dacke M, Nilsson- D-E, Blest AD, Land MF, O’Carroll DC (1991) Built-in polarizers form part of a
compass organ in spiders. Nature 401: 470-470
Dreyer D, Frost B, Mouritsen H, Gunther A, Green K, Whitehouse M, Johnsen S, Heinze S, Warrant E
(2018) The Earth’s magnetic field and visual landmarks steer migratory flight behaviour in the
nocturnal Australian bogong moth. Current Biology 28: 2160-2166
el Jundi B, Smolka J, Baird E, Byrne MJ, Dacke M (2014) Diurnal dung beetles use the intensity gradient
and the polarization pattern of the sky for orientation. JEB 217: 2422-2429
Kyba CCM, Kuester T, Sanchez de Miguel A, Baugh K, Jechow A, Holker F, Bennie J, Elvidge C.D, Gaston
KJ, Guanter L (2017) Artificially lit surface of Earth at night increasing in radiance and extent.
Science Advances 3(11): e1701528
Moore RJD, Taylor GJ, Paulk AC, Pearson T, van Swinderen B, Srinivasan MV (2014) FicTrac: a
visual method for tracking spherical motion and generating fictive animal paths. Journal of
Neuroscience Methods 225: 106-119
Warrant E, Dacke M (2016) Visual navigation in nocturnal insects. Physiology 31: 182-192
Wehner R (1997) The ant’s celestial compass system: spectral and polarization channels. In: Lehrer, M.,
Orientation and Communication in Arthropods. Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, Switzerland. (ed. M.
Lehrer), pp. 145–185. Basel: Birkhäuser Verlag
Zeil J, Ribi WA, Narendra A (2014) Polarization vision in ants, bees, and wasps. In: Horváth G, 2nd Ed.,
Polarized Light and Polarization Vision in Animal Sciences. Springer Series in Vision Research, vol
2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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When light and timing matters for circadian health
Theme: Health
Rol MA1,2*, Bonmatí-Carrión MA1,2, Madrid JA1,2.

1
Chronobiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, IMIB-Arrixaca,
University of Murcia, Spain.
2
Ciber Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable, 28090 Madrid, Spain
[email protected]
.
*
presenting author
Circadian rhythms and sleep, which are fundamental biological imperatives, are often
challenged by environmental changes, and unhealthy behaviours, including inadequate light
exposure, leading to chronodisruption (CD) or a prolonged impairment of physiological,
behavioural and biochemical rhythms within the organism2. CD constitutes a risk factor for several
life-threatening pathologies. Epidemiological studies show that CD is related to an increased risk
for metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairment, affective disorders, some
cancer types and aging among other disorders. But still specific biomarkers for its “computing” are
missing. This is part of our focus: looking for specific circadian biomarkers for several health
threatening conditions in sensitive populations in order to boost preventive strategies.
Inadequate exposure to light, due to both insufficient daylight and excessive light at night,
seems to be one of the main causes of CD. Light is detected by rods, cones, and also melanopsin-
containing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), that show a sensitivity peak
around 460-480 nm. Thus, acute non-visual light effects on the circadian system, including
melatonin suppression, are stronger when light contains a greater proportion of blue light5.
The development of wearable multisensorized devices (e.g., electronic physiological
records) that allow gathering a huge amount of data in combination with artificial intelligence and
big data analysis may lead to implement new and effective tools to accurately quantify sleep and
circadian disruption (including individual light exposure), both in clinical and nonclinical
environments. This will help to strengthen healthy habits and design successful interventions, while
providing feedback to users according to the recommendations set by the clinicians.
In this sense our group has developed a wrist worn device, Kronowise, and its version for
bedridden patients, Kronobed, together with a software in collaboration with the Artificial
Intelligence Group from the University of Murcia, implemented in the online analysis platform
Kronowizard (https://kronowizard.um.es) that currently stores sleep and chronobiological data from
7500 subjects. Both devices allow us to record total, melanopic and infrared radiation1 together with
skin temperature, motor activity, body position and inferred sleep-wake pattern. All this technology
is ready and provides useful (and huge, since 23 million of data per subject are processed)
information from individual physiology to accurately assess, among others, circadian phase,
chronotypes or chronodisruption 5, 6, 7.
Given that the light-dark cycle is the main synchronizer of circadian rhythms, a part of the
research effort of our group has also focused on the implementation of different types of light that
dynamically modulate the spectrum and intensity of light to adapt it to daylight and nightlight in
order to allow intervention. We have also demonstrated the usefulness of pupillometry for assessing
the activation of ipRGCs as well as the relationship or pupillary light reflex with rhythmic variables
measured with our ambulatory circadian monitoring systems4.
In relation with this topic, our group has demonstrated that light spectrum can be modified
dynamically to entrain the behavioural rhythms in a diurnal species with photopic vision, Octodon
degus when submitted to a 24 h DL:NL (diurnal light:nocturnal light) cycle (with the same
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irradiance for both) while failed to do so in nocturnal rats3, demonstrating the importance of
considering diurnal (and not only nocturnal) animals when extrapolating data on light research to
humans.
References
1. Arguelles-Prieto R, Bonmati-Carrion MA, Rol MA, Madrid JA. (2019) Determining Light Intensity,
Timing and Type of Visible and Circadian Light From an Ambulatory Circadian Monitoring Device.
Front Physiol. Jun 26;10:822.
2. Bonmati-Carrion MA, Arguelles-Prieto R, Martinez-Madrid MJ, Reiter R, Hardeland R, Rol MA, Madrid
JA. (2014) Protecting the melatonin rhythm through circadian healthy light exposure. Int J Mol Sci.
Dec 17;15(12): 23448-500.
3. Bonmati-Carrion MA, Baño-Otalora B, Madrid JA, Rol MA. (2017) Light color importance for circadian
entrainment in a diurnal (Octodon degus) and a nocturnal (Rattus norvegicus) rodent. Sci Rep. Aug
18;7(1):8846.
4. Bonmati-Carrion MA, Hild K, Isherwood C, Sweeney SJ, Revell VL, Skene DJ, et al. (2016). Relationship
between human pupillary light reflex and circadian system status. PLoS One;11(9):e0162476.
5. Bonmati-Carrion MA, Middleton B, Revell V, Skene DJ, Rol MA, Madrid JA (2014). Circadian phase
assessment by ambulatory monitoring in humans: correlation with dim light melatonin onset.
Chronobiol Int. 2014;31(1):37–51.
6. Madrid-Navarro CJ, Sanchez-Galvez R, Martinez-Nicolas A, Marina R, Garcia JA, Madrid JA, Rol MA.
(2015) Disruption of Circadian Rhythms and Delirium, Sleep Impairment and Sepsis in Critically ill
Patients. Potential Therapeutic Implications for Increased Light-Dark Contrast and Melatonin
Therapy in an ICU Environment. Curr Pharm Des. ;21(24):3453-68.
7. Martinez-Nicolas A, Ortiz-Tudela E, Madrid JA, Rol MA. (2011). Crosstalk between environmental light
and internal time in humans. Chronobiol Int. Aug;28(7):617-29.
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Light Pollution in Selected Philippine Metropolitan Areas using Radiance Measurement from
VIIRS
Theme: Society
Ryan Manuel D. Guido,1,* Ernest P. Macalalad,2

