Artificial Lights On Other Planets

Astronomers observe Earth's city lights from space

Light pollution, a byproduct of urban development, has far-reaching effects

New research allows astronomers to observe city lights on other planets

Astronomers have observed Earth's city lights from space for decades, but a new study has found that starlight pollution, which is caused by the artificial lighting of cities, can have far-reaching effects.

The study, which was published in the journal Nature Astronomy, found that starlight pollution can actually be seen from other planets. This means that astronomers could potentially use starlight pollution to study the development of cities on other planets.

"This is a new way to look at the development of cities on other planets," said Terry Oswalt, lead author of the study. "We can now see the light pollution from cities on other planets, which gives us a new way to track their growth."

The study used data from the Hubble Space Telescope to observe starlight pollution from cities on Earth. The researchers found that the amount of starlight pollution increased over time, as cities grew and developed.

The researchers also found that starlight pollution can have a negative impact on the ability of astronomers to observe other planets. This is because starlight pollution can make it difficult to see faint objects, such as planets.

"Starlight pollution is a major problem for astronomers," said Oswalt. "It makes it difficult to see faint objects, such as planets. This new research shows that starlight pollution is a problem that is only going to get worse in the future."