Light Pollution in Dhaka: Analysing Selected Neighbourhood Trends and Their Effects on Urban Stargazing

This study looks into the rise of light pollution in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a particular emphasis on its impact on urban stargazing. As urbanisation spreads throughout the capital, artificial lighting from residential, commercial, and industrial sources has substantially impacted the night sky, reducing visibility and obstructing astronomical observation. The study analyses four neighbourhoods: Gulshan, Bashundhara, Uttara, and Jatrabari, with differing degrees of urban development. The study takes a quantitative approach, combining satellite-based light pollution data (from lightpollution.info) with actual survey responses from local inhabitants on night sky visibility and artificial lighting perception.



Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the levels of perceived light pollution and stargazing difficulty. Comparative analysis was performed to investigate the association between urbanisation level and measured brightness. Jatrabari, which has lower infrastructural density and socioeconomic development, served as a comparison control for more developed zones.



This study emphasises the critical necessity for light pollution mitigation techniques in Dhaka's urban design, including governmental interventions addressing outdoor lighting controls. The paper contributes to the expanding worldwide discussion about sustainable urban development by providing localised evidence for the environmental implications of excessive artificial illumination.