vgabndo - 12-26-2009 at 02:48 PM
I don't know when this was done, but it could have been last night!
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap091225.html
Bajahowodd - 12-26-2009 at 04:17 PM
That's so beautiful. Such a shame that civilization's lights have caused people seeking such an experience to retreat to the most rural locations to
enjoy such a sight. The photo reminded me, that I had been making cross-country flights on business from 1970. The view of the ground was once so
spectacular. But over the years, more and more haze intervened.
vgabndo - 12-26-2009 at 06:12 PM
As a local historian and museum curator, I have been surprised at the number of people who don't realize that the air quality around here is much
better now than it was 120 years ago. It was not at all uncommon for summiteers on Mt. Shasta to report that after all their toil, they had no view to
enjoy.
Ground light is no problem here. We have a population density of about 6-8 people per square mile in Siskiyou County. If the night is clear and
moonless, the arc of the galaxy shines out beautifully.