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Announcements Mar 29, 2026 at 6:44 AM

I miss seeing the stars

Posted by ConjoinedObsession

anyone else feel like its more rare to have good starwatching weather? I also just..cant go out at night nearly as often anymore. I work night shifts and it just takes up all of my good starwatching hours. actually I dont really get to enjoy day OR night anymore. too sleepy to enjoy the sun and too busy to enjoy the moon. wtf nature.
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consultthebones85 Mar 29, 2026 +5
I was in prison 3 1/2 years in isolation,and have been out a little over a month. It’s nice to see the sky again even if I can’t see the stars.
5
GreenGhost1985 Mar 29, 2026 +2
Glad your out. When you say 3 1/2 years isolation do you mean solitary confinement? If so what did you do to get that. If you don’t mind sharing that is.
2
No-Associate6637 Mar 29, 2026 +6
light pollution is so depressing when you actually sit down and think about it. living in a city makes you completely forget that the rest of the universe is even up there dude.
6
ConjoinedObsession Mar 29, 2026 +2
Seeing those countryside night sky pictures just makes me depressed lmao. Like wow im missing an insane view
2
Business-Bend5387 Mar 29, 2026 +10
I never saw a sky full of stars . it's my dream to see one day!!!
10
commanderquill Mar 29, 2026 +3
I was a dark sky ranger for a bit at a national park. I got to be up at the mountain at night with a telescope and laser pointer teaching people about what they were seeing, and it was so amazing. There's nothing like showing someone the sky for the first time. It's an interesting experience because, on one hand, it's nothing like the pictures, and if you're expecting the pictures you'll be disappointed. There are no colors and your eyes aren't good enough to pick up all the stars, especially not before your night vision adjusts, which takes about half an hour and most people aren't patient enough to wait that long. But on the other hand, a picture can never prepare you for how *massive* it is. And! When people are looking for the picture, they miss what they're seeing, and I *love* pointing it out to them. Without fail, everyone seeing the night sky for the first time dismissed the biggest part of it without even realizing. They got excited about the brightest and shiniest stars or got distracted by planes or satellites or trying to walk in pitch darkness. I would go up to them and ask, "Do you know what you're looking at?", and the answer was typically no. So I'd ask them to point out what they see, and they often still wouldn't point out The Thing. It was hilarious. So I would. I'd go, "What do you think that grey stuff is stretching across the sky?" and without fail, they'd say clouds. Which is why they didn't mention it before, because clouds are nothing special. Sometimes, depending on the vibes, I'd lead them on. I'd go huh, odd that the clouds haven't moved. Or huh, do clouds usually go from north to south like that? Loved to make them think it over, and if they got it, man, they were so excited! As it turns out, the Milky Way in real life looks like clouds! Nothing like the pictures, but no one I showed it to was ever disappointed. There's something about it sneaking up on you like that, the surprise of realizing something you dismissed is actually not at all what you thought it was, that gives you a whole different kind of joy. I can't wait for you to see it for yourself!
3
Business-Bend5387 Mar 29, 2026 +1
now i want to see by myself more ...i think i have enough patience for that ...
1
commanderquill Mar 29, 2026 +2
I highly recommend going to a national park with an astronomy program. The night sky is gorgeous no matter what, but it's somehow even more spectacular when you know even just a little bit of what you're looking at. They'll point out the planets and the major stars and constellations so you can orient yourself, and you'll get to see all sorts of amazing things through a telescope as well as your naked eye. By yourself, you'll likely not know that the tiny grey blob you can see only in your peripheral vision is a whole galaxy or nebula, and you certainly won't see it close up. Once the program orients you, you'll be much better at using star charts and even star finding apps (although turning on your phone will ruin your night vision--red light only!) on your own, and you'll continue to get more and more joy out of it.
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Business-Bend5387 Mar 29, 2026 +2
i have star gazing app even though i can't see anything so i just locate it ..and yeah this is in my bucket list so i'll see definitely
2
Even-Conflict8381 Mar 29, 2026 +4
You can try camping in mountains so you have a peace of mind
4
monopoly-surreal Mar 29, 2026 +3
I moved from a rural area to a megacity. On a good day I can see Venus. Forget about the milky way...
3
Beyou74 Mar 29, 2026 +4
I just did the opposite, I have never seen so many stars! And my house has windows on all sides, I can watch the moon rise!
4
Milhent Mar 29, 2026 +3
I live in the city. We get a lot of clear nights, wo weather is not a problem. But light pollution is a nightmare. If you are lucky, you can see some brightest stars in spring and autumn when there's no snow already / yet. I remember from my childhood how beautiful sky was. In winter when mother picked up my sister and I from daycare, we would stop and watch stars and look for UFO. We even saw some. XD
3
ConjoinedObsession Mar 29, 2026 +2
I really miss those feelings. When I was a kid id always stare up in awe at how beautiful it was. Now im lucky if I can even see it, period
2
Neuvilette_374 Mar 29, 2026 +2
I feel that. Night shifts really mess with your sense of time and everything outdoors starts feeling off-limits. On my days off I try to catch a short sunset or peek at the stars even for ten minutes, it doesn’t replace a full night of stargazing, but it’s something.
2
Specialist_Border291 Mar 29, 2026 +2
yeah same here, feels like its not even about the weather, just no time or energy anymore. even when the sky is clear im too tired to go out and look up properly…
2
ConjoinedObsession Mar 29, 2026 +1
Life is exhausting tbh :<
1
4-Birds Mar 29, 2026 +1
We live rural NZ and can see so many stars when we pop outside. The other night we went for a drive up in the bush and saw even more stars as we were well away from any lights. It was amazing And when I get up during the night I stand in the dark kitchen looking at the stars through the window
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ConjoinedObsession Mar 29, 2026 +1
Ive heard NZ is an amazing place for stargazers. 🥺 im jealous
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flyingkea Mar 29, 2026 +1
I grew up in New Zealand, now live in Australia. I remember going to places like Tekapo as a kid regularly, and it was like the stars were jewels glowing in the sky, it was incredible. Here in Western Australia, it’s pretty good when you get away from the city too.
1
jazzynerd Mar 29, 2026 +1
I use pococo galaxy projector and gifted to many of my friends who love it. And while it may not be the same but it's pretty close.
1
Competitive_Web_6658 Mar 30, 2026 +2
I saw the stars for the first time when I was 18. I felt sheer existential dread and horror at the size of the universe. Like, we’re seeing some of those stars as they were 30,000 years ago, not as they are now. We’ll never know what it really looks like out there.
2
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