I have been writing about dark skies and light pollution for almost 20 years. Most people will live the majority of their lives in level 5 or above, without the experience of a naturally dark sky. A recent study estimated the growth of light pollution worldwide from 2011 to 2022 at 10 percent per year, a doubling roughly every eight years. This image illustrates the 9-point Bortle scale, which quantifies the impact of light pollution on the darkness of a night sky at a particular location. Star visibility increases dramatically from left (urban areas with heavy light pollution) to right (excellent dark-sky conditions).