What’s that in the sky?

When the Northridge earthquake caused the loss of electrical power in Los Angeles in 1994, Joe Sharkey reported recently in the New York Times, officials received calls from anxious residents who saw a “giant silvery cloud” in the sky.  They were told not to worry, that what they were seeing was the Milky Way galaxy.  Many city dwellers rarely see stars in the night sky.  Even in New Haven, it is difficult to see many stars at night due to what is called light pollution, excessive exterior lighting that shines up into the sky.  Many individuals, businesses and communities are finding ways to improve their viewing of the night sky by using recommendations from The International Dark-Sky Association.