Starry, Starry Night (Not)

A post on the star-gazing messageboard over at the BBC from an astronomer who is currently working in The Netherlands. He bemoans the fact that it’s been raining since he got here, and so he hasn’t been able to see the stars in the night sky.

Even if it wasn’t raining, it wouldn’t do him much good; the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and the resulting light pollution from the Randstad (the urban conglomeration made up of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) pretty much obliterates any chance of a decent view. I live slap bang in the middle of all this, and I do miss clear night skies.

I had the good fortune to grow up on the Isle of Man, and light pollution there was easy to avoid. Some nights in Winter would be so clear that it was difficult for me to pick out the major constellations, there would be so many stars visible in the sky.