Cosmic Ladder: Step 1 - Our Home Planet
This week we’ll be taking a five-step journey outward from the surface of the Earth to the edges of the known universe.
We’ll begin our journey peering outward through a veil of atmospheric gases that provide critical life support, and also shield us from cosmic debris and meteors that would otherwise reach the surface and cause massive damage. It’s easy to take for granted just how thin this protective shroud is. The edge of space is considered to be 100 km up, just over 60 miles, or roughly the distance from Denver to Ft. Collins. As thin as it is, it’s all that shields us from harmful solar energy, flying space rocks and other disastrous phenomena.
Until we engineered space telescopes to fly outside the atmosphere, all of our astronomical observations had to take place through this gaseous lens. While there are several effects it has on observations, none is more pronounced than the detrimental light spill from urban areas that reflects off the lower atmosphere and causes an orange haze that effectively blocks the sky behind it. This is what astronomers call ‘light pollution’ and it has had the unfortunate effect of obscuring the Milky Way for most people living in the US and around the world. The illustration simulates the difference between the night sky viewed within a city and far from any light pollution sources, such as deep in the Rocky Mountains.
To maximize your night vision when away from city lights, remember to give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adapt without looking at any light from your phone or other artificial light.
Tomorrow we’re moving outward to talk about the Moon and planets in our Solar System.
Check back each weekday @ 5:00 pm for more observing guides and science news!
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Stay well, and clear skies!