Went back to the Griffith Observatory last weekend and the light pollution from downtown LA is way worse than I remember from ten years ago.

4 comments

4 Comments

That point about atmospheric conditions changing how we see things really hits home. I notice the same thing with how loud my neighborhood feels. Some nights it's dead quiet, other nights you hear every car and dog from blocks away. It's all the same stuff happening, but tiny changes in the air or weather make it seem totally different.

the_faith1mo ago

Yeah, it's the same reason my old car only smells like french fries on rainy days.

charles4421mo agoMost Upvoted

Nah, the glow is definitely getting brighter every year. More buildings, more screens, more everything shining up at the sky. The haze just shows it off more.

joseph_ellis851mo ago

Actually, the Griffith Observatory website says light pollution has been pretty stable for the last fifteen years. What changes a lot is the atmospheric conditions. On a super clear night after rain, it looks better. On a hazy or humid night, the light scatters way more and makes the glow seem worse. It was probably just a different type of night compared to your last visit.

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