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Comment by ars | Hacker News Reader

When I go outside I can barely see any stars, unlike my ancestors who saw a sky utterly filled with stars.

Then I go on my computer and I can see more stars, with more details, than my ancestors even imagined.

I can't decide if it's a worthwhile tradeoff.

This is very understandable. I myself grew up in a 'decent' night sky area. Then I moved to LA. Absolutely abysmal in terms of night sky visibility. I felt lucky to see a dozen or so stars.

Now, having moved to Flagstaff, AZ, a dark sky community, the night sky is fantastic. It has returned to me the beauty and wonder the sky once must have instilled in everyone. It's not the grand canyon, or deep in Death Valley or other parts of the Mojave. But it is enough. On new moons, not more than 30 minutes from town, the milky way can be so bright as to leave an 'afterglow' when one closes their eyes.

Computers and these images, while fascinating, will never truly rival the beauty of your own eyes seeing the night sky unaccosted by human development.

Frankly, viewing them via computer rather than up in the night sky is not a worthwhile comparison. Go to some dark sky area up in the mountains or in a desert canyon somewhere and look up. Yeah, you won't see as many stars but who cares. When you see the Milky Way so bright it appears three-dimensional, if you aren't overcome with a sense of absolute awe and are not humbled by what you are seeing, you aren't alive.

Take a trip out to the mojave and you can see stars like your ancestors. It's awe-inspiring and otherwordly.

Or if you're on the East Coast, come to Pennsylvania! https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/parks/che...

The Berkshires in western Massachussets, are also a place of amazing grandeur, in terms of visible night sky beauty.

That's sad but understandable. The night sky where I grew up is but a fraction of what was visible as a child.

Take a trip outside of well-lit areas if possible. See https://www.darksky.org/ to find a truly "dark" location.

Same thing as looking at a picture of a mountain range vs actually being there. A 2d array of backlit pixels doesn't really convey much of the magic. Watching a box match (or any sport) on TV vs being there, attending a concert vs spotify. Real life will always provide more

Maybe take a look at the International Dark Sky Places Program interactive map:

https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/finder/

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