In a city where spotting even a handful of stars is rare, 12th grader Suhani Gupta has built a free online platform that estimates light pollution using smartphone photos, turning a subtle environmental issue into a visible reality.
- SkyQi website uses phone photos to assess light pollution.
- Light pollution in 50 Indian cities rose 70% over a decade.
- Innovative citizen science approach made by a high school student.
What happened
Suhani Gupta, a Class 12 student from Gurugram, noticed how hard it had become to see stars in her city compared to her visits to her grandparents in the mountains. This prompted her to investigate the role of light pollution—the excess artificial light that obscures the night sky and masks stars—beyond just air pollution or haze. Teaching herself image processing skills, she launched SkyQi in May 2025, a free platform that uses smartphone photos to estimate night sky quality.
SkyQi quickly grew into a global citizen-science initiative, collecting data from dozens of countries. Suhani expanded her research by analyzing NASA satellite data to study night-time radiance changes in 50 Indian cities between 2015 and 2025. She found a median increase of 70% in brightness, with Leh showing the most dramatic rise at 546%, highlighting how urbanization and tourism are impacting the visibility of the stars.
Why it feels good
Suhani’s story is a heartening example of youthful curiosity driving meaningful innovation. Her platform empowers ordinary people to witness and measure an environmental change that is often invisible, creating awareness around light pollution’s ecological and human health effects. The initiative highlights how technology and community engagement can unite to address subtle but growing challenges.
The project also brings a fresh perspective to environmental activism by focusing on a form of pollution rarely discussed alongside air or water quality. It fosters a connection to the natural world and reminds us how artificial lights, while symbols of progress, can impact wildlife, ecosystems, and the simple joy of star gazing.
What to enjoy or watch next
Star enthusiasts and concerned citizens can explore the SkyQi website to contribute their own photos and track local light pollution levels. This kind of community monitoring is crucial for encouraging thoughtful urban planning and lighting policies that balance safety with preserving dark skies.
Looking ahead, efforts inspired by Suhani’s work may support greater awareness campaigns, foster collaboration with environmental groups, and influence how cities design outdoor lighting to reduce light waste and protect night ecosystems. For now, every clear starry night is a celebration and an invitation to appreciate the quiet beauty often hidden behind city lights.