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City of Lost Stars
Hui Tsz Shun – Nicoria, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Dylan Thomas was right, of course. We need to “rage against the dying of the light.”
City of Lost Stars
By Hui Tsz Shun – Nicoria
If you have ever stood in the Australian desert, travelled to other extreme latitudes, or escaped to the outer edges of civilization on our pale blue dot, then you will have seen the flicker of a billion stars that light up the heavens like a canopy of crystals. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful display and a constant shimmering connection to the universe and our humble place within it.
But if gravity then pulls you back to a city like Hong Kong, where artificial light has consumed all, you will stand beneath a sky that is dark in its emptiness. And if you are the thinking type, you will ask why have the stars left this once great city?
And I will ask you, dear traveller, as an astronomer – and we are all astronomers on some level – where would you rather be?
Astronomy in Hong Kong — A Tale of Decline
In 1958, the Student Union of the University of Hong Kong founded its astronomy club and helped launch a stargazing fad. It has been arranging summer astronomical courses and film screenings for secondary students ever since. For a long time, the campaign was successful as it inspired many secondary school students to establish their own astronomy clubs. Yet interest has gradually declined over the years.
What has led to this decline?
There are many factors, but the rapid development of the city, with the expansion of high-rise buildings and increasing light pollution, has made stargazing in Hong Kong more challenging than ever before. Combine this with the ever more frequent cloudy weather due to climate change, and it is little surprise that the starless nights have drained much of our passion for astronomy, making us feel disheartened at times.
Hong Kong Shines Bright
The local urban night sky in Hong Kong is 1000 times brighter than it would be without all the artificial light. Perhaps this is why it is commonly thought of as the most light-polluted city in the world. Ironically, the Hong Kong Space Museum, designed to educate people about the cosmos and the joys of gazing at it, is situated in Tsim Sha Tsui, which is perhaps the most light-polluted area in Hong Kong due to the abundance of billboards and floodlights. While the city’s bright lights might appeal to some earthbound residents and visitors, they wash out the starlight, making it nearly impossible for amateur astronomers to indulge in their passion.
As a lover of all things astronomical since the age of 12, I vividly remember the continuous grind of staying up late into the night, braving the cold or heat, and slightly adjusting my telescope in Sai Kung Country Park just to catch a glimpse of a deep sky object or distant celestial bodies. The excitement of capturing a faint galaxy in my telescope was usually overshadowed by the frustration of the bright city lights blurring out the details. The stars, which should be our gateway into the massive universe, are being hidden by the city itself.
No one would argue that a metropolis with a vibrant nightlife like Hong Kong doesn’t need at least some illumination in the evening. However, consider the viewpoint of Dr. Pun Chun-shing, a physicist at the University of Hong Kong, who asserts that such lighting is being misused: “Lighting is supposed to provide safety and security for people’s daily lives. Lights are for human use and not for the sky. But what we see is that many lights are pointing to the sky.” Illuminate city streets—sure. But what need is there to shine light on the sky itself?
Tsui Sai Hang, the co-founder of HOBBYHK and an astronomy educator, states that when his organisation runs their astronomy courses, they must go to places with very low light pollution, like Sai Kung East Dam, to engage in stargazing. If the activities were held in urban areas, the skyline of tall buildings might be in the way, or stars that are not as bright would not be visible.
To illustrate, Tsui Sai Hang explains that the constellation Orion may be seen in urban regions, but only 50% or less of stars are normally visible. This poses a problem since instructors find it difficult to properly present the constellation to course participants. Naturally, these guides to the universe often fail to foster full interest in astronomy among their students.
In fact, Hang often encounters participants who ask, “Can you actually see stars in Hong Kong?” This reinforces the perspective gained through my research – Hong Kong is full of high-rise buildings, with serious light pollution problems and fewer clear nights, so it is hard for city residents to even notice that there are stars in the sky. The result is a decline in interest in astronomy in Hong Kong.
Stargazing Under a Veil
As mentioned, cloudy weather has also become a major irritant for Hong Kong’s astronomy enthusiasts. Can you imagine the disappointment of gearing up to explore the mysteries of the universe, only to find them shrouded by clouds?
When I was a child, my father used to take me to Sai Kung to stargaze. Recently I returned there with my little cousin, expecting the celestial wonders to unfold before us just as they were revealed to me once upon a time. Alas, the stars were nowhere to be seen. The once clear and dazzling night sky had been suffocated by a thick layer of cloud and smog. I had so looked forward to opening my cousin’s eyes to the joy and amazement of this incredible world beyond ours, yet it all simply went up in smoke, so to speak.
Charles, a former chairperson of the Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School Astronomy Club, can sympathize. He informs me that whenever they tried to organize an outdoor stargazing event, uncertainties, mainly weather-related, often put the whole event in jeopardy: “If the weather is not ready for us, we cannot do anything.” Naturally, the risk of adverse weather conditions exists for any stargazing event anywhere in the world, but in Hong Kong, the risk of a cancelled excursion has increased noticeably. How many can keep the flame of their passion for astronomy alive in these conditions?
Relight the Sky
Hong Kong’s astronomy culture is akin to a dying planetary nebula. It’s crucial to take proactive measures to reduce the light pollution of the night sky and reignite the passion for stargazing in this dynamic city. Hong Kong can follow the example of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan, which has designated Iriomote Ishigake National Park as an “International Dark Sky Place” where star lovers can gaze into skies dark enough to enjoy millions of celestial objects. Education in the form of guided tours in rural areas, perhaps organised by the Hong Kong Space Museum, can also raise public awareness about the value of skies untouched by artificial light and enthral many with the visible wonders at night.
Like the stars that will keep twinkling above but concealed behind layers of clouds and terrestrial lighting, there are still Hong Kongers whose interest in astronomy continues to glow even amidst the neon haze and skyscrapers of our city. It is the duty of every local star-lover to work towards ensuring that future generations will be able to behold the magnificence and mystery of the cosmos by merely looking upward with their eyes wide in amazement.
Return the lost stars to our city; rage against the dying of the light.
About the Author
Nicoria is a junior in PolyU’s surveying program. She is a native of Hong Kong, which must make her hobby of stargazing difficult. Perhaps this is why she also enjoys travelling. After graduation, you will find this surveyor exploring the world, hopefully, waist-deep in its lush natural environments and rich cultures.
As a student in ELC2011, I was asked to write a feature article on a topic that captured my interest and could unleash my deepest emotions. I decided to focus on astronomy, which has been a personal passion since the age of 12. I selected this topic because the extinction of visible stars in Hong Kong is something that directly affects me and people who have undergone the pain of watching stars fade away.
Author’s Reflection
The main challenge that I faced was to present the facts about the problem associated with light pollution in a manner that used pathos to appeal to the reader’s emotions. My teacher’s feedback motivated me to pay more attention to narrative progression, especially regarding how to use stories to bring together science and feeling. In the process of retelling the article for Inscribe, it was necessary to exclude certain aspects, and perhaps shift the emphasis to the human factors involved.
Reflection on this writing process allowed me to develop as a writer and learn to address my target audience by combining scholarly findings and my own experience. I hope that my writing has allowed readers to feel my passion for astronomy and share in my desire to see our Hong Kong night skies twinkle again.