1
Center for Astronomy Research and Development Rizal Technological University,
Mandaluyong City, Philippines
2
Department of Physics Mapua University, Manila City, Philippines
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
Based on several studies, light pollution in other countries which shows significant and relevant
detriment towards health (Falchi, et al 2011; Hu, et al 2020), urbanization (Schirmer, et al 2019;
Operti, et al 2018) insects and animals (Falchi, et al 2019). In the Philippines, it is almost not rec-
ognized environmental concern. This study aims to evaluate light pollution using the night-time
light emissions in radiance using the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) over Met-
ropolitan Cebu and Metropolitan Davao, Philippines from 2012-2019. This measurement is com-
pared with some the demographical indexes such as population, population density, regional do-
mestic product growth percentage, number of buildings, and number of residentials.
Methods
This study utilizes satellite imagery data to provide evidence of increasing light pollution radiance
in Metropolitan Cebu (10.3425 N, 123.8411 E) and Metropolitan Davao (7.1426 N, 125.4782
E) Philippines. Satellite data images and radiance data (10-9 W/cm2*sr) from Visible Infrared
Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) at the lightpollutionmap.info to identify the extent of light
pollution radiance in the sites from 2012 -2019. VIIRS data were set at an overlay at 85
transparency level for a hybrid basemap at an altitude of 100 km to cover the least perimeters of the
metropolitan area.
Fig. 1: Light Pollution in Metro Cebu (image credit Jurij Stare, www.lightpollutionmap.info, Earth
Observation Group, NOAA National Geophysical Data Center)
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Fig. 2: Light Pollution in Metro Davao (image credit Jurij Stare, www.lightpollutionmap.info, Earth
Observation Group, NOAA National Geophysical Data Center)
Conclusions
Results clearly shows that light pollution is spreading as time goes from 2012 to 2019. The
expansion expands from Metro Cebu towards its western side of the island. The concentration of
light pollution exists over the Cebu City and Mactan Island, while Metro Davao also extends the
light pollution towards the western side of the region. Concentration happens at the Davao City.
With the demographics of the metropolitan cities applied in this study. It has been found that (i)
employment rate, (ii) regional domestic product growth rate, (iii) number of buildings, (iv) number
of residentials, and (v) population density are all directly correlated to the amount of radiance of
both Metro Cebu and Metro Davao. Despite there is a decrease in population in Metro Davao, the
extent of light pollution still increases in the region.
The extent of light pollution in the metropolis can be a determining factor towards the
demographics used in the study. Satellite images that represent radiance values provide evidences
not only to determine the extent of light pollution but can be used also to determine the
demographics of a metropolitan area. The effects of light pollution towards the environment, health,
urbanization, insects and animals should also consider for further investigation and extend to other
promising regions in the Philippines as there are very limited researches available in the country.
Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the Rizal Technological University - Center for Astronomy Research and
Development (RTU-CARD) under the Science for Change (NICER) Program of the Philippine
Council for Innovation, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-
PCIEERD), and the Research and Development Leadership Program Department of Science and
Technology National Research Council of the Philippines (RD Lead-NRCP).
References
Falchi F, Cinzano P, Elvidge C, Keith D, and Haim A 2011 J. Envi. Mgt. 92 2714–22
Falchi F, Furgoni R, Gallaway T, Rybnikova N, Portnov B, Baugh K, Cinzano P, and Elvidge C
2019 J. Envi. Mgt. 248
Schirmer A, Gallemore C, Liu T, Magle S, DiNello E, Ahmed H, and Gilday T 2019 Sci. Rep. 9
11925
Operti F, Oliveira E, Carmona H, Machado J, and Andrade J 2018 Phys. A 492 1088-96
Hu Z, Hu H, and Huang Y 2018 Envi. Pol. 239 30–42
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Are the "years of peace" over?
Theme: Society
Salvador X. Bará
Facultade de Óptica e Optometría,Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de
Compostela, Galicia (Spain, European Union)
[email protected]
The last two decades have witnessed a profound commotion in the lighting world. After
almost one century of steady development, dating back to the pre-WWII era, the lighting sector was
shaken by the onset of solid-state lighting technologies. The well established practices for outdoor
lighting based on gas-discharge lamps were not directly transferable to the new LED sources, and
this gave rise to some degree of unrest when some early adopters found the new installations
wanting of quality or performance. Three key processes arose or were reinforced in parallel to (and
partly driven by) this technological breakthrough:
(i) a huge transfer of resources from the public budgets to the lighting industry via strongly
subsidized government programmes for outdoor lighting remodelling, as part of the global strategy
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
(ii) the accumulation of a growing body of knowledge about the detrimental effects of
artificial light at night in fields as diverse as ecology, human health, intangible heritage or scientific
research (ALAN_DB, 2021), and
(iii) the emergence of a still weak and often somewhat diffuse, but transversal and highly
distinctive social awareness about issues related to the the quality -and not only the quantity- of
public lighting.
The discomfort experienced by the lighting sector as a consequence of the emergence of

