The sky always looks different in each city. When I lived in Arizona, the sky always had a clear appearance. At night, it was much easier to see all the stars and they would seem to shine brighter. Now that I think about it, the night sky in Arizona was the “purest,” meaning, I had a better view of it because of the desert weather and reduced pollution in comparison to other places I’ve lived in.
The night sky in Los Angeles on the other hand…
…it always seems like it is competing for attention.
New York was the first city to be referred to as “The City That Never Sleeps” but this description can pretty much be applied to any major city. It is always in motion. Always “awake” in one sense or another.
I’ve realized that whenever I’m in a major city, like Los Angeles, I don’t really pay attention to the night sky. It always seems to fade into the background because the pollution does not allow for a clear view (although the pollution provides a multitude of colors as the sun sets), the buildings compete for attention, and everything else on the ground is lit up at night, that darkness and the light of the moon and stars is taken for granted. People wait for the darkness so they can see how the city lights up artificially.
Can the night sky truly be appreciated in a large metropolis? For example, if I look out my bedroom window at night, I hardly get to see the sky. I can’t look directly up. My apartment building faces a cemetery so from where I stand, I mostly see a fence, grass, tombstones, and lots of tall trees that actually block out the sky from my view. I don’t have access to the apartment building’s rooftop. If I go outside, the buildings in my neighborhood are tall. When I look up, my vision is obstructed by the buildings. I can’t just look at the night sky because then I see the tops or sides of structures, lamp posts, telephone lines. It’s always a modified view, not a full one.
My current location does not allow me to fully appreciate the night sky. Like many other things, Los Angeles reduces the once-remarkable to the ordinary. A friendly reminder that things are there but not worthy of notice.
The night sky in Los Angeles on the other hand…
…it always seems like it is competing for attention.
New York was the first city to be referred to as “The City That Never Sleeps” but this description can pretty much be applied to any major city. It is always in motion. Always “awake” in one sense or another.
I’ve realized that whenever I’m in a major city, like Los Angeles, I don’t really pay attention to the night sky. It always seems to fade into the background because the pollution does not allow for a clear view (although the pollution provides a multitude of colors as the sun sets), the buildings compete for attention, and everything else on the ground is lit up at night, that darkness and the light of the moon and stars is taken for granted. People wait for the darkness so they can see how the city lights up artificially.
Can the night sky truly be appreciated in a large metropolis? For example, if I look out my bedroom window at night, I hardly get to see the sky. I can’t look directly up. My apartment building faces a cemetery so from where I stand, I mostly see a fence, grass, tombstones, and lots of tall trees that actually block out the sky from my view. I don’t have access to the apartment building’s rooftop. If I go outside, the buildings in my neighborhood are tall. When I look up, my vision is obstructed by the buildings. I can’t just look at the night sky because then I see the tops or sides of structures, lamp posts, telephone lines. It’s always a modified view, not a full one.
My current location does not allow me to fully appreciate the night sky. Like many other things, Los Angeles reduces the once-remarkable to the ordinary. A friendly reminder that things are there but not worthy of notice.