Why Is It Hard to Sleep on a Plane?
Most of us want to be able to sleep on a plane, but often that’s just wishful thinking. In the end, you might find yourself staring out the window for hours instead of getting any rest.
Maybe you have a podcast to keep you entertained or a travel buddy chatting away next to you, but it can also be fascinating to gain a whole new perspective on the world as you watch it pass by below. Everything looks so tiny and insignificant—but it’s not just the view of the ground that changes.
Why Can’t You See Stars While Flying at Night?
More observant passengers may have noticed that you rarely see stars when flying at night. A scientist has now explained why.
In a post on Medium, theoretical astrophysicist Ethan Siegel pointed out that artificial light plays a major role in stargazing. You might think that being far from light-polluted cities would make the stars more visible, but even dim cabin lights can obstruct your view of the night sky.
Siegel explained:
- If you’re inside your house at night with the lights on but it’s dark outside, someone outside can see in.
- But if you want to see outside clearly, you need to turn off the indoor lights.
- In other words, the place you’re looking from needs to be darker than the place you’re looking at, or you won’t see much of anything.
Without the lights inside the plane, you could actually experience one of the best night skies visible to humans.
Other Factors Affecting Your View of the Sky
While airplane lights are the main reason you don’t usually see stars while flying, a few other factors also play a role.
- Light pollution from the ground: Excess artificial lighting from cities can still make the stars appear dim, even at high altitudes.
- The brightness of the moon: A bright moon can outshine the stars, making them much harder to see.
So, flying high in the air doesn’t necessarily give you the best view of the night sky—but at least now you know why!