how much does increasing altitude change views

[Oldboy]

Had an interesting experience while viewing Venus (naked eye) last night
I was at a friends address which is about 150mts higher in altitude (and a couple of K further east) than my home and possibly less effected by "man made light" - Venus appeared clear and bright. After arriving home a trip of about 15 minutes from the last location Venus appeared duller. Could this be put down to more light at my home (for the locals Bunnings lights my local sky) or a change of atmospheric conditions (inversion, smoke, muck layer) diluting brightness??
thoughts plse........

[mickoking]

Old boy,

It sounds like all the airborne muck was settling at your lower altitude due to the cold air at night falling and dragging the days pollution and moisture with it. Of course Bunnings wouldn't help the situation either. That is why most major observatories are up high and well away from light pollution.

[acropolite (Phil)]

In Lonny it's the woodfire smoke, coupled with a generous dose of forestry burnoff smoke which BTW has been nonstop since easter, compliments of you know who and Forestry Tasmania. I live on a hill near legana and can see the ever present blanket of smoke over Lonny, and every night to the north there's a dirty brown cloud from the burnoffs. Once the weather gets too hot for burnoffs we might get a few months of relief. Enjoy your eucalypt cigarrette while it lasts after all it costs nothing....except your health...

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Apart from fog, dust and smoke settling in lower regions Altitude does, however, play a part in viewing. The higher you go up the less atmosphere you have to look through. I don't think 150 metres would be all that noticable though.

I am 500 metres higher than Melborne which gives me half a kilometere less air to look through and that amount is supposed to be noticable!

It sounds more like Bunnings is your problem.