| |
You are here: Experts > Science > Space and Astronomy for Kids > Astronomy > Astronomy and "global warming"
Astronomy - Astronomy and "global warming"
Expert: Paul Wagner - 10/23/2009
Question
Is "global warming" affecting the recreational astronomer? Do you have any images from the past to compare with images of today?
Answer
HI Matt
It's hard to say how climate change would affect the recreational astronomer. Maybe there would be more cloudy days, or fewer, but in general, the skies are about the same, independent of the temperature.
But that's not to say that man's influence on the planet hasn't affected us. Light pollution, combined with air pollution, have made the skies a great deal worse than they used to be. Messier discovered and cataloged his list of non-stellar objects from downtown Paris with a 3 inch telescope in the 1700's. Many of those objects are now only visible from very dark locations, or through much larger scopes.
Paul Wagner
Add to this Answer Ask a Question
|
|
