Earth Is Getting Darker, Literally, and Scientists Are Trying To Find Out Why

It’s not the vibes; Earth is literally getting darker. Scientists have discovered that our planet has been reflecting less light in both hemispheres, with a more pronounced darkening in the Northern hemisphere, according to a study published on Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

The new trend upends longstanding symmetry in the surface albedo, or reflectivity, of the Northern and Southern hemispheres.  In other words, clouds circulate in a way that equalizes hemispheric differences, such as the uneven distribution of land, so that the albedos roughly match—though nobody knows why.