80% of North Americans can’t see the Milky Way due to light pollution

Petapixel:

According to a new report published in the Journal of Science Advances, one third of humanity and approximately 80% of North Americans can no longer see the Milky Way from where they live due to light pollution.

For night sky photographers, the need to escape your city (or even your small town) to catch a real glimpse of the Milky Way is no surprise, but to hear that light pollution is affecting so many people is disheartening. If you’ve never seen the Milky Way with your naked eye, you’re probably not alone; it seems your chances are few and far between.

As a photographer, this makes me sad. I still remember the first time I saw the Milky Way as a kid. I was walking up the long driveway on my dad’s farm in Nova Scotia and was struck by how bright it was. I looked up and my jaw literally dropped. I stood there for at least 30 minutes, staring at all the amazing stars I had never seen when I lived in the city.