TIL that one-third of humanity (including 60% of Europeans and 80% of North Americans) live in such light polluted areas that the Milky Way is not visible at night.

Oh, yeah! It's very prominent in the sky where I used to live. The remarkable thing about it is that it looks like a solid stripe of light in the sky, not comprised of points of light, they are so close together.

This 'stripe' is very well defined in places, e.g. where it forms a distinct edge, and other areas of the sky where it fades to darkness.

I lived about 10 miles from Hilo international airport, but in a very sparsely populated area, without conventional electric service. Also, since astronomy is an important industry for the island, there are regulations aimed at minimizing light pollution. The sky where the observatories are, at ~14,000, is pitch black, and the stars are tiny pinpoints of light. Zillions of them, and each one is in some pure color. Stars are at their best on the beach when it's windy, however. The moisture in the air acts like a lens, and makes them appear larger, and more animated. Each star also has a sunset effect of its own when it sinks on the horizon.

There's some awesome free entertainment on this here planet.

/r/todayilearned Thread Parent Link - news.nationalgeographic.com