these new stakeholders and new quality requirements has been summarized in a brief but deeply
illustrative editorial piece by P. Boyce (2019).
Contrary to some widespread discourse, the harmful effects of light pollution do not seem to
be solvable by mere technological improvements. Deep social choices are needed to decide which
one of the possible, probably incompatible nights will be part of our lives in the near future. In this
talk the steps that led to the present situation are briefly revisited, exploring some potential future
scenarios, and outlining the main challenges they may pose to the research community.
References
ALAN_DB (2021) Peer reviewed literature about artificial light at night. (last accessed May 21, 2021)
https://www.zotero.org/groups/2913367/alan_db
Boyce, P (2019) Editorial: The years of peace are ending. Lighting Res & Technol 51:1141.
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The relationship between night sky brightness and remote sensing data: Preliminary result
from Luojia-1 and the International Space Station
Shengjie LIU,1,* Chu Wing SO,1 Nok Yan Janet CHANG,1 and Chun Shing Jason PUN1
1
Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Nighttime remote sensing (RS) data has been widely used for environmental, urban and
light pollution studies. Despite its multifaceted applications, the nature of nighttime RS data and its
connection with the ground truth are still under investigation. In this study, based on field
measurements in Hong Kong and Macau from the Globe at Night – Sky Brightness Monitoring
Network (GaN-MN), we analyzed the relationship between the RS data and night sky brightness
(NSB) data measured from the sky quality meters (SQM). Our analysis was based on two sets of
medium-resolution nighttime imagery from the Luojia-1 satellite and the International Space
Station (ISS). One challenge of using RS data to study nighttime emission was that images taken
even within seconds could widely differ in the observed intensities (around 10% in urban areas for
images taken 10 seconds apart), likely caused by different light transmission paths due to changes
in satellite positions. We found good correlations between field measurements and the RS data (R =
0.81 – 0.99 for the RGB channels of the ISS images and R = 0.73 for Luojia-1). We further
analyzed the distribution of light intensities in the RS data based on land use data in Hong Kong.
As expected, around-the-clock facilities such as port and airport recorded the brightest emission,
and commercial areas are in general brighter than the residential areas. Furthermore, we observed
different characteristics of lighting from different applications, such as the dependence colours on
land use: the redder emission from airport and port facilities and bluer emission from commercial
districts.
This study is supported by the University of Hong Kong Knowledge Exchange Fund granted
by the University Grants Committee, and the Environment and Conservation Fund of The
Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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ARTIFICIAL LIGHT AT NIGHT (ALAN) DISTRUPTS SLEEP BEHAVIOR IN ZEBRA
FINCHES
Stan Moaraf 1, 2, *, Inon Scharf 1, Abraham Hefetz 1, Anat Barnea 2

1
School of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6997801, Israel
2
Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra’anana
43710, Israel
[email protected]
* presenting author
The introduction of artificial light at night

(ALAN) from various sources (e.g., street,
domestic, or industrial sources) disrupts the daily
cycle of light, has vast biological impacts on all
organisms, from the molecular to the ecosystem
levels, and is associated with physical and mental
health problems. In birds, ALAN affects various
behavioral patterns, such as song and sleep
(Dominoni et al., 2013), causes birds to be active
earlier in the morning, and increases their
reproduction (Raap et al., 2016). However, not
much is known yet about the overall effect of
ALAN on sleep behavior in birds.
We recently showed that ALAN affects

brain plasticity in birds (zebra finches; Taeniopygia
guttata) by increasing cell proliferation and recruit- Fig 1: Movement during the night (seconds ±
ment of new neurons in some brain regions (Moaraf SE) in control and ALAN 5 lux groups (N = 8
et al., 2020a,b). One of these regions is the medial birds / group) after 6 weeks of either dark
striatum (MSt), which is a part of the avian basal nights or ALAN exposure. Each symbol
ganglia and receives input from regions involved in represents a feeding event of an individual
somatosensory and motor function (Wild, 1993; bird. The two groups differed significantly (F
Veenman et al., 1995, Kuenzel et al., 2011). This (1,16) = 9.33 P = 0.0058).
finding led us to suggest that the modifications in the MSt are induced by changes in the birds' sleep-
ing behavior, assuming that ALAN causes the birds to be more awake and active during the nights.
Accordingly, in the current study we investigated this question by examining the nocturnal activity
of birds under ALAN.
To do this, we monitored the sleeping behavior of two groups of adult zebra finches that were
kept under 14:10 L:D indoor isolated rooms, under controlled conditions. During the first three
weeks, birds in the Control and ALAN groups were exposed to complete dark nights. Then, for
additional six weeks, the Control group remained under dark nights, while the ALAN group was
exposed to nightlight of 5 lux intensity. We chose 5 lux because we already found that nocturnal
exposure to this intensity affects brain plasticity (Moaraf et al., 2020a,b), and because it is
ecologically relevant (e.g., it is comparable to light intensities during the night in urban areas). We
recorded the nocturnal activity of birds with a motion detection infrared camera at three time points:
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1) at the end of the first three weeks of dark nights; 2) at the end of the first three weeks of ALAN
exposure; and 3) at the end of the six weeks of ALAN exposure. We also recorded feeding events
during the nights and monitored body mass every 10 days.
We found that the birds showed little locomotion activity during the dark nights, and that this
activity was more obvious during the first hour after dark. However, under ALAN conditions, the
birds increased their locomotor activity throughout the night, and this activity was more obvious
during the first hour after dark and then before lights were turned on (Fig. 1). Moreover, nocturnal
locomotion intensified with the duration of ALAN exposure (three vs. six weeks), indicating a chronic
effect. In addition, birds in the Control group did not eat during dark nights, while under ALAN the
birds were observed to eat several times during the night. Finally, chronic exposure to ALAN
significantly increased body mass by 6%. Taken together, our study adds to the growing body of
evidence of the ill-effects of ALAN on the behavior and physiology of birds.
References
Dominoni, D., Quetting, M., & Partecke, J. (2013). Artificial light at night advances avian
reproductive physiology. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 280, 20123017.
Kuenzel, W. J., Medina, L., Csillag, A., Perkel, D. J., & Reiner, A. (2011). The avian subpallium: new
insights into structural and functional subdivisions occupying the lateral subpallial wall and
their embryological origins. Brain Research, 1424, 67-101.
Moaraf, S., Vistoropsky, Y., Pozner, T., Heiblum, R., Okuliarová, M., Zeman, M., & Barnea, A.
(2020a). Artificial light at night affects brain plasticity and melatonin in birds. Neuroscience
Letters, 716, 134639
Moaraf, S., Heiblum, R., Vistoropsky, Y., Okuliarová, M., Zeman, M., & Barnea, A. (2020b).
Artificial light at night increases recruitment of new neurons and differentially affects various
brain regions in female zebra finches. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21, 6140.
Raap, T., Pinxten, R., & Eens, M. (2016). Artificial light at night disrupts sleep in female great tits
(Parus major) during the nestling period, and is followed by a sleep rebound. Environmental
Pollution, 215, 125-134.
Veenman, C. L., Wild, J. M., & Reiner, A. (1995). Organization of the avian “corticostriatal”
projection system: a retrograde and anterograde pathway tracing study in pigeons. Journal of
Comparative Neurology, 354, 87-126.
Wild, J. M. (1993). Descending projections of the songbird nucleus robustus archistriatalis. Journal
of Comparative Neurology, 338, 225-241.
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Sky Quality Meter vs. ‘Reality’ -
Investigating the true effectiveness of SQMs during lighting conversions in Vienna
S. Wallner,1,2* J. Puschnig3, F. Binder,1 and M. Kocifaj2,4

