Nature. 2026 Apr;652(8109):379-386. doi: 10.1038/s41586-026-10260-w. Epub 2026 Apr 8.
ABSTRACT
Artificial light at night (ALAN) marks the global impact of humanity1,2. Yet, our understanding of its true ebb and flow has been limited, often based on temporally aggregated satellite data that obscure finer dynamics. Here, using daily night-time satellite imagery3 and a continuous change detection approach4,5, we created global maps of high-frequency ALAN dynamics (2014-2022). Our findings challenge the prevailing perspective that changes in light radiance are largely gradual and unidirectional. Instead, the nightlights of Earth are surprisingly dynamic, characterized by frequent and coexisting brightening and dimming. On average, each location experiencing change underwent 6.6 distinct shifts over the 9 years. Driven by this volatility, the cumulative area of total ALAN change comprised 2.05 million km2 of abrupt changes and 19.04 million km2 of gradual changes. Brightening contributed a radiance increase equivalent to 34% of the 2014 global baseline, whereas dimming offset this by 18%. Notably, both brightening and dimming have markedly intensified over the past decade. This evidence of increasing volatility in human night-time activity provides an important dynamic dimension for understanding urban evolution, energy transitions, policy impacts and ecological consequences of rapidly changing illuminated nights.
PMID:41951967 | DOI:10.1038/s41586-026-10260-w
