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Sorry Nick & Annette, I wasn't being cynical. I should qualify what I said perhaps. I think astro absolutely should be possible from your yard/balcony etc wherever that might be! I too resent having to drive in order to enjoy nature (incl. the night sky). I too have cursed Sydney's light dome many a time (and those of Malmö and Copenhagen, which can be seen from Germany across the Baltic Sea). But if you're going to convince the general population of the importance of minimising light pollution, believe me, advocating what is generally perceived as a nerdy & likeable but ultimately niche hobby as your main reason is not going to cut it. We've had to deal with that problem ourselves and were very careful to avoid (or at least mitigate) the kind of "your hobby vs my security" tangent that seems inevitable in this discussion. People and governments must understand that the problem is much more serious than not being able to see some galaxy. It's about your health and mine, it's about the general environment which are being disrupted & damaged. And those problems are very real. Fix them, and (sub)urban astronomy is bound to improve as well.
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