NASA Study on World Lights at Night

May 15, 2026, 15:36
ChinaScience

Introduction

NASA used satellites to look at lights on Earth from 2014 to 2022.

Main Body

The world has more light now. Total light went up by 34 percent. But some places have less light than before. China and India have more light because their cities are growing. In the US, the West Coast has more light. The East Coast has less light because they use new LED bulbs. Europe has less light. France and the UK used less energy. In 2022, Europe had very little light because of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Conclusion

The study shows that some places get brighter and some places get darker.

Learning

πŸ’‘ Opposites in the World

Look at how the text describes change. To move from A1 to A2, you need to show contrast.

The Magic Pairs:

  • More β†’\rightarrow Less
  • Brighter β†’\rightarrow Darker

How it works in the story:

  1. China has more light.
  2. Europe has less light.
  3. Some places get brighter.
  4. Some places get darker.

Quick Rule: Use More/Less for amounts (light, energy). Use Brighter/Darker for how things look (colors, lights).

Vocabulary Learning

study
a detailed examination or investigation
Example:The study looked at how many lights were on the earth.
lights
bright objects that give light
Example:Many lights are turned on at night.
world
the earth or all of humanity
Example:The world is getting brighter at night.
satellites
objects that orbit the earth
Example:Satellites help scientists see the earth from space.
look
to direct one's eyes toward something
Example:They look at the lights from their satellites.
earth
the planet we live on
Example:The earth is covered in many cities.
percent
a part out of one hundred
Example:Light increased by thirty-four percent.
places
locations or areas
Example:Some places have more light than others.
cities
large towns with many people
Example:Cities grow and use more light.
growing
becoming larger or more
Example:Cities are growing quickly.
coast
the edge of a land next to the sea
Example:The West Coast has more light.
bulbs
light sources that use electricity
Example:LED bulbs use less energy.
energy
power that makes things work
Example:The UK used less energy.
war
a conflict between countries
Example:The war stopped many lights.
between
in the space separating two things
Example:The war was between Russia and Ukraine.
brighter
giving more light
Example:Some places get brighter at night.
darker
giving less light
Example:Other places get darker.