Scientists have warned that people’s ability to see the universe in the night sky may disappear within 20 years due to light pollution, and suggested changing the colors of lighting around the world, noting that the absence of some colors from lighting may cause health problems.
The British “Guardian” quoted the Royal British astronomer, Martin Rees, as saying, “The sky at night is part of our environment and it would be a great disadvantage if the next generation could never see it,” reports Al-Rai daily.
In the past few years, the issue of light pollution has rapidly worsened, according to the scientific website WION. And in 2016, astronomers reported that the Milky Way was no longer visible to nearly a third of Earth’s population.
Scientists reported that light pollution lights up the night sky at a rate of about 10 percent annually. According to the site, a child born in a place where 250 stars can currently be seen in the night sky will be able to see only 100 stars by the time he reaches the age of 18.
The scientists suggest making some changes to the lighting, including protecting the external lights and directing them downward, reducing the brightness of the lights, and making sure that they are not mostly blue or white but have red and orange components.
Professor Robert Fosbury, of the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London, said the bluish emissions of LEDs completely lack any red or near-infrared light.
“We have become starved of red and infrared light and this has serious implications. When reddish light shines on our bodies, it triggers mechanisms including those that break down high blood sugar levels or boost melatonin production.”
“Since the introduction of fluorescent lighting and later LEDs, that part of the spectrum has been removed from artificial light, and I think it plays a role in the waves of obesity and rising cases of diabetes that we see today,” he said.
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