How Bright Would the Milky Way Look If It Had No Dust?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the visibility of the Milky Way if interstellar dust were absent. Participants note that interstellar dust significantly obscures the light from the Milky Way, making it difficult to observe from urban areas. Urban light pollution further complicates visibility, as factors like street lighting and local regulations on outdoor lighting can affect brightness perception. The conversation highlights the variability in visibility based on environmental conditions rather than providing a definitive answer to the original question.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of interstellar dust and its impact on light transmission
  • Knowledge of urban light pollution and its sources
  • Familiarity with astronomical observation techniques
  • Awareness of local lighting regulations and their effects on visibility
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of interstellar dust on astronomical observations
  • Explore methods to mitigate urban light pollution
  • Study the impact of different types of street lighting on night sky visibility
  • Investigate local regulations regarding outdoor lighting in urban areas
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, urban planners, environmental scientists, and anyone interested in improving night sky visibility and understanding the effects of light pollution.

CygnusX-1
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Interstellar dust prevents us from seeing most of the light of the Milky Way. Does anyone know how bright it would look if it had no dust at all? As it is, the Milky Way is impossible to see from cities and many suburbs, but how would the situation improve if there were no dust between the stars?
 
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Not to make problems for you, but cut and paste your title into a search engine and see if that doesn't wok for you. I just tried it, and it seemed okay to me.

With regard to urban light pollution (what you described) you cannot make blanket statements about brightness of astronomical objects with any great certainty.
Why? It depends on the type of street lighting, nearby parking lots and so on. Example: Some urban neighborhoods in Santa Fe have covenants about outdoor lighting, which improves things a lot, IMO.

PF not a very good replacement for Google searches, anyhow.
 
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