The dark sky in Free Soil made it possible for Brooke Edwards, NASA Solar System Ambassador, to take this photograph of the constellation Pegasus. She used a DSLR camera and tripod to take a long exposure with an ISO of approx. 6400.
By Brooke Edwards
I grew up on the outskirts of Philadelphia, and light pollution was a major influence in my life. Fascinated by space even at a young age, I would look up at the night sky only to see very few stars. The first time I was able to see the three stars of the belt of Orion is forever ingrained in my mind. Who knew constellations were a real thing?
I clearly remember one night at home. I had no lights on in my house, yet the interior was still slightly illuminated. It struck me that darkness was nowhere to be found there. Studies have shown that light pollution affects human quality of sleep and, therefore, health. It is no mystery why I was always tired.
It wasn’t until I moved to Manistee County in 2018 that I spotted a nonsensical, strange “cloud” stretching from one end of the sky to the other. I just happened to be outside one late July evening. As I looked up, my brain stumbled for answers until I realized what my eyes were seeing: the Milky Way, our galaxy, a sight so many people today never see in their lifetimes. The numerous stars were such a treat for me. I ended up being the “strange” one gushing over the night sky.
So began my journey to learn the constellations I could now see and even photograph. I longed to share the fascination and wonder that looking outside our window of spaceship Earth brings us. Becoming an amateur astronomer and single-shot astrophotographer has allowed me to do this.
Watching the ISS travel across the evening sky. Seeing comet Neowise in 2020, multiple lunar eclipses and fireballs light up the night. All were possible because of the low light pollution and unobstructed horizons in the areas around Manistee. How great it would be if future generations were able to take part in this wonder!
When I show people, especially children, views of the night sky through the telescope at my star parties, I see the awe in their facial expressions. There is a whole universe out there, away from our small Earth problems. While there is no spaceship to take us all there, our eyes and telescopes can. Our minds can. This is one reason I am passionate about astronomy. As an aspiring astronaut, I know that looking at and studying the night sky is the closest I can get to space without getting on a rocket.
Brooke Edwards is a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador. She lives in Manistee and has given area presentations and hosted night-sky viewings at Fifth Avenue beach and Orchard Beach State Park. Follow her on Instagram at brooke_of_stars.
1 Comment
I agree! Dark skies are a magical and important resource to protect. City lights should always point down and be red shifted /warm tones (like our phones and computers at night) to not disrupt humans and animals natural sleep cycles.