Marina Henke

Every other Friday, the Outside/In team answers one listener question about the natural world. This week's question comes from Ingrid in Newmarket, N.H., after she got a curious weather alert during a January snowstorm. "I looked at my phone’s weather app to see when there might be a break to see when I might time my shoveling.

Megan Eaves-Egenes grew up under the very starry skies of rural New Mexico. During those years, she developed a deep appreciation for astronomy. The fascination is, of course, not hers alone. But, a starry sky requires one pretty important ingredient: darkness. One study recently reported that since 2011, the night sky has gotten brighter at about 10% per year. All that light pollution has brought dire consequences to life on planet earth.