Insomnia
The Absence Of Stars
Text: Katharina Dinhof
Photos: David Schermann
Stars in the night sky above Hong Kong Island are searched in vain. Instead, the city is enveloped in a pink-orange haze that downright suppresses the darkness of the night. Hong Kongs urban night sky is 100 to 1000 times brighter than the international brightness standard between 8.30 and 11:00pm, according to the Hong Kong Night Sky Brightness Monitoring Network. Hong Kong isn‘t called the Pearl of the Orient for nothing.
Hong Kong‘s night sky has been proven to be one of the brightest in the world and this is not without consequences. Light pollution has an impact not only on flora and fauna, but also on Hong Kong residents, especially on their sleep quality and well-being. Artificial light in the evening hours influences our internal clock, which in turn regulates organic processes such as hormone production and cell regulation. A disturbance of the day-night rhythm is associated with various physiological and psychological disorders, including depression, insomnia and cardiovascular diseases.
