AcrossChina:ScientiststackleurbanlightpollutionusingsatelliteSDGSAT-1_GuangmingOnlineBEIJING,Feb.12(Xinhua)--ChinesescientistshaveturnedtotheearthsciencesatelliteSDGSAT-1asatooltomanagetheimpactofmodernilluminationsourcesontheurbanenvironment.Thestudy,conductedbyscientistsfromtheAerospaceInformationResearchInstitute(AIR)oftheChineseAcademyofSciences(CAS),waspublishedrecentlyintheInternationalJournalofDigitalEarth.Accordingtothestudy,theconstantneedfordecarbonizationhasledtothereplacementofartificiallightatnight(ALAN)withlight-emittingdiodes(LEDs),inducingbluelightpollutionanditsassociatedadverseeffects.Asaresult,thereisanurgentneedtodevelopatechniqueforrapid,accurate,andlarge-scalediscriminationofvariousilluminationsources.ThescientistsbelievethatthesatelliteSDGSAT-1canplaythisrolebysupplementingtheexistingnighttimelightdatawithmultispectralandhigh-resolutionfeatures.ThescientistsusedBeijingasanexample,andfoundthattheirapproachishighlyeffectiveindistinguishingthevarioustypesoflightsources,boastinganoverallaccuracyof92percentforALANand95percentforstreetlights.TheanalysisoftheSDGSAT-1imagesrevealedclearanddistinctilluminationpatterns,whichshowedspatialheterogeneityinALANalongBeijing's5thRingRoad,providingvaluableinformationabouthowlightpollutionvariesacrossdifferenturbanareas.Inaddition,thescientistsdiscoveredstatisticallysignificantdisparitiesacrosstheroadclassesandthetypesofstreetlights,illustratingtheinfluenceofurbanplanningandinfrastructureontheprevalsenceofspecificlightingtechnologies."ThisworkemphasizesthecrucialroleofSDGSAT-1inanalyzingALAN,providingvaluableinsightsinurbanlightingmanagement,"saidthestudy.LaunchedintospaceonNov.5,2021,thesatelliteSDGSAT-1istheworld'sfirstspacesciencesatellitededicatedtoservingtheU.N.2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.Thesatelliteisdesignedtoprovidespaceobservationdataforthemonitoring,evalsuationandstudyofinteractionsbetweenhumans,natureandsustainabledevelopment,accordingtoitsdeveloper,theChineseAcademyofSciences.LastSeptember,SDGSAT-1capturedtheworld'sfirstatlasofurbannighttimelightremote-sensingdata,providingsupportfortheresearchonurbansustainabledevelopment.Theatlascontains10-meterresolutionnighttimelightdatafrom147citiesin105countriesaroundtheworld.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.