Calculation and Variation of Light Pollution in Indian State-UP

Abstract

Light pollution in India is one of the greatest concerns. It went unchecked and unnoticed for a large amount of time, and slowly and steadily it has crept into the most uninhabited of the places. Now the night skies are full of the artificial light and devoid of the natural starlight. The growing light pollution heavily affects the observational aspects of astronomy, the growth pattern of flora and fauna, and perceivably the health issues in humans. This study highlights some of the perceived causes of LP in India and describes a method of calculating Light Pollution Index (LPI), a quantitative parameter to measure the light pollution of a city or town. As an instance LPI for ten major cities of Uttar Pradesh has been documented, and analysis can be carried in a similar way for all the cities/towns. The light pollution maps have been taken from Google.