1
Institut für Astrophysik, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
2
ICA, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
3
Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
4
Department of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Come-
nius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Due to being low-priced and providing data in a satisfactorily accurate precision, the Sky
Quality Meter (SQM) is the most used device for characterizing the impact of artificial light at night
on the sky brightness. Since they enable the possibility of working remotely, such instruments are
used globally to create monitoring networks and create long-term studies. However, past studies
have shown that compared to known photometric bands, the spectral response suffers due to being
insensible in higher wavelengths while also at shorter wavelengths outcomes can be influenced
significantly. Considering the global trend of converting outdated (street) lighting systems to state-
of-the art LEDs, observations done by SQMs are impacted in such way that comparisons of various
lighting technologies are nearly impossible and values could be interpreted incorrectly.
Additionally, not only the emission of light sources play a major role, since also the instruments
themselves show aging effects, which exerts influence on long-term studies in particular.
Consequently, readings from SQMs need to be characterized in further detail to take a closer look
on the true effectiveness of these devices.
While past studies quantified this problem by mostly modeling approaches solely, we
present a work which bases on a comparison between in-situ observations and simulations for the
city of Vienna, Austria. It was chosen due to the fact that the local urban management provides one
of the most detailed listings of used outdoor lighting types. Such information enables the most
effective way of modeling near-realistic condition of the city emission function, especially its
spectral composition. Since 2017, Vienna changed a third of all existing street lightings to 4000K
LEDs which concludes the initial tranche of conversions. On the basis of continuous spectral
measurements of Vienna’s night sky performed over the past years, it is possible to include accurate
spectra as observed into the city model.
The model itself will be evaluated in different approaches, e.g., by varying the thresholds of
wavelength ranges to the visible or beyond, and by including the spectral sensitivity and monitored
aging effects of SQM devices. The aim is to characterize, what amount of light is truly detected by
the instrument, particularly before and after the LED conversion. In order to compare simulated
results to real-life conditions, data of SQMs located in and outside of Vienna will be evaluated.
Results of this work shall specifically be used for long-term studies of Sky Quality Meter
observations, especially to increase the accuracy when comparing data before and after LED
conversions.
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References
Puschnig J, Posch T, Uttenthaler S (2014) Night sky photometry and spectroscopy performed at the Vienna
University Observatory. J Quant. Spec. Rad. Transfer 139:64-75
Puschnig J, Näslund M, Schwope A, Wallner S (2021) Correcting Sky Quality Meter measurements for
aging effects using twilight as calibrator. Mon Not R Astron Soc (in press)
Sánchez de Miguel A, Aubé M, Zamorano J, Kocifaj M, Roby J, Tapia C (2017) Sky Quality Meter
measurements in a colour-changing world. Mon Not R Astron Soc 467(3):2966-2979
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Economic motivation study of dark sky astrotourism in Thailand
Theme: Society
Sze-leung Cheung,1,* Surachai Tuamsomboon 1, Jessada Keeratibharat,1

1
National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thailand
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Astrotourism is very new and a growing idea in Thailand through the promotion of the
National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, and Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Economic impact of COVID has helped to escalate the idea of having astrotourism to drive
domestic travels and therefore bring in economic benefits to the country. Thailand has also recently
launched a national dark sky places scheme to promote dark sky awareness, in addition to the
astrotourism idea.
This is a qualitative study to understand the economic factors that are associated with 2
proposers who make decision to apply for dark sky places, mainly for astrotourism purposes. One
from a hotel point of view, another one from a community point of view.
The study will understand the traffic, operation costs, investment costs, revenues and also
difficulties they faced during the process.
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Light Touch: A Design Strategy for Responsible Urban Park Lighting
Taylor Stone1,*
1
Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
[email protected]
*
presenting author
This presentation will introduce an ongoing research and design project focused on innovative and
responsible (sub)urban park lighting. The project, currently in the research and planning stage, is a
collaboration between the author and lighting design firm Atelier LEK (www.atelierlek.nl/), with
contributions from Delft University of Technology students and in close collaboration with local
stakeholders. The presentation will primarily focus on the methods of analysis and outcomes from
the first phase of the project. Further, the case offers a secondary contribution via outlining the
challenges and successes of a transdisciplinary ALAN research project in practice (see Pérez Vega
et al. 2021).
The Delftse Hout park – largely designed from reclaimed farmland in the 1970s – is a multi-
functional space in Delft, The Netherlands. It includes green areas, walking and cycling trails,
sports fields, restaurants, and a camp ground (fig. 1a). In the decades since its creation, tens of
thousands of homes have been built in surrounding neighborhoods, putting increasing pressure on
the park’s services and paths. As a further consequence, cycling paths through the park have
become commuter routes (fig. 1b). Currently there is minimal artificial lighting in the Delftse Hout,
and local stakeholders have identified public lighting as a priority for improving safety and
wayfinding. However, it has also been recognized that any future lighting installations should
preserve the dark spaces of the park (fig. 1c). As a park within an increasingly urbanized region, the
need to maintain the green (and dark) spaces of the park and the social and ecological services they
provide is crucial. The identified goals for the Delftse Hout thus present a challenge, and possible
conflicts between competing values. Yet, it also offers an opportunity to envision solutions that can
satisfy supposedly competing goals. We thus set out with following research question: can the
innovative use of new lighting techniques, as well as a careful consideration of when and where
illumination is truly needed in the park, allow us to create a space that is accessible but also
preserves (or even enhances) the darkness of Delftse Hout?
Towards this goal, we initiated an interdisciplinary research approach aimed at establishing

