<p>I was curious to how long it will be until the stars are not able to be seen due to light pollution. I started wondering this after reading Yummie's Flash comic <a href="http://yuumei.deviantart.com/art/Knite-Chapter-1-151132545" rel="nofollow">Knite</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-13T00:42:44.747Z
@TildalWave That is less an issue of light pollution as it is smog: fine particulate air pollution.  A pretty shocking thought all the same.
zibadawa timmy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-13T11:34:25.257Z
@zibadawa timmy If skies were perfectly clear, as they are for example on the moon, we could have all the lights we wanted shining into the sky and it wouldn't affect limiting magnitude. Backscatter and haze are the problem; humidity, cloud, dust and pollution.
Wayfaring Stranger
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-13T23:29:08.737Z
@TidalWave Then why is Hong Kong considered the most light polluted city in the world?
zibadawa timmy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-14T01:34:39.603Z
@TidalWave The first photo seems to indicate that you can still see stars in the Hong Kong night sky.  Whereas earlier you were asserting that not just Beijing but almost the entirety of China was so light polluted that an entire generation has never seen a star or planet, and barely even the moon.  So what is the definition that makes Hong Kong #1?
zibadawa timmy
<observational-astronomy><light-pollution>
How long until the stars are no longer visible by the human eye due to light pollution?
Henry
# How long until the stars are no longer visible by the human eye due to light pollution?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-04-12)

I was curious to how long it will be until the stars are not able to be seen due to light pollution. I started wondering this after reading Yummie's Flash comic [Knite](http://yuumei.deviantart.com/art/Knite-Chapter-1-151132545).

**Tags:** observational-astronomy, light-pollution

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @TildalWave That is less an issue of light pollution as it is smog: fine particulate air pollution.  A pretty shocking thought all the same.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 If skies were perfectly clear, as they are for example on the moon, we could have all the lights we wanted shining into the sky and it wouldn't affect limiting magnitude. Backscatter and haze are the problem; humidity, cloud, dust and pollution.  
> **username_1**: @TidalWave Then why is Hong Kong considered the most light polluted city in the world?  
> **username_1**: @TidalWave The first photo seems to indicate that you can still see stars in the Hong Kong night sky.  Whereas earlier you were asserting that not just Beijing but almost the entirety of China was so light polluted that an entire generation has never seen a star or planet, and barely even the moon.  So what is the definition that makes Hong Kong #1?  

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## 0 answers

