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September 9, 2007
Dark Sky
One of the strong memories I have from being a child was a camping trip, I can't remember exactly where, when I first saw the Milky Way stretch across the night sky.
Even today, thinking about that sight bring goose pimples to my arms, and raises the hair on the back of my neck.
This article in the New Yorker made me want to go in search of dark sky, and looking at light pollution maps made me realize that if we actually do move to the mainland, the sky over us will be getting brighter at night - one of the many trade-offs we'll make in moving off the island.
Dawnise, on her trip to S. Africa, passed through some of the darkest sky she's likely to ever be under - and of course, as fate would have it, she was there during the day...
We wonder why American's don't support the space program? I think a major part of it is that they can't see the stars at night. Looking up at night doesn't fill them with a sense of wonder - it's just the reflected glow of civilization.
That deeply saddens me.
Posted by dberger at September 9, 2007 8:57 AM
Comments
One of the things I enjoyed most on our trips to Australia and (especially) Hawaii in recent years was being able to see not only the Milky Way, but the entire sky so densely packed with stars. Your out of sight, out of mind observation is an excellent one.
Posted by: Hendel at September 9, 2007 9:57 AM
Know exactly what you mean. Saw the night sky when visiting friends at LANL. They took me up to the highest part of the mountain (about 10k feet) and the view was absolutely stunning. The fact that the "moving stars" were in fact satellites orbiting earth (many I'm sure being of the cloak and dagger nature) just made it all the more fascinating.
The dark night wasn't all that far away from us too. I remember going on a star gazing event with some folks from the UCR astronomy department (94?) in Idlywild. We weren't more than... geez, 20 miles from campus? But go about 3000-4000 ft. up and the view was spectacular.
Hmmm, time to make a trek out to the observatory.
Posted by: Steve S. at September 14, 2007 12:06 AM