innovative design and policy strategies for urban park lighting. First, the theory and method of
design for values (Stone 2018; van den Hoven et al. 2015) was utilized to investigate the underlying
values that both artificial illumination and darkness offer for the space. The practical manifestation
of these values (and value conflicts) were then examined via in-depth site analysis of the programs
and routes, existing lighting, and ecological services (fig. 1), as well as the insights of key
stakeholders. The result was a report articulating a light touch approach, arguing for strategic and
restrained lighting, as well as the preservation of a central dark habitat (Stone & Atelier LEK
2020). The proposed light touch design strategies focus on creating a unique atmosphere within the
park, and include:
 Nature-inclusive lighting: the development of dynamic lighting that is responsive and adaptive
to users, changing ambient conditions, and daily/seasonal local ecological needs. Combined, we
see this as offering the potential to improve social safety and wayfinding, keep (ecological) light
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pollution at a minimum, and create a novel aesthetic experience for park visitors.
 Nightscape revitalization: one area of particular concern is two highway underpasses
connecting the city center and the park, which currently serve as both a physical and perceptual
barrier. Taking inspiration from the planning strategies of urban acupuncture (Lerner 2014;
Stone 2021) and creative placemaking (Meagher 2020), we have proposed an art installation to
initiate a process of urban renewal – improving social safety with minimal artificial lighting.
 Regional light pollution ordinance: the Delftse Hout is situated in one of the brightest regions
in Europe, due largely to greenhouses in the surrounding region. By striving for the
International Dark-Sky Association’s Urban Night Sky Place certification
(www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/unsp/), our hope is to use the park to draw
attention to the region’s light pollution problem. In doing so, it can ideally serve as a catalyst for
regional action to curb light pollution.
To conclude, the presentation will reflect on how the proposed concepts, as well as the research
methodology developed for the Delftse Hout, could serve as generalizable approaches to (sub)urban
park lighting.
a. b. c.
Fig. 1: site analysis of the Delftse Hout park in Delft, The Netherlands, identifying a) the distinct programs
and uses within the park; b) cycling routes (red), vehicle routes (yellow), and parking lots (blue), and; c) the
existing dark spaces of the park overlaid with the foraging sites of different bat species.
References
Lerner J (2014) Urban Acupuncture: Celebrating Pinpricks of Change that Enrich City Life. Island Press.
Meagher S (2020) How might creative placemaking lead to more just cities? In Meagher S, et al. (eds) The
Routeledge Handbook of Philosophy of the City. Routledge
Pérez Vega C, Zielinska-Dabkowska KM, Hölker F (2021) Urban lighting research transdisciplinary
framework—a collaborative process with lighting professionals. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health,
18(2), 624
Stone T (2018) The value of darkness: a moral framework for urban nighttime lighting. Sci Eng Ethics,
24(2): 607-628
Stone T (2021) Towards a darker future? Designing environmental values into the next generation of
streetlights. In Nagenborg M, et al. (eds) Technology and the City: Towards a Philosophy of Urban
Technologies. Springer
Stone T, Atelier LEK (2020) Light Touch: A Guiding Vision for the Delftse Hout at Night. White paper
van den Hoven J, Vermaas PE, van de Poel I, editors (2015) Handbook of Ethics, Values, and Technological
Design. Springer
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The impact of the night sky brightness on the water quality indicators in the Dobczyce
Reservoir, Poland
Tomasz Ściężor1,*
1
Cracow University of Technology, Kraków, Poland
[email protected]
*
presenting author
The Dobczyce Reservoir is the main source of the

water supply of Krakow. In 2014-2016 the research of the
changes of the water quality indicators was done at the
three levels of this reservoir in parallel with measurements
of the night sky brightness. This study verifies the thesis
on the correlation of these indicators, particularly the
concentration of chlorophyll a in the surface layer of the
reservoir, with the brightness of the night sky. The analysis
of the weekly internal reports of the Municipal Water and
Sewage Company SA in Krakow led to notice of a clear
monthly periodicity of the concentration of several Fig. 1: The concentration of chlorophyll a
biological indicators, such as chlorophyll a, phosphates, vs. night sky brightness in the Level I of
phosphorus and phyto- and zooplankton. It seems that the Dobczyce Reservoir during the
moonlight is the only periodic external factor with a growing season of 2014 (numbers
similar period, possibly affecting the value of these indicate month).
indicators. In the same three-year period were done the
continuous measurements of the night sky brightness above the reservoir. It turned out that
illuminance of the reservoir surface by the Moon is comparable to the one by artificial skyglow, one
of the aspects of light pollution. Analysis of the problem showed the clear linear correlation
between the monthly averaged brightness of the night sky and the content of chlorophyll a in the
water during the growing season. It was suggested that the brightness of the night sky is one of the
factors affecting the water quality, so far not taken into consideration.
Brightening of the night sky is connected both to the Moon, as well as to the artificial
skyglow, derived from faulty constructed light sources. This means that the correct lighting of the
water intake areas can reduce the eutrophication of reservoirs and, in perspective, can also reduce
the cost of water treatment.
References
Jung, J, Hojnowski C, Jenkins H, et al. (2004) Diel vertical migration of zooplankton in Lake
Baikal and its relationship to body size. [in:] Ecosystems and Natural Resources of
Mountain Regions. Proceedings of the first international symposium on Lake Baikal: The
current state of the surface and underground hydrosphere in mountainous areas, eds.
Smirnov AI, Izmest’eva LR, Nauka, Novosibirsk: 131–140.
Moore MV, Pierce SM, Walsh HM, Kvalvik SK, Lim JD (2000) Urban light pollution alters
the diel vertical migration of Daphnia, Verhandlungen des Internationalen Verein
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Limnologie, 27: 1–4
Ściężor T (2019) Light pollution as an environmental hazard. Technical Transactions 116: 129-142
153
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The deregulation of glucose metabolism after exposure to dim light at night in rats
Theme: Health
Valentina S. Rumanova,1,* Monika Okuliarova,1 and Michal Zeman1

