Night Reflection

Light pollution is the “brightening of the night sky caused by street lights and other man-made sources, which has a disruptive effect on natural cycles and inhibits the observation of stars and planets” (Oxford Dictionary). Our excessive use of artificial light at night disrupts our view of the night sky. I have always wanted to see the stars without the effects of light pollution. When I went on a school trip, I was able to see the sky with less light pollution. In 8th grade, my school went on a field trip to Frost Valley.  On the second night, we went on a night hike, although my group didn’t make it very far. When we got into a clearing, we were able to get a good look at the sky. We were able to spot some constellations and observe the stars in a way we don’t normally see. Instead of exploring for our hour-long hike, we spent at least half of it looking at the sky and pointing out constellations. This trip opened my eyes as to how much light pollution really affects us. It is very difficult for me to see stars outside my house at night from the number of artificial lights outside. I’m glad that I had this experience and I hope that in the future I can see even more stars.