Artificial Light In Ian Cheney's 'Coming From Kansas'

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Film maker Ian Cheney takes the viewer through the lights of this world and beyond. Starting off in New York, New York, Cheney tries to locate the stars in the night sky with much difficulty. Light pollution, artificial light reflecting off dust particles in the atmosphere, creates a vail that blankets the city sky and hides the universe above. In order to experience the wonderment he felt as a child growing up in rural Maine Cheney travels to various places around the globe to capture the heavens with his camera. As he travels Cheney grades areas based on the amount of stars able to be seen at night. Cities received the lowest letter grade while rural locations in the deserts of North America were rewarded with the highest grades. Throughout …show more content…

I have never lived in an area where stars did not exist. They have always been in my reach. All that needed to be done was to step outside and look up. It all may be one atmosphere, but there are many skies out there. The sky I see in Manhattan, Kansas is not the same sky people see in Manhattan, New York City. Natural light is our history. When we look upon the stars we are looking upon ourselves. How many more suns does this universe hold? How many more Earths? The vibrant illuminations of the night sky creates a sense of peacefulness. It creates a sense of endless wonder. There is always something new to be seen. Artificial light is not all that bad. It has endless possibilities. These lights also instill wonderment to the viewer. They are a testament to human resourcefulness and ingenuity and show just how far we have come. I have always been fascinated with light, artificial and natural. Artificial light is what could be and natural light is what is already there. Both types of light need each other. Without the stars there would be no artificial light, and without city lights there would be no desire to see the stars. I believe both lights can complement each other and make one just as amazing as the

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