July 2026: Cosmovision!, Light Pollution News

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This Episode:

It’s Light Pollution News, my friends! This episode, we have an important study on mosquitoes you won’t want to miss! And we also have an important study on eye damage and light; you won’t want to miss that one either! And since we’re being all sciency, what does the science say about our understanding of ‘awe’?

Back with me this episode are the Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District’s Michael Calhoun; Astronomer extraordinaire, Amy Oliver; and outreach/side walk astronomer and Dark Sky Discovery Center’s Ted Blank. Settle in, this is going to be a good one!

Host:

Guests:

Amy Oliver

Amy C. Oliver, FRAS, is Public Affairs Officer and head of the Science Center at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory— a part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and SkyNights Presenter at University of Arizona’s Mount Lemmon SkyCenter. As an informal science educator and communicator, Amy works to bridge gaps in access to science learning opportunities for emerging and future scientists. She is Principal scientific investigator on Dark SkyNet— a cross-border light pollution monitoring network— and Project GLOWworm, which found unexpected glowworms above 8,000 ft. in Southern Arizona. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Master of Science from University of Oklahoma, and DEI certification from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Amy was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2021, currently serves as the chair of the Tucson/Pima County Outdoor Lighting Code Committee, was a 2024 TEDx speaker, and was recently named one of the 25 most influential people in the global lighting industry for her work in bridging gaps between conservation and infrastructure.

Michael Calhoun

Michael Calhoun is an environmental activist from Vernonia, Oregon. He has worked on a number of conservation projects ranging from tree preservation to trail advocacy. Michael is currently Board Chair of the Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District. Michael is a past recipient of the Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Award from the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Ted Blank

Ted Blank has been a NASA Solar System Ambassador since 2010, communicating the science and excitement of NASA’s space exploration missions and discoveries to people in his community, on cruise ships, and at the Grand Canyon Star Party. He is a past President of the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and a sought-after speaker, enjoying sharing his knowledge on any topic related to astronomy and the solar system. Ted bought his first telescope in 2007 and still frequently sets it up on the sidewalk to share the views with the public. He was co-leader of the 2017 Great American Eclipse expedition to Nebraska and helped lead a similar expedition to Mazatlan, Mexico, for the total solar eclipse in April, 2024. Ted is a retired IT professional, having spent more than 35 years as a performance analyst with IBM and Oracle. He currently lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona, with his wife Peggy.

Full Article List:

1. Pope warns main threat common to religion and science is denial of objective truth, Victoria Cardiel, EWTN News.
2. For the first time in human history, most people live under skies they cannot see — and the psychological consequence of having lost the night sky has barely begun to be measured., Kiran Athar, Space Daily.
3. Chile’s Atacama Desert is one of the darkest places on Earth. But now the light is intruding, Richard Fisher, BBC.
4. Awe in nature fosters science identity and belonging inparticipatory scientists during an eclipse, People and Nature.
5. When city lights turn blue: Spectral ALAN exposure, LED lighting, and diabetes prevalence using SDGSAT-1, Environmental Pollution.
6. Psychosocial responses to outdoor artificial light at night (ALAN): a scoping review, Frontiers in Psychology.
7. Association of high-intensity evening light exposure with risk of incident age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and glaucoma: a prospective cohort study of 82,826 participants, GeroScience.
8. The Unexpected Math Behind Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, Natalya St. Clair, Open Culture.
9. The Ocean To Release New Album “Solaris” In September; Streams New Video “Light Pollution”, Ollie Hynes (aka Diamond Oz), Metalunderground.com.

Light Pollution News: July Highlights

Pope Leo XIV Addresses Light Pollution in Statement at Vatican Observatory Foundation

Pope Leo XIV delivered remarks at the Vatican Observatory Foundation stressing astronomy’s role in awakening “admiration and a healthy sense of proportion,” and warned that light pollution threatens this gift. Drawing on a paraphrase of Pope Benedict, the Pope lamented that “we have filled our skies with artificial light that blinds us to the lights God has placed in them” This continues a growing current of dark sky awareness in religious communities that has previously included pieces such as “Light Pollution as Antichrist.”

People and Nature Study Finds Solar Eclipse Awe Deepens Science Identity and Belonging

A spring 2026 paper published in People and Nature by the British Ecological Society studied 528 participants aged 8 to 80 observing the 2024 solar eclipse. Those in the path of totality reported significantly higher awe, and participants who documented changes in animal behavior during the eclipse showed an enhanced sense of science identity and belonging, reinforcing earlier findings linking low light pollution to wonder from a 2024 Scientific Reports study and a 2018 Journal of Environmental Psychology study.

Atacama Desert Dark Sky Protections Under Pressure as Industry Growth and Outdated Regulations Create New Risks

Chile’s Atacama Desert, home to facilities including the Very Large Telescope, faces growing skyglow as a 1979 rule permitting light near observatories up to 10% above natural background levels proves inadequate for the sensitivity of modern instruments. The International Astronomical Union is calling for the standard to be tightened to 1% above natural background levels, measured at 45 degrees above the horizon, as the region navigates a burgeoning clash between astronomical science and industrial development.

