Being high above the clouds should mean a clearer view, but that’s not always how it works
Most of us try to catch some sleep on a flight, but let’s be honest, we often end up wide awake, staring blankly out of the window instead.
Sure, maybe you’ve got a good playlist queued up or a travel buddy who won’t stop talking, but there’s something strangely calming about watching the world drift by thousands of feet below you.
While it’s easy to spot landscapes and city lights, have you ever noticed how you almost never catch a glimpse of stars while cruising through the night sky? Well, a scientist has finally broken down exactly why this happens.
Being up among the stars doesn’t equal the best view Getty Stock Photo
Writing on Medium, theoretical astrophysicist and science writer Ethan Siegel pointed out that artificial light plays a huge role in this nighttime mystery.
Even though you’re far from the glow of busy cities, the soft lights inside the plane cabin can be enough to block out your view of the stars.
Siegel explained it like this: “You can understand this pretty easily if you think about being in your own house at night. If you have the lights on inside but it’s dark outside, who can see what?”
“From outside the house, someone looking in can see everything you’re up to. But if you want to see what’s going on outside, you need to turn off the lights inside and turn out the lights outside, don’t you?”
“As a general rule, it needs to be darker at the place where you’re looking from than the place you’re looking to, or you won’t be able to see much of anything.”
“If it weren’t for the lights of the plane itself, you would, in fact, be able to have some of the best skies available to humans.”
Even the smallest light in the plane can have an impact Getty Stock Photo
While the cabin lights are the biggest reason behind this, they’re not the only culprit keeping the stars out of sight.
Light pollution from the ground still makes a difference, even when you’re flying at cruising altitude. The artificial glow from cities can reduce the stars’ brightness.
And let’s not forget the moon. A bright moon can wash out the stars completely, making them nearly impossible to spot during your flight.
So while soaring above the clouds might feel like the perfect place for stargazing, it turns out there are more obstacles than you’d think.
At least now you’ll have a fun fact ready for your next flight!
