Over half of the UK's population cannot see stars in the sky because the night skies are still 'saturated' with light pollution, campaigners have warned.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England and the Campaign for Dark Skies recently undertook the annual Star Count survey and of those who participated only 53% failed to see more than 10 stars in the Orion constellation.
Despite attempts to curb street lighting the problem remains. It is a sad fact that many children growing up in Britain today will never see the Milky Way and the billions of blinking stars in the sky.
Speaking to the BBC Bob Mizon of the CfDS said: "It's like a veil of light is being drawn across the night sky, denying many people the beauty of a truly starry night.
"Many children growing up today will never see the Milky Way; never see the unimaginable glory of billions of visible stars shining above them," he said.
The government has now for the first time issued a national guidance that will encourage local planning authorities to reduce light pollution through urban design improvements.
This is great news, for as someone who grew up witnessing the starry night sky in the darkness of the Arctic regions, it is truly a wondrous sight. I would not be without it and I believe everyone should be able to see it with their own eyes.
