From the Magic of Light to the Destruction of Night

Author(s)

Thomas Posch

Abstract

Life on the Earth depends on the light from the Sun. Humans generally

have a very positive attitude towards light. This paper discusses the

'magic of light' - i.e. our dependence on and even addiction to light -

and how it gradually led to the destruction of natural darkness by means

of excessive artificial illumination. Furthermore, we develop a theory

of the aesthetic value of natural nightscapes, which we illustrate by

masterpieces from the history of painting.

Organisation(s)

Department of Astrophysics

Pages

50-57

No. of pages

8

Publication date

09-2012

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

103004 Astrophysics

Keywords

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