Description
Light pollution is prevalent in the urban environment, which makes night sky observation challenging. Existing studies suggest that they are particularly prominent within 3 metres of the ground level, but the extent of reduction in light pollution away from the ground seems to be understudied. This study investigates the difference in the degree of light pollution between the ground level and an upper-floor level on a high-rise building to explore if the visibility of the night sky will improve when we move away from the ground level. As a case study, the Constellations of Orion and Pegasus were observed at the ground level and at 120m above the ground to estimate the naked-eye limiting magnitude. On clear nights, observations from the ground level recorded stars in the range of τ Ori (apparent magnitude=3.58) and Homam (ζ Peg) (m=3.41) whereas, at 120m above the ground, ν Ori (m=4.42) and Salm (τ Peg) (m=4.58) could be seen. While this is a pilot study, it demonstrates the effectiveness of moving away from the ground level to observe the night sky.
