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Stars are disappearing before our eyes at a faster rate than originally thought, with almost a third of people around the world now unable to see any at all, according to new research.

While the unaided human eye should be able to spot several thousand stars on a clear, dark night, our view of our home galaxy – the Milky Way – and dozens of intricate constellations is rapidly being lost.

Due to light pollution, it is estimated that 30% of people worldwide have been robbed of their nightly view.

The startling figure comes via analysis from a citizen science programme called Globe at Night, which published its findings in the journal Science.

NOIRLab, a US research centre for nighttime astronomy, runs the study, which projects that a child born today in a place where 250 stars are visible would only be able to see 100 by the time they turn 18.

Astronomer Connie Walker said the findings underscore “the importance of redoubling our efforts” to protect the nighttime sky from a phenomenon dubbed “sky glow”.

What is sky glow?

Sky glow refers to the illumination of the night sky beyond that caused by natural sources, like stars or the moon.

It has long been known to be a problem, but Globe at Night’s observations suggest it is increasing far more quickly than shown in satellite measurements of the Earth’s brightness at night.

The study is based on crowdsourced reports from all over the world, with people submitting their findings online.

They are then shown a number of star maps and record which one best matches what they can see in the sky, providing an estimate of what’s known as “the naked eye limiting magnitude”.

This is a measure of how bright an object must be in order to be seen, and estimates the brightness of sky glow.

Globe at Night’s findings are based on more than 50,000 observations submitted from Europe and North America between 2011 and 2022.

Read more:
Ghostly remains of dead star revealed
How the Earth looks different from space after 50 years

Why should we be concerned?

Light pollution doesn’t just spoil the view of the sky, it can also impact our health – and that of wildlife.

This is because it disrupts the natural cyclical transition from sunlight to starlight that we and other organisms have evolved alongside – and sky glow is anything but natural.

Humans have generally had an awe-inspiring view of the starry night sky throughout history, but the path we are on now means that an ever-increasing number of people are losing out.

The loss of visible stars reported by Globe at Night indicates an increase in sky brightness of 9.6% per year over the past decade, much more than the 2% measured by satellites.

“This shows that existing satellites aren’t sufficient to study how Earth’s night is changing,” said study lead author Christopher Kyba, of the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

And while the new findings are focused on the western world, the paper notes that the sky is likely brightening more quickly in developing countries, where the prevalence of artificial lighting is growing at a higher rate.

“The increase in sky glow over the past decade underscores the importance of redoubling our efforts and developing new strategies to protect dark skies,” said Connie Walker.

“The Globe at Night dataset is indispensable in our ongoing evaluation of changes in sky glow, and we encourage everyone who can to get involved to help protect the starry night sky.”

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US election: Who will win the battleground states? Play our game and decide the new president

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US election: Who will win the battleground states? Play our game and decide the new president

Americans are choosing their new president today.

Either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will be the new occupant of the White House in January.

For many people, their vote will make little difference.

The main crunch points are in seven states and one inner state district.

In the following game, you can predict who will win in each swing state.

We will tell you at the end who the new president will be – if you have made correct predictions.

Good luck!

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Trump or Harris? Millions of Americans set to decide next president

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Trump or Harris? Millions of Americans set to decide next president

Voters across 50 states are preparing to cast their ballots after a bitterly contested US election campaign, which will see Donald Trump or Kamala Harris become president.

In the last few hours, both candidates have been giving their final pitches. “The momentum is on our side,” Ms Harris told a crowd in Philadelphia that chanted back, “We will win”.

“Tonight, then, we finish as we started: with optimism, with energy, with joy,” she said, while enjoying the support of celebrity endorsements on the day from Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Jon Bon Jovi.

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In contrast, Mr Trump ended his campaign in Michigan, repeating key messages about the economy and immigration.

A handful of states will play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election. Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin hold the keys to the White House.

To become president, the winning candidate needs 270 electoral votes or more, with each state carrying a different number of votes.

More on Us Election 2024

But the focus has been on Pennsylvania which carries 19 electoral votes, the most of all the swing states.

