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Article: Star search (Part 1).(CHART-READING SKILLS)(quiz about stars)
- Article from:
- Science World
- Article date:
- April 2, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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On December 31, 1879, Thomas Alva Edison gave the first public demonstration of electric lighting. Since then, people have flooded the night sky with artificial light--blotting out the view of many stars.
On a clear, dark night far from light pollution, stargazers can spot approximately 2,500 celestial points of light. But that number dwindles as you approach cities. People living in the suburbs of New York City, for example, can only see an estimated 250 stars. Residents of Manhattan are lucky if they can make out 15.
Why are some stars easier to spot than others-despite light pollution? Some stars can outshine artificial light. A star's apparent ...