The night sky brightness of Gozo

Abstract

The aim of this project was to carry out Night Sky Brightness measurements in Gozo, with a view to comparing with data collected between 2017 and 2018. Current studies have shown that light pollution is on the increase. This has adversely affected the night sky and carries implications for ecology and human health. This study assessed the situation in Gozo, and from the collected data it emerges that while some areas exhibit a decrease in night sky brightness, there are still major increases in 33.3% of the island. In addition to island-wide measurements, further data at higher resolution were collected at the site of Dwejra, a designated Dark Sky Heritage Area (DSHA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) of International Importance, and Natura 2000 site.