Can you see the stars?

[November]

Do you think it is important to see the stars?
This article was interesting to me, thought I would share. The stars are spectacular where I live, but there is only so much looking up I can do. I do see a lot of satellites too, more than there used to be, by far.
Some kids now dont know about the stars, they lose interest in what they cant see. Is this helping drive the space race? A push to discover and get a foot hold before the next generations think of stars as a myth? Is it helpful to well-being to see the stars?

“I show the kids the picture of the Milky Way, and they’re like, ‘Well, where’s that?’.

“Well, that’s in the sky.”

“No, it isn’t.”

Stars are disappearing before our eyes — and something in us is shifting

For most of human history, the night sky has been a shared inheritance, a source of wonder. Now, more than a billion children see barely any stars in the night sky above their homes. So what does that mean for humanity?

www.abc.net.au

“We turned off all the lights on the upper decks, and with the ship stopped with no ripples, all of the stars reflected perfectly off the ocean, and it felt like we were in the middle of the universe.

“The stars up above us, and stars below us. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.”

“We don’t know that we miss it until we get it again, and then [there’s] that reflection and perspective that comes [with looking at the stars] … that every generation before the 20th century was able to enjoy.

“Now we don’t even know there are stars out there to be seen.

 

[NotASlayer]

There is a notable difference between what I see at home, which is on the edge of a city, and what I see in the countryside when I go there. There are so many more stars to see when the nearest village is several miles away, and towns even further.

Of course, that assumes that the sky is clear. Which, this year, has been very rare!

 

[BaskingINBangel]

I've been a stargazer my entire life. I live a ways out of town, and am lucky to have very little light pollution in my neighborhood. I am outside almost every night in the spring and summer, and sometimes like to have a firepit going.

My state actually has more than one area that is a certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary.

https://darksky.org/places/massacre-rim-wilderness-study-area-dark-sky-sanctuary/

Our local Astronomical Society hosts free monthly events for children and the general public to get them interested in stargazing, along with monthly star parties and sometimes camp outs. We also have a Planetarium in this area, and in certain parts of the state there is what they call star trains, where you can go out on a local railway with rangers, who have a lot of night sky knowledge and telescopes on board.


Us desert folks are freako over stars, space, and UFOs!

 

[BuffyElevated]

I can see the stars beautifully from my backyard. The views are even better in my hometown, which isn't near any major cities. As it is, I currently live about 30 minutes outside of Memphis, TN and sometimes it's a little smoggy here. But I can still typically see a lot of stars outside at night.

 

[Stake fodder]

I can see some stars in my urban setting, but I've only ever seen the Milky Way Galaxy (the dense stripe) a few times in my life.

I think it's important for kids to know about the stars. But I doubt it's what's driving the space race. I think that is more economic than anything, wanting to monetize the Moon, Mars, and asteroids more than anything.

 

[thrasherpix]

I think it's good for my mental health to see many stars. I feel the disappointment at not doing so now. I even have a telescope now, but it seems about everything I see with it is a satellite.

I recall the awe I had of seeing a full night sky with the Milky Way visible. I was once holding a cat and tried getting the cat to enjoy the starry sky with me, but that cat wasn't having it. If I wanted to impress the cat then give him a paper bag or a box.

 

[November]

I can see the milky way from my yard every night that it is clear enough. The longer I look, the more stars that appear. More than thousands, its absolutely beautiful.

I love sundays. Its bin night, so I have an excuse to go out there and remember stars exist. The street light closest to me is out, and the moon isnt up yet, so tonight I got to see a section of sky that I rarely look at on a Sunday night. Its so pretty. Until the mosquitos find me!