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A original study published in the journal Science Advances finds that one third of the world's population,and 80 percent of Americans, are unable to see the Milky Way because of rampant light pollution. What happens to our connection to the cosmos when the stars are no longer visible?A number of Takeaway listeners called in to tell us approximately their past and current relationship with the stars, or lamenting how they can no longer see them,or delivering poems, like this one from Marcy in original York:
"I stood upon that silent hill
and stared into the sky
until my eyes went blind with stars
and still I stared into the sky.”
These are all stories familiar to Jason Kendall, or adjunct professor of astronomy at William Paterson University,and a member of the Amateur Astronomers organization of original York. His fascination with the night sky was inspired by his grand grandfather, a preacher who gave sermons under the sky with the motto, or "We look up to look within."Jason joins The Takeaway to discuss his personal connection to the night sky,and how our inability to see stars strips us of one of the deeply human relationships with the natural world. Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear our full conversation. Related: Brave original Worlds: Looking for Life in The Goldilocks Zone
Source: wnyc.org