CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – A new study shows the world’s nights getting alarmingly brighter. A German-led term reported Wednesday that light pollution is threatening darkness almost everywhere. Satellite observations show Earth’s artificially lit outdoor area grew by 2 percent a year since 2012. So did nighttime brightness. The researchers say light pollution is actually worse than that. Their measurements coincide with the outdoor switch to energy- and cost-saving light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. Because the satellite can’t detect the LED-generated color blue, some light is missed. The observations, for example, indicate stable levels of night light in the U.S., Spain and Italy. But lead scientist Christopher Kyba says light pollution is almost certainly on the rise there. That’s bad news for nocturnal creatures and humans, too.