GeroScience Study Links High Evening Light Exposure to 31% Higher Odds of Macular Degeneration and 47% Higher Odds of Glaucoma

A study in GeroScience using data from 82,826 UK Biobank participants found that those in the top 10% of evening light exposure faced 31% higher odds of macular degeneration, 18% higher odds of cataracts, and 47% higher odds of primary open-angle glaucoma compared to those in the bottom half of the exposure range. Each additional hour above 2,250 lux was associated with a 10% increase in overall eye disease risk, with authors noting their wrist-sensor methodology likely pushed hazard ratios toward the conservative side.

Frontiers in Psychology Scoping Review of 75 Studies Finds Major Structural Gaps in ALAN Psychological Research

A review published in Frontiers in Psychology synthesized 75 studies on how people psychologically and socially respond to outdoor artificial light at night, finding that not a single study applied a formal theoretical framework to its analysis. While the literature shows people generally feel safer under artificial light — with feelings of safety plateauing around 5–10 lux compared to a standard LED streetlight’s 15–30 lux — deeper behavioral drivers such as values, norms, and behavior constraints remain almost entirely unstudied, and the authors conclude that lighting reduction policies must address psychological dimensions alongside technical ones.

Environmental Pollution Study Finds Blue Light Exposure Linked to 61% Higher Odds of Diabetes in Urban Residents

Research in Environmental Pollution analyzed 3,903 urban adults using satellite imagery capable of separating nighttime light into red, green, and blue wavelengths, finding that a ten-fold increase in overall brightness corresponded to an 18% higher odds of diabetes. The association was far stronger for color than brightness: those with the highest blue light exposure had 61% higher odds of diabetes than those in the lowest exposure group, with the effect most pronounced in neighborhoods dominated by white LEDs versus older sodium lamps.

Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” Captures Atmospheric Turbulence That Aligns With How the Human Brain Processes Light

A TED-Ed exploration of Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” highlights that the painting’s circular star motions reflect real atmospheric turbulence visible to the naked eye as starlight dances and distorts due to air movement. The video notes that Van Gogh’s depiction aligns with how the human brain naturally processes light contrast and motion separately from color.

Metal Band The Ocean Releases Nine-Minute Song “Light Pollution” Exploring Technology, Surveillance, and Loss of Darkness

The band The Ocean released a song titled “Light Pollution” described in its press release as exploring the pitfalls of 21st-century technology and humanity’s obsession with simulated reality, with the theme that constant visibility has erased both darkness and privacy. The track is a mellow, nine-minute metal composition, marking the third light pollution-themed song featured on the show.

Light Pollution News: July Read Along

I tried to get Brother Guy Consolmagno on the show, and I thought I was making headway, but unfortunately, he is not able to come on. And I really was hoping to have him on because there’s a trickling current of dark sky awareness in religious circles. I’ve had articles on a pastor in Michigan who had his new exterior lighting programmed so that he could turn off the lights and have some folks of the congregation out to watch the northern lights by campfire. There was that piece ‘Light Pollution as Antichrist’ that we talked about a year back.

Well, Pope Leo XIV delivered a statement at the Vatican Observatory Foundation whereby he waxed modestly on the topic of light pollution. The Pope, and I think this is pertinent to today’s discussion, stressed the role of astronomy in what he called the “awakening in us both admiration and a healthy sense of proportion.”

The Pope then said that the “heavens invite us to view our fears and failures in the light of God’s immensity,” though “this gift is today threatened by light pollution.” Pope Leo then lamented a paraphrasing of Pope Benedict, stating that “we have filled our skies with artificial light that blinds us to the lights God has placed in them.”

I’d like to start things off today with wonder. In the past, we discussed on the show a 2024 study in Scientific Reports that found a correlation between low levels of light pollution and a deep sense of wonder. Before that was a 2018 study from the Journal of Environmental Psychology that found a correlation between sky brightness and decreased moods when using a virtual reality assimilation of national parks’ nighttime skies. And just this Spring, a new paper out of People and Nature from the British Ecological Society found that awe truly inspires.

The team looked at 528 participants between the ages of 8 and 80 to observe the 2024 solar eclipse. Those who were on the path of totality noted, unsurprisingly, significantly higher levels of awe than those not on the path of totality. As did those who recorded documented changes in animal behavior during that time, regardless of whether they were in the path of totality or not. The team found that moments of awe paired with scientific observations opened people up to an enhanced sense of science identity and belonging.

The issue of light pollution doesn’t stop in Australia, but it also affects another place that’s been the last bastion of terrestrial based astronomy, the Atacama Desert. And now, on the face of it, there appears to be a burgeoning clash between science and industry. Now, many of you recall the AES Andes project that attempted to install a hydrogen green energy megaplant within 7 miles (11 km) of the Very Large Telescope. Thankfully, better minds prevailed.

