Good story on our night sky

This is a National Geographic story on how we are loosing our night sky. There is a place in the Smokies where I have camped for years in total darkness but now the sky has a lot of light polution from a gambling joint in NC. We are loosing our night for sure..Figg http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/light-pollution/klinkenborg-text

Interesting that you mention this subject. About a month ago I came in from a ball game, am a band director, and we took our normal ride thru the park here at horseshoe bend and noticed a fellow with a real fancy astronomy set up. I later walked back and talked to him. Here because of the unusally dark night sky he was able to photograph the constellations. This was done with a computer. He was a ENT doc from Texarkana. He had a very intersting set up. Highly computerized. He showed me some of his past work photographing the stars. He had the set up to die for!

That's a great article. Thanks Figg.

It's funny, when I lived in the city, I was always mesmerized by how bright the stars were when their was a city-wide blackout after an ice storm or major thunderstorm. Sometimes, out in the woods, in the middle of the night when I have to venture outside of my tent for my usual "dang it, I have to pee" break from sleeping; the forest can be pitch black on overcast nights.

I stand out there for a long time, waiting for my eyes to adjust, but they never do. That kind of darkness is pretty hard to find.

Anyway, good article Figg.