Just after midnight on a clear July night the Milky Way shines above Clearfield observatory. This band of countless stars and dust is our own galaxy and without doubt the most awe inspiring feature of the night sky. Seen from a truly dark location one can spend hours admiring the detail and structure.

Pictured here from a semi-rural location the Milky Way is visible but washed out from light pollution. From a major city its completely invisible. Proof that man affects nature and we are poorer as a result.