The Impact of Light Pollution on Amateur Astronomy and Public Awareness of the Night Sky

Abstract

With the growing expansion of urban areas and their associated “domes” of artificial illumination, amateur astronomers have been forced to change many of their observing habits. This is reflected in the instruments today’s amateurs are using: highly portable telescopes of mostly commercial origin. Amateurs must travel further into the field to find dark skies, and this makes the hobby more discouraging. By discouraging the amateurs, an important education resource is lost to the public.