Given the harmful effects of light pollution, a pair of astronomers has coined a new term to help focus efforts to combat it. Their term, as reported in a brief paper in the preprint database arXiv and a letter to the journal Science, is “noctalgia.” In general, it means “sky grief,” and it captures the collective pain we are experiencing as we continue to lose access to the night sky.

  • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    40
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    When I lived out in the country I could see it almost every clear night. I could also watch satellites drift overhead, and there were so many fireflies I could walk through the woods at night without a flashlight.

    Suburbs fucking suck.

    • trslim@pawb.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      1 year ago

      I used to live in Michigan. My family had a farm, nearest city was like 30 miles away, and it wasnt even a large city. I could see the stars and occasional nebula. I remember one winter, my family even saw the Northern Lights. It was magical.

      Now I live in Tennessee, in a suburb. I’m lucky if I see a few stars at night. I hate it. I miss the night sky.

    • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      Living in a tiny town has its drawbacks and everyone knows everyone’s business, but if you get the urge to just be alone you can head off in any compass direction and find peace out in nature. Sure the takeout options are more varied in the city but constant traffic noise fucking hurts my head and I can’t see any constellations anymore

    • QHC@lemmy.one
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      The lack of fireflies aren’t a rural/urban thing, I don’t think. I’ve always lived in suburbs of a mid-size city and definitely remember fireflies swarming around as a kid, too.

      • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        I only moved about three years ago, so it’s definitely a rural/suburban thing. However, the suburbs have waaaaay less fireflies than a decade ago.