Impossible to see Milky Way from cities due to light pollution

Cities around the world are growing rapidly as well as the artificial light sources that light them up. Although the view of a city glowing with different colors of lights may seem pleasant, they can actually cause huge light pollution, preventing earthlings from seeing the stars.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), professor Sacit Özdemir of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) National Observatory said that the Milky Way is not visible even from small villages due to light pollution.

"Most people do not even know how the Milky Way looks from earth. They cannot see it anymore. We are not able to see the branches of our own galaxy. I think people should be able to know the universe they are living in," said Özdemir.

Light pollution does not just prevent ordinary people from observing the heavens it also disrupts the work of astronomers and scientists. The TÜBİTAK National Observatory in Antalya has four telescopes but Özdemir claims that a growing light pollution is negatively affecting the observatory as well.

"The laser shows put on by nightclubs makes it impossible for us to observe the sky. We have already informed the related government offices about this issue," he added.

Apart from the city lights and lasers, the lights used by hunters at night and dust pollution from marble quarries also have negative effects on the observatory's ability to scan the night sky.