Above: That could be us – the Milky Way above South Wairarapa, New Zealand. Photo by Frank Hopfler. See: https://darksky.org/news/request-for-support-for-a-petition-to-reduce-light-pollution-at-night-in-new-zealand/
The most recent issue of Free Astronomy Magazine (March-April 2026) is available for your reading and downloading pleasure in English, Italian, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Chinese at www.astropublishing.com (and facebook).
In light of (pun intended) the previous post and my observing habits the past few years, I very distinctly remember walking outside the evening of 12 March 2021 with a garbage bag in my hand, looking up as I flung the bin lid open, and seeing my first Starlink convoy moving west-to-east. "I'll be damned," was the first thing that came out, having not done much of any other observing for many months. There has been much said about the impact of lights high above on visual observing and astrophotography, and far more in the context of light pollution said about our illumination habits on the ground. Important article had in this issue among all of the other excellent content.
