Can we talk about how light pollution is changing what we can even see?

I was trying to show my nephew the Milky Way from my backyard in Austin last month, and we could barely make out a faint smudge. I used to see it clearly there 10 years ago. What's the darkest sky you've been able to get a decent photo from lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason_jackson1mo ago

I mean, is seeing a bunch of stars really that important though? The light means people are out and businesses are open, which is good for the town. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather have safe, well-lit streets than a perfect view of some fuzzy space cloud. We can look at pictures from telescopes online if we really want to see it.

clairepark1mo ago

But have you ever actually seen the Milky Way in person though?