1 Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius Uni-
versity, Bratislava, Slovakia
[email protected]
* presenting author
Introduction
The light-dark (LD) cycle is an important environmental cue synchronizing the central clock
of the circadian system located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus with prevalent
environmental conditions. The molecular machinery generating circadian oscillations is based on
the transcription-translational feedback loop consisting of positive (CLOCK and BMAL1) and
negative (PER and CRY) elements, which inhibit the activity of CLOCK:BMAL1 complex, hence
they inhibit their own expression. The LD cycle is recognized as a very stable signal, which is
weakened only in modern age. During the day, people working in offices are exposed to much
lower illuminance in comparison to sunlight and after the sunset they are exposed to artificial light
at night (ALAN). The level of light pollution has been increasing dramatically over last decades
(Falchi et al., 2016) and recent studies suggest, that it can have negative consequences on human
health (Fleury et al., 2020). Among them deleterious effects on metabolic diseases are frequently
stated. Indeed, experimental studies show impaired glucose tolerance and glucose levels in rodents
(Dauchy et al., 2015; Russart et al., 2019) exposed to dim light at night. We have found higher
insulin levels and decreased expression of glut4 in spontaneously hypertensive rats that are insulin
resistant, implying further deterioration of their metabolic health (Rumanova et al., 2019). Another
our study in healthy Wistar rats showed increased hepatic glut2 expression after dimALAN
exposure (Okuliarova et al., 2020). Most of those studies are based on two-point studies sampling
of experimental animals during the daytime and night-time. Because of possible shifts of measured
rhythms, as a consequence of ALAN, the assessment of complete 24-hour profiles is needed.
Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in daily rhythms of glucose and genes
involved in the control of glucose metabolism after dimALAN exposure. Glucose entering the liver
via GLUT2 needs to be phosphorylated by glucokinase (GCK) to be processed in glycolysis,
glycogenesis, or pentose pathway. The molecular clock has an important role in the regulation of
glucose metabolism. Cryptochrome (CRY) proteins inhibit gluconeogenesis via the inhibition of
FOXO1, the important gluconeogenetic transcription factor. Moreover, the CRY cascade can be
inhibited by sirtuin 7 (SIRT7) in the liver depending on the body temperature (Liu et al., 2019).
Methods
Adult male Wistar rats were exposed either to the standard lighting regimen 12L:12D
(CTRL) or the dimALAN (~2 lx) during the whole dark phase for 2 weeks. Samples were collected
every 4 hours throughout the 24-h period, with sampling starting at ZT6. Plasma glucose levels and
hepatic glycogen concentration were measured by spectrophotometry using diagnostic kits. The
hepatic expression of glut2, gck and foxo1 were assessed by real-time PCR. The western blot
method was used to measure the protein expression of SIRT7 in the liver.
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Results
All the measured parameters in the control group were rhythmically expressed with peaks
during the night (active phase) when nocturnal rats predominantly consume their food. Plasma
glucose levels in the dimALAN group lost their daily variation and the amplitude of hepatic
glycogen concentration was lower compared to controls due to higher concentration at the
beginning of the active phase. The rhythm of glut2 expression was phase advanced after the 2
weeks of dimALAN exposure. Glucokinase gene expression in experimental rats was higher in the
middle of the light phase and the beginning of the dark phase in comparison to the control group.
Expression of gluconeogenetic transcription factor FOXO1 also lost its rhythmicity after dimALAN
exposure and protein levels of SIRT7 were increased in the middle of the dark phase.
Conclusions
In conclusion, changes in expression of glut2 and gck after exposure to dimALAN can
reflect higher uptake and processing of glucose in the liver resulting in the increased hepatic
glycogen concentration during the active phase. Despite the higher expression of gluconeogenetic
factor foxo1 during the resting period and SIRT7 in the middle of the active phase, we did not
observe an increase in glucose levels. The lost rhythmicity of plasma glucose and foxo1 expression
in the liver, as well as phase advance of glut2 could be caused by changes in food intake in
experimental animals, which was observed in rodents after dimALAN exposure (Fonken et al.,
2010; Stenvers et al., 2016). In conclusion, the observed circadian deregulation of glucose
metabolism after the exposure to dim light at night could be a possible risk factor for the
development of “civilization diseases”, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency APVV-17-0178 and VEGA 1/0492/19.
References
Dauchy, R. T., Wren, M. A., Dauchy, E. M., Hoffman, A. E., Hanifin, J. P., Warfield, B., . . . Mao, L. (2015).
The influence of red light exposure at night on circadian metabolism and physiology in Sprague–
Dawley rats. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 54(1), 40-50.
Falchi, F., Cinzano, P., Duriscoe, D., Kyba, C. C., Elvidge, C. D., Baugh, K., . . . Furgoni, R. (2016). The
new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness. Sci Adv, 2(6), e1600377.
Fleury, G., Masís‐Vargas, A., & Kalsbeek, A. (2020). Metabolic implications of exposure to light at night:
Lessons from animal and human studies. Obesity, 28, S18-S28.
Fonken, L. K., Workman, J. L., Walton, J. C., Weil, Z. M., Morris, J. S., Haim, A., & Nelson, R. J. (2010).
Light at night increases body mass by shifting the time of food intake. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA,
107(43), 18664-18669.
Liu, Z., Qian, M., Tang, X., Hu, W., Sun, S., Li, G., . . . Sun, J. (2019). SIRT7 couples light-driven body
temperature cues to hepatic circadian phase coherence and gluconeogenesis. Nat Metab, 1(11), 1141-
1156.
Okuliarova, M., Rumanova, V. S., Stebelova, K., & Zeman, M. (2020). Dim Light at Night Disturbs
Molecular Pathways of Lipid Metabolism. Int J Mol Sci, 21(18), 6919.
Rumanova, V. S., Okuliarova, M., Molcan, L., Sutovska, H., & Zeman, M. (2019). Consequences of low-
intensity light at night on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in spontaneously hypertensive
rats. Can J Physiol Pharmacol, 97(9), 863-871.
Russart, K. L., Chbeir, S. A., Nelson, R. J., & Magalang, U. J. (2019). Light at night exacerbates metabolic
dysfunction in a polygenic mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Life sciences, 231, 116574.
Stenvers, D. J., Van Dorp, R., Foppen, E., Mendoza, J., Opperhuizen, A.-L., Fliers, E., . . . Deboer, T. (2016).
Dim light at night disturbs the daily sleep-wake cycle in the rat. Sci Rep, 6, 35662.
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ALAN 2021
Neutrophil response to lipopolysaccharide under dim light at night in rats
Theme: Health
Viera Jerigova,1,* Michal Zeman,1 and Monika Okuliarova1

