# The propagation of light pollution in the atmosphere

**Authors:** Pierantonio Cinzano, Fabio Falchi  
**arXiv:** [1209.2031](https://arxiv.org/abs/1209.2031)  
**Date:** 2012-09-10  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/arxiv-id/1209.2031v1/

## Key points

- Study focuses on computation of artificial night sky brightness and stellar visibility
- Uses Extended Garstang Models (EGM) and LPTRAN software package
- Existing methods based on Garstang models, which use simplified ray-tracing approach
- EGM offers more general numerical solution for radiative transfer problem in atmosphere
- LPTRAN applies EGM to high-resolution satellite measurements and digital elevation data
- Predicts artificial brightness distribution worldwide at any visible wavelength
- Considers various atmospheric situations and factors such as multiple scattering, aerosols, cloud layers, gas absorption, and ground surface reflectance
- Users can customize inputs like boundary layer aerosols and tropospheric aerosols
- Advanced approach to mapping light pollution propagation in the atmosphere
- Contributes to understanding impact of light pollution on stellar visibility

## Summary

This study focuses on the computation of artificial night sky brightness and stellar visibility across large territories using the Extended Garstang Models (EGM) and LPTRAN software package. The existing methods for mapping these factors are based on Garstang models, which use a simplified ray-tracing approach to solve the radiative transfer problem in the atmosphere. However, EGM offers a more general numerical solution for this problem. The authors also present LPTRAN, which applies EGM to high-resolution satellite measurements and digital elevation data to predict artificial brightness distribution worldwide at any visible wavelength. It considers various atmospheric situations and factors such as multiple scattering, aerosols, cloud layers, gas absorption, and ground surface reflectance. Additionally, users can customize inputs such as boundary layer aerosols and tropospheric aerosols. This research presents an advanced approach to mapping light pollution propagation in the atmosphere and contributes to our understanding of its impact on stellar visibility.