light pollution

American  

noun

1. unwanted or harmful light, as from bright street lights or neon signs.

2. Astronomy. artificial illumination of the sky that sets a limit on the faintness of stars that can be observed or photographed.

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light pollution British  

noun

1. the glow from street and domestic lighting that obscures the night sky and hinders the observation of faint stars

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Etymology

Origin of light pollution

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

light pollution

The glow worm population is thought to be at risk nationally from loss of habitat, climate change and light pollution.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The light pollution created by constellations of very bright satellites is not just a problem for astronomers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

He said he used to dream of stars when he was in prison but he rarely got a good view of them because of the light pollution from floodlights at HMP Frankland.

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

In 2020, Longcore worked with Salt Lake City to develop a streetlighting plan that brought warmer colors and less light pollution, and he’s working on a similar plan for Austin, Texas.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026

New York City has too much light pollution.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon