I hail from Karachi, the bustling metropolitan city of Pakistan known for its vibrant culture and bustling city life. Growing up, I developed a keen interest in astronomy, but was often disheartened by the city lights that made it difficult to see the stars.
My dream of witnessing a dark sky full of stars, like the ones depicted in astronomy books, was finally realized on December 30, 2022. I was part of a group of students and faculty members from the Institute of Space Science and Technology at the University of Karachi, who embarked on an educational trip to Taqwa Space Observatory in Bela, Balochistan.
The night air was cool and crisp, perfumed with the scent of earth and wildflowers. Despite the cold weather, we spent an unforgettable night gazing at the mesmerizing beauty of the dark sky filled with stars. It was a surreal experience to witness shooting stars streak across the sky. It was a moment frozen in time, etched forever in my memory.
The sky was an endless canvas, painted with a million glittering stars that twinkled like diamonds. Under that dark, starry sky, I felt small and insignificant, yet connected to something much larger than myself. The vastness of the universe and the beauty of the night sky left me breathless, humbled, and filled with a sense of wonder and awe. It was a magical, unforgettable experience, one that I will always cherish and hold dear to my heart.
Here are some quotations that I love about light pollution and dark sky.
I can't see the stars anymore living here
Let's go to the hills where the outlines are clear...
~Susan Enan, "Bring On The Wonder," 2005
In the country the darkness of night is friendly and familiar, but in a city, with its blaze of lights, it is unnatural, hostile and menacing. ~W. Somerset Maugham, 1900
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder where you are.
Looking up is no solution;
The sky's so full of light pollution.
~David H. Levy, astronomer, c. 2013, unverified
...suddenly propelled by a desire to see the stars,
i'll find myself driving nowhere
(over great stretches of road)
until some twist around a mountain
obliterates all trace of the city except a vague
luminescence glowing in the sky...
~Ken Sekaquaptewa and Candy St. Jacques, Sahuaro, 1970, yearbook of the Associated Students of Arizona State University
