The Majzner Scale of Light Degradation
Úterý 1. dubna 2025translated by Candela Lightborne MSc.
As the growing darkness pollution increasingly disrupts people’s enjoyment of a naturally illuminated night sky — dotted with thousands of artificial lighting fixtures — a need has arisen to objectively describe the night sky in terms of its lighting quality. The commonly used amateur method of counting light sources often fails due to individual variation in observational skill. Sophisticated and objective professional methods, using high-precision devices known as “LQMs” (Light Quality Meters), remain sadly out of reach for the broader amateur lighting community.
A breakthrough came in 2005, when Austrian light hobbyist of Czech origin, Johann Majzner, introduced a revolutionary method for assessing nighttime illumination. He published it under the title Die Luchtekurvenskala. The method was widely embraced by the lighting community and is now commonly referred to as the Majzner Scale of Light Degradation.
LQM measuring device