OK, so perhaps the photograph doesn’t even begin to do justice to the topic. It was when I walked out of the front door this morning. I was greeted by a very bright Orion and his hunting companion Sirius. Running ahead of him was a vibrantly orange Mars. Running along behind the trio was a very bright moon presumably trying to stop Orion from chasing Mars. Perhaps this was all happening because Mars had been inappropriate with Venus, whom I got the distinct impression was trailing behind, her brightness showing her weeping forlornly at a broken love?
That’s all very well, but the sad thing was that these were, apart from one aircraft, pretty much the only lights in the sky. We all accept that urban areas are brightly lit and that light pollution reduces what we can see in the night sky. It is an intense source of frustration that whilst we live like this, many of the wonders of the night sky are hidden from us.
Ironically, turning off the streetlights later at night is not appreciated by much of the community, possibly leading to an increase in criminal activity or anti social behaviour, but if you are able to stay up until the lights go out, it becomes something of a revelation as to what you can see with the naked eye. Even a pair of binoculars increases significantly what you can see.
Try it one night, If you are interested in supporting the quest for dark skies, then look here;
Bills Posts 