What is Skyglow?

Skyglow is when city lights make the night sky look bright, even far away from the city.

Imagine you're sitting outside on a dark night, looking up at the stars, but instead of seeing just the stars, it's like someone turned on a big lamp in the sky. That’s skyglow. It happens because light from buildings, streetlights, and cars in the city doesn’t just go straight up, it bounces around and travels far, making the night look less dark.

Think of a flashlight shining through a foggy forest. The light doesn't just go straight, it hits trees, rocks, and leaves, bouncing off everything until it reaches you. That’s how skyglow works: city lights bounce around in the air and on clouds, making the whole sky glow.

If you’ve ever been in a really dark place and seen the stars clearly, like at a campsite or in the mountains, you know what it feels like to see the night without skyglow. But if you’re in a city, it’s more like looking up at a cloudy sky that's lit from inside, not because of stars, but because of lights far away.

So next time you look at the night sky and it doesn’t seem as dark as it should be, remember: it might just be skyglow playing hide-and-seek with the stars.