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ALAN Conference Series

ALAN 6 will take place from 16-18.06.2020 in Lleida, Spain.

Night Sky Data to the People!

A new website presents citizen science data

Touring Exhibition

Our touring exhibition with 15 posters can be borrowed for events!

'Loss of the Night' App

The 'Loss of the Night' app measures sky brightness! Take part in a world-wide citizen science project that measures star visibility and light pollution. The app is free!

City Night Time Lapse

This growing collection of time lapse videos of nights in urban centres provides insights how city lights change throughout the course of the night

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Socioeconomy

Activities throughout the night
The "loss of the night" results from the extension of economical and social activities - initiated by man – into the night by using artificial light. Examples include late-night shopping, round-the-clock public transportation, shift work and an attractive night-life. Being liberated from the natural day/night rhythm comes at a price, however.

Costs of artificial lighting

The direct costs include the costs for installation and energy to produce light and brightness. The lighting produces almost one fourth of the total energy production including the corresponding effects on environment. The indirect costs like insomnia and the resulting medical problems, environmental damages and so on, slowly are being considered to when planning lighting systems. Changing current practices and the policies relating to artificial light demands sound knowledge about the emergence and the development of the existing lighting systems, about symbolic values, strategic interests and institutional rules which underpin them.