TheTelescope

One of the biggest challenges that astronomers face when viewing celestial bodies is light pollution. Because of the city lights that flood residential areas, it’s becoming more and more difficult to get a good, clear view of the sky. However, as a star gazer there are actually some steps that you can take to lessen the magnitude this problem.

One common type of light pollution is the presence of too much artificial light in the place where you are stargazing. This is usually caused by problematic light fixtures, and they are mostly due to street lights, security lights and other nighttime illumination. It’s like being blinded by the headlights of an on-coming car. There’s nothing much you can do about this, and the best solution is simply to move to a new location where there are less artificial light sources. If you live in a community that is close to a hill, try moving your setup to the top of the hill.

Another major type of light pollution is caused by the general “glow” of the night sky. This is caused by light reflections near the city you reside in. This kind of light pollution looks impossible to solve at first, but it can simply be controlled by the use of light pollution filters. These filters help in removing the “bad” light and allow the “good” light to pass through. Light pollution filters are available in three types, namely: narrowband, broadband and line filters.

Which light pollution filter should you use? It really depends on your needs. Broadband filters work best on densely populated communities since more people use lights at night. If you meanwhile are more interested in planets and other heavenly bodies aside from stars, then you can choose to get a narrowband instead.

There are many reputable telescope brands that manufacture quality light pollution filters, such as Celestron, Orion and Meade. The better you are at using these filters, the more effective and pleasurable your stargazing experience will be.