1
Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in
Bratislava, Slovakia
[email protected]
*
presenting author
Introduction
An exposure to artificial light at night is an increasing phenomenon during last decades.

Appropriately timed light information is essential for alignment of environmental cycles and
endogenous circadian rhythms. In our previous studies, we showed negative consequences of low-
intensity artificial light at night (ALAN) on cardiovascular as well as metabolic parameters
(Rumanova el al., 2019; Okuliarova et al., 2020). Moreover, we reported that ALAN can weaken
circadian control of daily variation of main leukocyte subsets in the circulation and affect immune
and redox homeostasis in the kidney (Okuliarova et al., 2021).
In rodents, leukocytes (Le) and their major subpopulations peak in the circulation at the
beginning of the light phase and reach a trough at the beginning of the dark (active) phase (Pick et
al., 2019). Leukocyte oscillations play an important role in the control of immune functions and
contribute to the time-of-day-dependent immune responses. It is generally known that organisms
display higher susceptibility to immune challenge at the transition point between their rest and
active phase as compared to other times of the day (Halberg et al., 1960; Marpegan et al., 2009).
Neutrophils (Ne) are key components of the innate immune system and major first-line mediators of
anti-microbial defense. For example, in process of respiratory burst Ne produce high quantities of
reactive oxygen species (ROS) to eliminate pathogen.
In our study, we investigated whether ALAN can affect time-of-day-dependent immune
response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats. We focused on Ne and analyzed the functional activity
of blood Ne, the numbers of Ne in the circulation as well as Ne infiltration into the renal cortex.
Methods
Male Wistar rats were housed either under control light/dark (LD) cycle of 12:12h or
exposed to low-intensity ALAN (L ~150 lux, D ~2 lux). After 2 weeks of ALAN, animals were i.p.
treated either with sterile saline or LPS (1 mg/kg) at the beginning of the passive (ZT2) or active
(ZT14) phase, respectively. Zeitgeber time (ZT) zero is defined as the beginning of the light phase.
Blood was collected from a lateral tail vein 24 hours post-LPS challenge and total Le count as well
as the number and functional activity of Ne were analyzed using flow cytometry. Eight days after
first LPS challenge animals were i.p. treated with the second LPS injection. Three hours later
animals were sacrificed and kidneys were used for immunofluorescence analyzes. The Ne
infiltration in the renal cortex was evaluated as the number of myeloperoxidase (MPO)-positive
cells.
Results
The daily variation with higher levels at ZT2 than ZT14 was observed in both the circulating
156
ALAN 2021
numbers of total Le and Ne in control animals, while two-week ALAN exposure eliminated this
variation. The number of total Le decreased after LPS injection at ZT2 and conversely increased
after the stimulation at ZT14. Animals exposed to ALAN did not respond to LPS stimulation by
changed number of total blood Le. As expected, LPS treatment led to significant neutrophilia and
increased ROS production in Ne in both control and ALAN-exposed rats. Interestingly, LPS
stimulation at ZT2 primed respiratory burst of Ne in ALAN group but no priming effect of LPS was
detected in controls. Moreover, ALAN-exposed rats showed higher MPO-positive cell counts in the
kidney than controls at ZT2, and LPS challenge promoted Ne infiltration in the renal cortex in both
control and experimental animals. Rats exhibited lower Ne infiltration in response to LPS
stimulation at ZT14 compared to ZT2.
Conclusions
Our results demonstrated that two-week ALAN exposure affected daily variation of blood
Ne, and promoted Ne recruitment into the renal cortex during the passive phase. Peripheral
neutrophilia and renal Ne infiltration in response to LPS challenge was not affected by ALAN but
LPS stimulation at ZT2 primed respiratory burst of Ne in ALAN rats, indicating a risk of excessive
inflammatory response in tissues. Together, our data suggest that ALAN can interfere with timing of
innate immune mechanisms and chronodisrupted immune response can represent an important link
between light pollution and human health.
Study was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency APVV-17-0178,
VEGA 1/0492/19 and Grant of Comenius University UK/192/2020.
References
Halberg F, Johnson EA, Brown BW, Bittner JJ (1960) Susceptibility rhythm. Proc Soc Ex Biol Med 103:
142–144.
Marpegan L, Leona MJ, Katz ME, Sobrero PM, Bekinstein TA, Golombek DA (2009) Diurnal variation in
endotoxin-induced mortality in mice: correlation with proinflammatory factors. Chronobiol Int 26:
1430-1442
Pick R, He W, Chen CS, Scheiermann C (2019) Time-of-day-dependent trafficking and function of leukocyte
subsets. Trends Immunol 40: 524–537
Okuliarova M, Rumanova VS, Stebelova K, Zeman M (2020) Dim light at night disturbs molecular
pathways of lipid metabolism. Int J Mol Sci 21(18): 6919
Okuliarova M, Mazgutova N, Majzunova M, Rumanova VS, Zeman M (2021) Dim light at night impairs
daily variation of circulating immune cells and renal immune homeostasis. Front Immunol 11:
614960
Rumanova VS, Okuliarova M, Molcan L, Sutovska H, Zeman M (2019) Consequences of low-intensity light
at night on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Can J
Physiol Pharmacol 97: 863-871
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ALAN 2021
Mapping the risk of the degradation of sky quality and the potential biological effects at dark
sky places and protected area
Zoltán Kolláth1,*, Kornél Kolláth,1,2 Dénes Száz,3 Flóra Siska,3 Alexandra Pusztai-Eredics,3
Andrea Pozsgai,3 and József Vanyó1
1
2
3
[email protected]
*
presenting author
The increasing level of ALAN, especially the blue-rich lighting in the neighbourhood of the
protected area, increases the risk of degradation of biodiversity and sky quality. We developed a
method for fitting radiation transfer models to ground-based and satellite measurements. The model
can then be used to predict the level of skyglow, especially the strong light domes of the strong
emitters for different weather and atmospheric conditions.
Fig. 1: Weighted emission map representing the contribution to the artificial

