A method to describe light pollution and results from Poland 1994-2008

Tomasz Ściężor
Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of the Environmental Engineering, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, Poland, sciezor@vistula.pk.edu.pl

Marek Kubala
Cracow University of Technology, Faculty of the Environmental Engineering, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, Poland, qmq@vistula.pk.edu.pl

Tadeusz Zbigniew Dworak
AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Mining Surveying and Environmental Engineering, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland, dworak@agh.edu.pl

Wiesław Kaszowski
Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Cracow Branch, Piotra Borowego 14, 30-215 Krakow, Poland, zikaszow@cyf-kr.edu.pl

Abstract

This paper describes artificial night sky glow, known as "light pollution", which has recently become appreciable in Poland. The history of the problem, causes of the "light pollution", its types and effects to the environment are described. A new, innovative, simple, inexpensive, and accessible method of quantifying "light pollution" based on the dim comets observations is presented. An assessment of accuracy of the method was done and the first results were presented for Poland during the period 1994-2008.