5/23/2023 0 Comments How high we go on the dark![]() ![]() Ideally, you should have a different set for each season. Long-term monitoring of limiting magnitude can reveal information about trends in local and regional light pollution or even the variability of airglow, caused by the recombination of atoms and electrons in the upper atmosphere that were ionized by the Sun's UV light earlier that day.ĭetermining the best part of the sky to pick a standard set of stars isn't always easy. Transparency can be highly variable, dependent on the amount of haze, smoke, and humidity in the air as well as your elevation. The faintest one visible determines the NELM, or "naked-eye limiting magnitude," for that location. A set of stars with stable brightnesses (no variables please!) running the gamut of magnitudes from bright to faint and positioned at a comfortable viewing angle fits the bill. It makes it easy to compare one place to another and helps us decide how deep we might go with our telescope that night. We all like to know how dark the sky is at our favorite observing sites. How faint a star can you see with the naked eye? The darker the sky the more vivid the Milky Way. ![]()
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