It has been a remarkable journey for both candidates – with Mr Trump surviving two assassination attempts and Ms Harris not even originally in the running.

Katy Perry performs after an appearance by Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign rally at the Carrie Blast Furnaces in Pittsburgh, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
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Katy Perry performed in Pittsburgh in support of Kamala Harris. Pic: AP

For more than a year, the 2024 presidential race seemed destined for a rematch between Joe Biden and Mr Trump – but a disastrous TV debate by Mr Biden eventually forced him to withdraw from the ticket.

The Democratic party’s decision to replace Mr Biden with his vice president transformed the race and shifted polls in Ms Harris’s favour. But only just.

Many polls are too tight to call and, with a large margin of error, most experts are refusing to predict the outcome.

Read more:
Overseas ballots face legal challenge

You decide the new president
Should we fear Trumponomics?

Later, attention will turn to those battleground states including Georgia, which is among the first polls to close at 7pm local time (midnight UK time).

State election officials told Sky News they could have a result as early as 10pm (3am UK time).

Even so, it could be several days before the US has a definitive result.

Voters are not just selecting a president. In addition, 10 states will hold abortion-related ballots, half of which would overturn existing restrictions.

Predict who you think will win in each swing state and we’ll tell you who the president will be if you’re right.

Tonight, Sky News will have access to the most comprehensive exit poll and vote-counting results from every state, county and demographic across America through its US-partner network NBC.

You can find out more about Sky News’ coverage here.

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Voter in UK ‘terrified’ by US election legal battle, as up to 4,000 ballots challenged in Pennsylvania

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Voter in UK 'terrified' by US election legal battle, as up to 4,000 ballots challenged in Pennsylvania

Up to 4,000 people voting overseas in the US election are having their ballots challenged in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

They include Selma Aldi, 47, from Camden in north London who received a letter on Sunday explaining that her ballot in the US presidential election is at risk of being rejected.

“It was a shock,” she said. “It was terrifying to be targeted, to potentially lose a right that I hold as very important. It’s even a feeling that someone is questioning my identity.”

Latest on US election

The trainee GP, who grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania left America in 2000 but has voted via absentee ballot in every US presidential election since.

A letter from election officials in Dauphin County outlines the legal challenge. It reads: “The applicant is not registered to vote and therefore is not eligible to vote in Pennsylvania.

“Under Pennsylvania law, it is a felony to permit any person to vote who is not registered.”

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A hearing on the legal challenge is scheduled for Friday, in which Ms Aldi can respond.

Around 2.8 million US citizens living abroad are entitled to vote in the election, no matter where they are on polling day.

But each state has different procedures and rules on how election paperwork can be sent and received.

Selma Aldi on her graduation from the University of Pennsylvania seated next to a figure of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the US.   She has received a letter challenging her absentee voter ballot. Pic: handout
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Selma Aldi on her graduation from the University of Pennsylvania, seated next to a figure of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the US.

But Ari Savitzky, senior staff Attorney at the ACLU said “any attempt to challenge [voters] eligibility is a clear violation of their rights”.

He told Sky News: “Between 3,000 and 4,000 challenges have been filed in Pennsylvania to the absentee ballots of US citizens living abroad.

“For decades, federal law has guaranteed the right of US citizens living abroad to vote in federal elections at their last US residence.

“In addition to being legally baseless, these challenges are an abuse to voters and to election administrators.”

Read more from Sky News:
US election: Colleges, swing states and how it all works
Should we fear Trumponomics?
What happens if there’s a tie in the US election?

Deborah Hinchey from another voting rights group, All Voting is Local, said: “Election deniers across Pennsylvania have submitted thousands of mass challenges to overseas voters.

“They want to block as many ballots as possible and silence our voices… but these baseless challenges have failed before and the proper checks and balances are in place to make sure they’ll fail again,” she added.

Tonight, Sky News will have access to the most comprehensive exit poll and vote-counting results from every state, county and demographic across America through its US-partner network NBC.

You can find out more about Sky News’ coverage here.

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