Light pollution enquiry.

[awestruck]

Im curious of how fast the influence of a cities lights can be left behind. I currently live in a dense and brightly lit city of 500000+ population and light pollution is a serious issue. However, i am moving to a city of under 150000 in a couple months. My question is how far must you go to see noticeable reductions in light. Such as how far to see milky way with naked eye? A site i sadly say has never been presented to me in my current area. Also, will a city population and size difference of this magnitude have an effect? Or is 150000 still to bright to see any comparitave improvements.

[wxsatuser]

I'm about 5miles north of the Sussex coast here and anything from SE to SW is swallowed up by the light dome

coming from the coastal towns. Not sure of the total population but it must be well over 250000 along the coastal ribbon.

Also here we get the light dome from Gatwick Airport/Crawley which is NE of here, thats about 18miles away.

I would think the population must be in the region of 200000 around the Gatwick, Horsham and Crawley.

[pevsfreedom]

Population here is about 18.55 million, Milky Way you say?

If I drive an hour I can get into the mountains, which has semi-dark skies. Still no trace of Milky Way. I think if I drove another hour (towards the desert) I'd probably still not see it. 

Light pollution is serious indeed.

[Physopto]

Population here is about 18.55 million, Milky Way you say?

If I drive an hour I can get into the mountains, which has semi-dark skies. Still no trace of Milky Way. I think if I drove another hour (towards the desert) I'd probably still not see it. 

Light pollution is serious indeed.

Ouch!

And I complain about where I live. I have an hour and a half drive to Kielder from South Shields and there is one of the best Dark Sky sites in the UK. But for me I can only do it twice a year.

I think I prefer my problems though!

Derek

[Moonshane]

I live 9 miles from Manchester pop of about 2m. Yet can see milky way with averted vision on best nights and an hour's drive to Kirkby Lonsdale gives tear jerking bright views of our galaxy.

[pevsfreedom]

I seriously don't think I've ever seen the Milky Way now that I think about it. 

[Mr Spock]

I live on the western edge of Sheffield, pop 600k. On a good night I can just about see the brightest bits of the MW. I used to be able to see it fully many years ago.

A short 20m drive into the country I get darker skies. I have a light 'dome' in the west from Manchester and one in the East from Sheffield, but the bit in the middle is quite dark. M31 is quite extended with the naked eye.

[Mrbloke]

Living just SE of London there is no chance of seeing the Milky Way. 20miles south of here, you definitely can. It's what kindled my interest in this.

[awestruck]

By the sounds of things if i want tos ee the milky way its just fingers crossed for a power outtage sad that so many people have never been able to appreciate what i assume is a great wonder.

[dick_dangerous]

In Zone Six of London (Population about 8 million) the seeing is... better than in Zone 2! In properly dark areas you can see a surprising amount. In May they were replacing our street lighting with efficient, downwards directed LED lights so it'll be interesting to see if that's improved matters in Bushy Park. Not sure how I'd compare it, but there you go.

The Milky Way is easily visible in the New Forest, about 80 or 90 miles away. Light domes are a problem though - even there you get Southampton to the East, Bournemouth to the South-West and Salisbury to the North-West. Very frustrating!

Paul

[laser_jock99]

It is reckoned you need to be about 80-100 miles away from a major city to be untroubled by it's light dome.

I am 80km due North of Cardiff/Swansea (pop 560,000) and can pick up light pollution reflected on high aircraft contrails when imaging due south.

An aircraft contrail drifts across three frames of the Lagoon & Triffid nebulae

Light pollution travels a long way!

[NosyTrader]

Resurrecting this old one - I'm currently in Abu Dhabi enjoying amazing skies in the desert, however I'm moving back to the UK in a couple of months to Crawley in West Sussex. Any star gazers got any tips on reasonably dark sites close by? 

[Linda]

I think you must be in a pretty small village to see the milky way. We have a cabin out in the country in a village where 180 people live and nearest small town is at 40km. There the sky is truely dark. At Christmas I saw the milky way slightly in the North of the Netherlands, out in the country, just outside an approx 3000 people village and some 90km from nearest city. I autumn (when there is no snow) I can just see the milky way at the south side of my house, also in a village with just a few hundred houses. Although at 30km north-east from my house there is the capital with suburbs with approx 1 mil people. In that direction I see least of the sky. Unfortunately that it where I have the best viewing options from my terrace. No milky way at all in that direction.

[beamer3.6m]

I'm about 12 miles from York and I can see the milkyway from my garden.

I live in a small village though.

I think the main issue for lp is either looking up through it (as in your in the city or town and directly affected by the lp) or towards it from out the town etc so you see the light dome.

In essence get say 10 miles outside a city and look away from the city (have it to your back) and things will improve.