The sky at night

[caddyman]

After the initaial culture shock, suffered in 1984, of a Shropshire Lad moving down to the big city, I have, over the years decided that by and large, I quite like the place (though that shouldn't be taken to mean that I couldn't happily live somewhere else).

For all its undoubted advantages though, there is one thing London really does lack: absolute darkness. It's always light. Darkness in the parks is only relative and it's pretty non-existent on the streets, particularly main thoroughfares like the High Road, where the only thing that would stop you wandering down the road reading a paperback at 2.00am is the possibility of rain.

All this light pollution means that the clear night sky has the moon and maybe a handful of stars. There are very few places in the whole of the UK where it actually gets dark enough to see the Milky Way, but you can see stars. Not in London, though. Ten, perhaps twelve, tops.

That means that once again, clear skioes r no, there's no point in me standing out the back of The Carpathia hoping to see the Perseids.

I'd like to see them someday...

Comments

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

I can appreciate that the solution might not be desirable, but out here in Leyton there's surprisingly little light pollution and the stars they do a-twinkle (it's also on a line that's (just) better than the Northern Line)

[pipsytip.livejournal.com]

I saw a shooting star last night. As it happens.

Just the one though.

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

"Light pollution." That's one I've not heard before. This means we are jolly lucky to be in a town with only one or two street lights per block! Unless you're walking along after dark, that is.

Out on Highway 330, where, at night, it is as black as a tomb, with the lights of Beautiful San Bernardino (ahem) a-twinkling a few thousand feet below and five miles away (as the crow flies), one could pull into a lay-by for half an hour, look up and "ooh" & "ah" to ones heart's content. Lovely.