Celestial compass obscured by urban light pollution for some nocturnal animals
Thursday, October 27, 2011 - 19:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Urban light pollution has been shown to reduce the visibility of not only the stars, but also of an important navigational signal for some nocturnal animals. During clear moonlit nights, a compass-like pattern of polarized light that is invisible to the human eye stretches across the sky. The nighttime skyglow over major cities renders this celestial compass unobservable over large areas, according to a new study.