Just like the deaf really know the price of the gift of hearing and the blind the value of the ability to see, residents of places where unspoiled skies are scarce and highly endangered realize what the curtain of wasted outdoor lighting has taken away from them. Ronald S. Whitehead of Dayton, Ohio who has been to Pakistan a couple of times, once wrote to me:
"Seeing the full glory of The Milky Way in a real dark sky is spiritual! You'll know what I mean when you see it. Sad, so few have."
When I shared an unprocessed shot by HB, here's what some other folks in the US remarked:
"YUP! That's what I miss."
(Resident of Oklahoma)
"YUP,
RUB IT IN !!!!!
Thanks a Bunch.
Jim"
(Resident of Virginia)
"You and your astronomer friends are indeed lucky to have such skies. Must be a great place, Hingol. I tried to get there 35 years ago--crocodiles, leopards, and desert--the Makran Range, from Bela. No luck. Tough land, tough people. Incredible birds! . . . Enjoy every minute of it."
(Resident of Grand Teton National Park).
Pakistan's (and that of some other countries at the same latitude) night sky is special in another way. I've discussed that in another thread: link.
I've went through the sticky "Pictures of Pakistan" PW thread, but as expected, there are no shots that highlight our homeland's nighttime beauty. So let’s bring this hidden treasure under the spotlight in this thread. Ready?
(Star)Lights, camera . . . action!
Honestly, I don't expect many photos to come up here for some time. That's because nightscapes taken from Pakistan are scarce. But hopefully this thread will encourage the adventurers and trip makers of our PW community to bring back souvenirs of the Pakistani night from their expeditions, and after may be six months we'll have many more pictures to admire. Insha Allah.
Posting Rules:
- All photos should be single exposures. No manipulated shots please.
- All photos should be nightscapes. That is, they should show the dawn/dusk/night sky and foreground features in the same frame.
- Please take some moments to provide a short description of the time/location.
- What sort of night shots NOT to post: composite photo 1, composite photo 2. Reason: Both shots are manipulated and the Moon’s image has been added separately using PS etc.
- You may post pictures of Pakistani cities, towns and landmarks at night, but only those which emphasize the sky just as much as the earth. Examples: photo 1 (Greece), photo 2 (Australia), photo 3 (Egypt).
- One photo per post.
