Drone based analysis of nocturnal light pollution

Abstract. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of a municipality's nocturnal light pollution, various remote sensing tools are available. From the drone's perspective, small areas, i.e., a few hectares can be recorded, mapped, and quantified with regard to their illuminance and luminance. Commercially available RTK-GNSS drones, which are commonly used in the surveying sector, are able to quantify night-time light pollution with the help of so called “light control points” (LCP). Via regression techniques the measured luminance at LCP’s is transferred to the orthomosaic. Since it is possible to fly at different times, it is possible to answer various questions about the specific nocturnal light pollution and, if necessary, the lack of light, which are of importance in municipal decision processes for urban infrastructure lightning. Radiometric calibration of a commercial drone camera is a difficult task. Preliminary results showed a complex behaviour of the camera, which requires further investigations.