These depressing images show what we don't see in the night sky

These depressing images show what we don’t see in the night sky

If you were to look at the night sky, it could range from a dusty glow to an inky expanse with thousands of twinkling stars, depending on where you are.

On a clear night, estimates suggest that a few thousand stars are visible to the naked eye, but the glare of light pollution from city and small town lights prevents us from getting a view of the cosmos in all its glory. splendor.

In order to describe the amount of light pollution from a particular location, astronomers use the Bortle scale, which ranks visibility from levels one through nine. John Bortle first described it in a 2001 edition of Sky & Telescopean astronomy magazine.

Each level ranks the night sky according to their cosmic views. You can find the Bortle Scale level for your night sky using the interactive map tool at lightpollutionmap.info.

These images show how many more stars you can see in really dark skies, outside of cities, suburbs, and other sources of human light:

Level nine ranks inner-city skies the worst for stargazing. (Tony Flanders)

What is observable: the Moon, the nearest planets and a handful of the brightest stars

Where to find it in the USA: New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles

A sky with extremely bright light pollution, found mostly over large cities, turns orange. Although not as potentially harmful as other types of pollution, light pollution can affect human health.

Several studies have indicated that exposure to light at night can disrupt the body’s biological clock, which is linked to health complications including obesity, depression and sleep disturbances.

Level eight classifies the sky of cities, where you may only be able to see faint constellations. (Sriram Murali)

What is observable: Constellations may be slightly visible

Where to find it in the USA: Boston, Massachusetts; Austin, TX; Indianapolis, Indiana

At level eight, the sky can be so bright from light pollution that you could read on it. To the naked eye, most stars and even constellations will be invisible.

Level seven ranks the transition from urban to suburban areas third worst for stargazing. (Sriram Murali)

What is observable: the star cluster M44 and the Andromeda galaxy are very indistinct, and the Milky Way is totally or almost completely invisible

Where to find it in the USA: Seattle, Washington; Savannah, Georgia; Salt Lake City, UT

The light pollution in these areas makes the entire sky appear light gray and the Milky Way is effectively invisible.

A 2016 study estimated that even on the clearest night, a third of humanity cannot see the Milky Way.

Level six classifies bright suburban skies where some stars are visible. (Tony Flanders)

What is observable: the Andromeda galaxy is only faintly apparent

Where to find it in the USA: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Lincoln, Nebraska; Bloomington, Indiana

At level six, the clouds appear quite bright, and the sky glows a grayish-white. The light pollution in these conditions is very bright.

Level five ranks suburban skies where you may be able to see the Milky Way faintly. (Sriram Murali)

What is observable: the milky way galaxy may look washed out

Where to find it in the USA: Burlington, Vermont; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Grand Junction, Colorado

Most of us spend our lives at or above this level of the Bortle scale, according to telescope store OPT Telescopes.

At level five, light pollution will be visible in most, if not all, directions. The clouds are brighter than the sky itself, and the Milky Way is faint.

Level four ranks the transition from suburban to rural areas, where you can see the Milky Way. (Sriram Murali)

What is observable: the Milky Way, the Triangle Galaxy

Where to find it in the USA: Twin Falls, Idaho; Flagstaff, Arizona; Wind River Indian Reservation, Wyoming

Light pollution is visible in several directions. Under these skies, the sky background begins to appear gray instead of black.

Tier three ranks rural skies where you can see the dusty Milky Way. (Sriram Murali)

What is observable: the Milky Way galaxy and dense collections of stars such as M4, M5, M15 and M22

Where to find it in the USA: Yosemite National Park, California; Everglades National Park, Florida; Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

You can see the Milky Way, but fine detail is gone. Some clouds are illuminated in the direction of the light sources, but the clouds above remain dark.

Level two ranks typical dark sky sites, second best for seeing the cosmos. (Sriram Murali)

What is observable: the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds

Where to find it in the USA: Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania; Adirondack Park, New York; Joshua Tree National Park, California

The Milky Way is very visible to the naked eye. Skyglow, a haze of light from scattered light sources on the ground, can be faintly apparent along the horizon.

The first level ranks excellent dark sky sites, the best for stargazing. (Sriram Murali)

What is observable: the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Orion Nebula

Where to find it in the USA: Big Bend National Park, Texas; Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona; Denali National Park, Alaska

The Level 1 skies offer unobstructed views of the cosmos, comparable to those seen by Galileo. The night sky is full of stars, which makes it more difficult to analyze faint constellations. The Milky Way is so bright that it is capable of casting shadows.

This article was originally published by Business Insider.

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