Can light pollution be a good thing?

Talk about making the best of a bad situation.
I do see your point, but it's seriously offset by the immense list of what you are not able to see under heavy light pollution.

...going to prison can saves you YEARS of a mortgage...

I can see where you’re all coming from.

The andromeda galaxy nearly took up the full view of the binoculars instead of the bare smudge I normally see, the Orion Nebula was way more impressive than the bare smudge I normally see and the Triangulnm galaxy which normally I think I can see was definitely a smudge.

So yes, dark sky’s are better but I still think if you are starting off from scratch, city sky’s are better.

Another thing I saw in my hour down in Moone was about 7 (ignorance is bliss so sorry for this) shooting stars. I have only ever seen about 3 of them in my whole life.
They all seamed to be traveling south to north but in the west.

Is that normal?

In the main light pollution is a scourge for astronomy work.
However on occasion it can be to your advantage.
I took this image of Sirius last February in the early hours of the morning looking towards Wexford town.
That is light pollution in a nice way...

www.flickr.com/photos/51993400@N08/4792668105/

Dublinskywatch wrote:

In the main light pollution is a scourge for astronomy work.
However on occasion it can be to your advantage.
I took this image of Sirius last February in the early hours of the morning looking towards Wexford town.
That is light pollution in a nice way...

www.flickr.com/photos/51993400@N08/4792668105/

Sorry but what is good about light pollution in any form if you ask me it kills your image. I've enjoyed looking at your images over the last few days.

Sky glow is killing our hobby and no one give a rats ass about it only us astronomers. The technology is there to reduce light pollution by as much as 80% but the Irish government has no interest as far as I can see. The county council can help up to a point but there hands are tide. I have spoke to them a lot about this matter and the money is just not there anymore. light pollution has not only an impact on astronomy but look at the impact on the environment and the wildlife in this country it's time for a change but no one is listing to us and it gets right up my nose. I would love to meet John Gormley and ask him why the government don't want to save a few hundred million a year on energy bills help the environment and the wildlife and of course reduce light pollution.Is that not his job for god sake the whole thing just makes me sick to the bones.

Carl O'Beirnes,
Balbriggan Observatory (MPC# J09),
Co Dublin,
Ireland.

I don't disagree with what you say Carl at all.
I have had my own inter actions with the local council as well and I am quite sure that they are aware just how wasteful the situation is also.

I have lost many a good nights imaging to sky glow to my South which is the city and to my north which is the Airport. So I do agree with what you say. This was the same image only I converted it to greyscale.

www.flickr.com/photos/51993400@N08/4793868580/sizes/l/