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Comment by pjot | Hacker News Reader

I think we’re already past that point. I can hardly see stars now given the amount of light pollution my city puts off. Little dots zipping around won’t change much.

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The difference is that at least light pollution from the ground/cities you can at least get away from by going to remote places. The satellites you can't really do anything about, they'll appear no matter where you go, even in the middle of nowhere.

this. same problem with noise pollution, but worse as you can't close your ears

I think we're in an in-between stage--at some point, it'll be within reach for people who want an uninterrupted view of the night sky to catch a ride into orbit and just look out the window up there.

> it'll be within reach for people who want an uninterrupted view of the night sky to catch a ride into orbit

The thought that would be necessary just to see the night sky depresses me beyond belief.

You'll still be able to see the night sky (if you're far enough outside a city)--there will just be a lot more lights in it :)

Perhaps, if you were to move (as in: relocate), you might find that we're not completely past this point yet.

At least in the US, over 80% of the population lives in an urban area - practically speaking, we’ve passed the mark.

that's kind of a self-centered rationalization.

"We in the city can no longer see the night sky, so it's now an unimportant issue."

SpaceX sky-litter is the first time that i've had my night-sky obstructed far-far off-coast on the ocean; that feels significant somehow.

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