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Space

A stargazer's guide to managing light pollution

Light pollution is an issue for astronomers, but you can limit your contribution – and find a dark spot near you, says Abigail Beall

By Abigail Beall

1 March 2023

Photo taken in London, United Kingdom

Christopher Sweet/EyeEm/getty images

I AM a firm believer that you can stargaze anywhere. In fact, a few years ago, I wrote a book about stargazing from cities based on that very premise. My argument is that stargazing can sometimes be easier to do from urban areas, especially for people who are new to the pastime and want to learn their way around the night sky. In a dark sky filled with stars, you can be overwhelmed by the sheer number of them and can lose the patterns of the constellations.

Having said that, I am very concerned about light pollution, particularly after …

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