However, that’s not the end of the story. Apparently, though, there’s some growing glow on the horizon. And it stems from how the region has traditionally dealt with light pollution. There is a 1979 rule allowing for light near observatories provided that it does not exceed 10% above natural background levels, measured at 45 degrees above the horizon. As it turns out, this rule was apparently, by the author’s admission, “arbitrary” and has created a problem for the dramatically more sensitive equipment of the modern era. In response, organizations like the International Astronomical Union are calling for a lowering of that threshold to 1% above the natural background levels.

We have some health news this episode!

I’ll start off with this one from the journal GeroScience…yes there’s an actual journal named GeroScience, I’m not making this up. A team asked the question, does high-intensity evening light exposure correlate to age-related eye diseases. They had 82,826 UK Biobank participants wear a light sensor on the wrist for seven consecutive days sometime between 2013 and 2015. The team tracked new cases of macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma over a median follow-up of around 8 years. Folks in the top 10% of evening light exposure, namely those regularly exposed to light above roughly 1,000 lux between 8 PM and 11:30 PM, showed 31% higher odds of macular degeneration, 18% higher odds of cataracts, and 47% higher odds of primary open-angle glaucoma, versus those in the bottom half of the study’s evening light exposure range.

Interestingly, they also found that each additional hour above 2,250 lux linked to a 10% bump in overall eye disease risk. Authors note that the seven day exposure run may not reflect long-term habits, and that the sensor was worn on the wrist rather than near the eye, both of which they believe probably pushed the hazard ratios toward the conservative side.

I saw this review in Frontiers in Psychology. The authors mapped and synthesized 75 published studies to assess how folks psychologically and socially respond to outdoor artificial light at night. The team assessed perceptions, emotions, attitudes, and behaviors, organizing the data through established environmental psychology frameworks. These are frameworks used in testing that identify what helped to shape individuals’ behaviors toward environmental issues.

As far as findings go, apparently not a single one of the 75 included studies applied a formal theoretical framework to its analysis. This is something the authors note as being a limiting factor in explaining the ‘why’ of how individuals respond to ALAN. 60% of research has been published since 2020 alone, so there’s some recency bias, and there were no studies that looked at those barriers that might stop someone from acting on their lighting preferences.

On what the literature does show, folks generally feel safer and more comfortable under artificial light, not much of a shock there. Feelings of safety generally plateaued around 5 to 10 lux. To put that in context, the standard LED streetlight is somewhere between 15 and 30 lux. And citizens broadly support lighting reductions for environmental reasons but weren’t a fan of changes that feel unsafe or disrupt daily routines…again, I think we all knew that already.

I think the most discerning point of this review, however, is a structural gap in the data. Which is that research is overwhelmingly focused on immediate perceptions and emotions, while the deeper factors, such as values, norms, and behavior constraints, remain almost entirely unstudied. This too was pretty important – the team noted that lighting reduction policies can’t be treated as purely technical decisions. Public acceptance must address psychological dimensions.

A study out of Environmental Pollution assessed whether the spectral makeup of outdoor nighttime light correlates with diabetes rates among urban residents. Using satellite imagery capable of separating light into red, green, and blue wavelengths, researchers looked at 3,903 adults across multiple cities. They mapped their residential exposure to artificial light at night.

The results found that a ten-fold jump in overall light brightness corresponded to an 18% increase in the odds of getting diabetes. But what really stood out wasn’t brightness; it was color. Among those with the highest blue light exposure, odds of diabetes were 61% higher compared to those in the lowest blue light exposure group. The association was notably stronger in neighborhoods dominated by white LEDs than in those still running older sodium lamps.

The team also relied on satellite readings of outdoor light rather than personal exposure measurements, so what individuals actually experience indoors at night was not accounted for. That said, for you at home, blue light’s impacts on circadian rhythms already have a pretty sizable body of evidence at this point. You can add this one to that.

What about this, we’ve all seen ‘Starry Night’ by Vincent Van Gogh. There was a TED-ed on this very painting, attempting to convey the math behind the art. We’re going to forgo the math because it’s not nearly as relevant as the points that lead up to that part.

I bet you guys did not know this. At the very least, I did not know this! The TED-ex asserts that the circular motions of the stars are eddies and waves in the starlight from the turbulence of the night sky, which for anyone who’s ever looked up at night with a pair of binoculars would clearly see, obviously not to the exaggerated degree of what we see in the painting, but you’d see it nonetheless through the twinkle of the stars. Zoom in even farther with, say, my 12” telescope, and the star loses its shape as the light dances around on the edge of the star, sometimes exaggerating its own appearance.

The video goes on to mention that Van Gogh’s interpretation of atmospheric turbulence lines up with what our brains do naturally. Our brains process light contrast and motion separate from color, as presented in the wobble like appearance of ‘Starry Night.’

There’s another reference to light pollution in popular culture this month, mark this as our third themed song. From the group ‘The Ocean’, they released a song ‘Light Pollution’ that, per its press release, explores the familiar metal theme of ‘the pitfalls of 21^st century technology and humanity’s growing obsession with simulated reality.’ It goes on to say, ‘Everything is constantly visible; we’ve lost the darkness to hide in, and with the relentless glare of communication, we’ve also lost our privacy.’

The song itself is a mellow nine minute metal tune, with periodic thrashing of guitars and yelling voices.