Science Snapshots: April 12, 2026

Night time lights are not just getting brighter

New data challenge the traditional view that nightlights are becoming brighter everywhere. Based on satellite data from 2014 to 2022 of artificial nightlight, researchers found a nightscape both brightening and dimming. While global brightening, mainly due to urban expansion and rural electrification, increased radiance by 34% from 2014, dimming due to energy-saving policies, using LEDs, and conflicts offset nearly half of that growth. They concluded that both brightening and dimming have intensified over the last decade.