What's Dimming Vancouver's Night Sky?

Metro Vancouver is Losing its view of stars in the night sky. Here's why

Author: Elana Shepert

Date published: May 16, 2025

How fast will Vancouver BC lose its view of stars at night? - North Shore News

Skyline from Cypress Mountain with no stars in sight

The fast increase of pollution in Metro Vancouver is making it near impossible to see the natural beauty of the night sky. The number one culprit is the mass urban development taking place in the lower mainland, meaning "people living in Canada's big cities can no longer see 95 percent of the stars", making these cities lose their sparkle.  The pollution is masking the whole sky covering all the stars that used to be visible. This is an on-going issue that's just getting worse every year, with global brightness also increasing at a rapid rate. Recent light technology including blue-spectrum LED lighting has raised concerns, while being super affective, has been flagged for light pollution. Some individuals are taking action by joining advocacy groups and have started using better lighting options. If no one takes initiative for change, we will lose complete sight of the night sky and just barely spot the brightest planets.  

This topic made me realize how much humans are ruining the environment. Ever since I was little, I loved looking up at the stars above, but now I'm worried that they won't be visible again. Most importantly, it's sad knowing that specific lights were created to be more efficient but turned out to have a negative impact on the world around us. I hope our night sky isn't a "lost cause", so if we want to clear it up then we all need to make some changes. If enough people become aware of this important topic, then change could be in our near future.