The Life at Night Atlas is a National Geographic Society project started in 2023. This global program is focused on how the exponential growth of artificial light is affecting the relationship between nocturnal wildlife and the night sky. The introduction of artificial light at night (ALAN) represents one of the most drastic changes human beings have made to their environment.
Life at Night is a continuation of The World at Night Project (TWAN) which began in 2007. Babak Tafreshi and several TWAN photographers will be joined by a number of National Geographic explorers, both biologists and photographers who work at night.
A natural dark sky environment is vital to all living things. Light pollution has an enormous global ecological impact, which until now, has remained largely undocumented. While iconic stories such as fireflies and hatching sea turtles that need naturally dark places are chronicled, there is a large gap of visuals that record wildlife living under the night sky.
We aim to provide currently unavailable, and essentially needed visual stories that illustrate how artificial light disrupts the natural pattern of wildlife and creates decline in a myriad of species: large predatory animals, birds, marine animals, insects, night pollinators, as well as humans. About 69% of mammal species are nocturnal. Many pollinators are nocturnal. Migratory birds fly mostly at night and rely on celestial navigation. Life at night relies on natural darkness and being active at night allows animals to avoid predators, hunt, and stay cool.
Most of humanity has already lost the connection to naturally dark night skies by living under bright skyglow. TWAN has been supporting dark sky preserving organizations such as the US-based nonprofit International Dark Sky Association with visuals to designate dark sky legislations and dark sky reserves world-wide.
This is a critical time to establish a reference platform for missing visuals that tell the global story of why natural darkness matters, and how light pollution affects life on Earth.
The Life at Night Atlas aims to contribute visual tools and stories that illustrate the importance of night sky conservation. We hope to ignite interest and inspire researchers to collaborate and cover this field, hoping it may unlock unanswered mysteries about nocturnal species living under the night sky.
Our hope is to bring awareness to decision makers, conservationists, science communicators, activists, researchers, educators, journalists, and a worldwide public.
About the Project Director
Babak Tafreshi is an Iranian-American science photographer, cinematographer, and National Geographic explorer based in the Boston area. Since 2007, Tafreshi has directed The World at Night program with a team of photographers across 20 countries. Tafreshi uses visual stories, timelapse motion, and virtual reality to create an understandable portal to the wonders of Earth and sky. His work is recognized by the 2022 National Geographic Wayfinder Award, the Royal Photography Society Award for Scientific Imaging, and the 2009 Lennart Nilsson Award. In addition, the International Astronomical Union named the 2-km minor planet 276163 after Tafreshi. babaktafreshi.com
