Gazing up at The Night Sky

I got my first really great view of the night sky during a late beautiful clear summer night when I was about twelve years old. Getting ready to go back inside the house from playing outside with the neighborhood kids, I started to notice the stars in the sky. Curiosity and awe lead the way and I stopped where I was to study the night sky.

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I had looked at the stars before, but this night was different. The stars were brilliant. I had never realized that there were so many stars in the night sky before. I had never seen so many stars shining through. It had just happened to be a perfect night for star gazing. I was far from the glare of the lights of town and it was also a moonless night. It was nearly pitch black and the trees were silhouetted against the night sky. To have this incredible view of the stars with my very own eyes was amazing.

I have star gazed numerous times since that night, and it has never been as magnificent as it was on that night. Seeing the night sky that night was like a dream. I got a great view of what our atmosphere does so well at hiding from us, and I was now aware of so much more. But I also believe that my star gazing has not ever been as good as it was on that night because the conditions have never been as good as they were with all the pollution in the Baytown area.

I think every person should have the opportunity to have such a great look at the universe at least once during their lifetime. Pictures and words do a great job of describing the beautiful universe, but seeing it and experiencing it in real life is a whole lot better.

 

I’m pretty sure that the night sky was much more fabulous back in the day due to less polluted air. As I did research on how light pollution affects the night sky, it has been proven that both individuals and major business are the actual cause of light pollution.  Now-a-days it is very difficult to spot a star shining in the night sky. Often times I look up at the sky and wonder where all the stars have gone, and be reminded that the sky is full of unnatural lighting that humankind has surrounded itself with. This global issue known as light pollution is the result of misguided and wasteful lighting practices. It also represents a major threat to astronomer’s ability to see any of our current visible skylines. Light pollution is known by their adverse effects on the health of animals, plants, humans and the environment. But it is very important to protect the night sky to prevent this from happening.

The night sky is designed to be used. In earlier years, individuals often used the night sky for navigation and to keep track of time. However, in today’s age and time we no longer do so. We rely on technology and navigation systems in our cars and on our phones to help us with directions, not so much on the stars in the sky.