What work is harder for Astronomer's due to light pollution?

Question

is there specific task that Light Pollution has made harder in Astronomy?

Answer 1

I think some of the older observatories - Palomar and Mt. Wilson in the US, for example - have had to give up some studies of faint objects such as distant galaxies due to light pollution. New observatories are in remote areas like the Chilean desert and aren't apt to be troubled.

The biggest impact is on amateur astronomers and ordinary people. Most people in the US and Europe can't see the Milky Way from where they live; some people have NEVER seen it.

Answer 2

Light pollution makes _all_ work harder for astronomers. Many major observatories have been rendered next to useless by light pollution, and astronomers have been forced to use observatories in space and remote locations on Earth, which is much more expensive and restricts the amount of research which can be done. As Ingineer points out, this has been particularly hard on amateur astronomers, who don't have research grants to pay for travel to remote sites.

Answer 3

Astronomers -- and everybody else -- can only see celestial bodies because of the light that they either are generating or reflecting. As light pollution gets worse, the light reflected or generated by these bodies drowns out, making the bodies far less visible. This happens much the same as when you cannot see objects beyond a car's headlights when they are pointed in your eyes.

Answer 4

in simple terms approximately something regarding commentary. the placement is eased if street lighting fixtures is finished with low rigidity sodium vapor lamps, because of the fact those emit a almost monochromatic gentle which will properly be filtered out of observations.

Answer 5

The telescope cannot receive the correct light.