Fargo Moorhead has become much brighter in the three decades I have lived here. As the region has grown in population, the quantity of light in the night sky has increased greatly. Not only are there more buildings with lights, there are also more lights in between buildings. There are more streetlights and backyard lights, and most of those lights are brighter than they were 31 years ago. Of course, the streets are probably safer, too. This has happened with a purpose in mind. But the consequence of all this extra light is a pollution of sorts. It is called light pollution and it makes it harder to see the details of the night sky. The moon, the brighter stars, and the main planets can still be found easily enough. But the Milky Way, shooting stars, and the Northern Lights are just too faint to be seen in town anymore because of too much ambient light.
