Analysis of Light Pollution of the Night Sky in Toruń (Poland)

Light pollution is one of the types of environmental pollution. The sky illuminated by the excessive light emission is an inherent element of the modern world. This phenomenon has been known for over a century, but research has been carried out only for several decades. Analysis of the brightness of the sky was made for Toruń (Poland) and neighboring areas. The main aim of the study was to study the distribution of brightness of the sky over a medium-sized city. The basic research method was a direct measurement of brightness made with the SQM photometer. The conducted research was carried out throughout the calendar year on 24 measurement stations located in Toruń. Measurement stations represented various types of buildings occurring in every city. On the basis of the obtained data, a map was made showing the extent of light pollution and its intensity, as well as the spatial distribution of this phenomenon. The brightness of the sky was also examined in terms of astronomical and weather conditions. Each aspect is documented in tabular and visual form.