7-rad
2019-2024
7 Rad - Atlas of the Dutch Noctucide is an exploration into the Dutch systemic and systematic eradication of the night sky
In 2020 my partner and I moved back to Amsterdam after 6 years abroad having lived in much larger cities. Going out in the winter months I realized for the first time, the Dutch sky is never really dark. Even compared to mega cities such as New York and Sao Paolo, Amsterdam’s skies where brighter than those cities. Was this just my perception?
After diving into satellite data of the NASA/NOAA VIIRS mission, I confirmed that the Netherlands has the highest amounts of artificial light at night (ALAN) of any place in the world. It also has the highest average ALAN of any OECD countries. Measured in radiance (rad), the satellite measured a peak pollution of 10.500 rad close to a village in the center of the Netherlands1. The average in the Netherlands is 7 rad. ALAN has proven to affect the circadian rhythm and amounts of melatonin in the human body. Changes in melatonin have been linked to increase risks for cancer.
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