sky brightness at the Zselic Starry Sky Park. The colour bar is on a logarithmic
scale in relative units. Normal atmospheric conditions. The axes are labelled
with the GPS coordinates.
We measured the spectrum of the dominant sources' light domes by a spectroradiometer and
then used these data in the radiation transfer evaluation independently for all significant sources. It
is also possible to use different light emission intensity distribution functions for each settlement or
other light sources. The sky radiance modelling is based on a Monte Carlo radiation transfer code
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ALAN 2021
that does not limit the scattering and reflection events. The model results can be calculated for
different spectral action functions; thus, it is possible to calculate risk maps for various species of
other applications.
There are several possible applications of our maps, for example:
• predicting the effect of planned lighting installations,
• predict the variability of risks or sky quality conditions for different weather or atmospheric
conditions,
• SWOT analysis based on real conditions and trends.
Fig. 2: Curve of growth: the contribution of sources to zenith brightness as a function of distance.
Relative units normalized to the maximum in the set.
As a side product, it is also possible to calculate a "curve of growth", a representation of how

the actual radiance of the sky builds up as more and more sources are included with increasing
distance. Figure 2 displays the curve of growth for two different locations and atmospheric optical
depth. At the Zselic site, the primary source is Kaposvár, a neighbouring city. It is responsible for
the growth at 16-20 km, which provides 40-60% of the sky radiance. The next significant step in the
curve is another city at a distance of 45 km. There is no large city in the adjacent region; thus, the
curve is flatter.
We plan to use or method mapping all the Hungarian national parks and major protected areas to
provide a wavelength, weather, and atmospheric condition-dependent data for research in biology,
nature conservation, and landscape planning.
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ALAN 2021

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ALAN 2021

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT AT NIGHT

Booklet editor: Yiğit Öner Altıntaş, GFZ Potsdam

Copyright notice: The cover image is licensed under a Creative Commons

Dear ALAN participants,

# own pace or as part of a watch party.

As this is our �irst experience hosting a conference in such an environment, there

2 The future of ALAN depends on the continued participation of speakers and

1 contribution to this electronic conference. Hopefully, it will be possible to hold a

Dr. Constantinos A. Bouroussis

Mr. Roberto Corradini

Ms. Bettymaya Foott

Dr. Dietrich Henckel

L Dr. Franz Hölker

N Planetario de Pamplona -NICDO, Spain

Dr. Christopher Kyba (chair)

0 Dr. Martin Morgan-Taylor

2 Dr. Salvador J. Ribas

Dr. Johanne Roby

Dr. Eva Schernhammer

Dr. Sibylle Schroer

ALAN Conference http://arti�iciallightatnight.org/

LPTMM Conference http://lptmm.org/

Consortium for Dark Sky Studies http://darkskystudies.org/

A LPResearch mailing list https://groups.io/g/LPResearch

L ALAN Research database https://www.zotero.org/groups/alan_db

VIIRS DNB data download

Find astronaut photographs http://citiesatnight.org/

Viewing/accessing Globe at Night data http://www.myskyatnight.com/

Sunrise/sunset calculator https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/

Moonrise/moonset calculator https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/

Reasons for the failure of light pollution prevention legislation in Slovenia 1

A Multispectral sky quality survey in the Hungarian national parks

Outcomes from the Dark & Quiet Skies Workshop Reports 43

# Elizabeth Rehbein, Riley D. Logan, Kurt M. Fristrup and Joseph A. Shaw

A Computing light pollution indicators

L Living the Pyrenean night

A Arti�icial Light at Night (ALAN)

2 SkyMeAPP: a citizen science project to study light pollution

Contrasting effects of street-light shapes and LED color temperatures on nocturnal 85

2 Leading the Natural Night Skies Stewardship and Science in the US

N Light Pollution in Selected Philippine Metropolitan Areas using Radiance Measurement

2 Are the "years of peace" over?

1 Stefan Wallner, Johannes Puschnig, Franz Binder and Miroslav Kocifaj

Theme: Technology & Design

Based on extensive knowledge of light

Challenges of light pollution prevention in Slovenia

Theme: Measurement & Modelling

Theme: Measurement & Modeling

Alexandre Simoneau1*, and Martin Aubé1,2

In the present work, we propose a set of

Theme: Measurement & Modeling

A. Simoneau2, M. Aubé1,2,3, J. Leblanc1*, R. Boucher4, J. Roby1 and F. Lacharité1

Theme: Measurement & Modeling

A. Pereira,1 J. Escofet,2,* and M. Tàpias2

In more epidemiological studies[1], multi-channel wristband devices attached to patients allow

Figure 2: Process of Engagement with Outer Space in Scotland

Theme: Measurement & Modeling

A. Farkouh,1,* A. Dufour,1 M. Aubé,1,2 C. Marseille,2 A. Simoneau,2 and J. Roby1

Increased exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN)