Light Pollution Atlas 2006
Attention: a new 2022 Atlas is now available!
Welcome to a later version of the World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness! I've re-calculated Pierantonio Cinzano's original atlas using more recent satellite data from 2006. The global coverage is also expanded from the original atlas (e.g. Hawaii, Alaska, and northern Canada and Siberia are now included).
View Atlas in OpenStreetMap
The maps have a new expanded color scale.
The Maps:
The full resolution world map is very hard to view due to its size. Therefore I also have a medium resolution world map and full resolution continent-scale maps that may be easier to use. A map showing the domain of the 6 continent-scale maps is below. There are two versions of each map: one with borders and coastlines and the other with nothing except light pollution. The resolution of most maps is 1/120 degrees. The medium resolution world maps are 1/40 degrees. I've used an "expanded color scale" for all maps.
No Coastlines or Borders |
White Coastlines and Borders |
Domain (degrees) |
|---|---|---|
65S to 75N, 180W to 180E |
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7N to 75N, 180W to 51W |
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57S to 14N, 93W to 33W |
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34N to 75N, 32W to 70E |
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36S to 38N, 26W to 64E |
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5N to 75N, 60E to 180E |
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48S to 8N, 94E to 180E |
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65S to 75N, 180W to 180E |
For more information contact:
David Lorenz
dlorenz@wisc.edu