What if our cities were lit by billions of stars? Wipe away the light and air pollution that obscures our view of the cosmos and we would be left with a dazzling light show.
French artist Thierry Cohen has done just that, depicting a world in which our cities and clear night skies co-exist together. “By combining two realities, I am making a third that you cannot see … but it exists! I am showing you the missing stars,” said Cohen to WIRED.
The eerie beauty of the images highlights what we are giving up; a lament to the skies city dwellers leave behind in order to live in a metropolis.
Since urban skies are polluted with light from street signs and corner shops, Cohen had to travel to the same latitude in another part of the world to capture a clear view of the night sky. The resulting images are the product of under-exposure and a technique known as day for night.
To view all 17 images, check out Thierry Cohen’s “Darkened Cities” gallery. Here are a few of our favorites.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro 22° 54′ 26” S 2011-06-03 Lst 15:45
New York
New York 40° 42′ 16” N 2010-10-9 Lst 3:40
Shanghai
Shanghai 31° 14′ 39” N 2012-03-19 Lst 14:42
Los Angeles
Los Angeles 34° 03′ 20” N 2010-10-09 Lst 21:50
Hong Kong
Hong Kong 22° 17′ 22” N 2012-03-23 Lst 16:16
Shanghai
Shanghai 31° 13′ 27” N 2012-03-20 Lst 13:57
São Paulo
São Paulo 23° 32′ 09” S 2011-06-07 Lst 11:52
Tokyo
Tokyo 35° 41′ 36” N 2011-11-16 Lst 23:16
Ground Zero
Ground Zero 40° 42′ 43” N 2010-10-14 Lst 3:42
San Francisco
San Francisco 37° 48′ 30” N 2010-10-9 Lst 20:58
Rio De Janeiro
Rio De Janeiro 22° 58′ 38” S 2011-06-04 Lst 15:08
São Paulo
São Paulo 23° 33′ 22” S 2011-06-05 Lst 11:44
Shanghai 31° 13′ 22” N 2012-03-17 Lst 14:47
Rio de Janeiro 22° 56′ 42” S 2011-06-04 Lst 12:34
Hong Kong
Hong Kong 22° 17′ 55” N 2012-03-23 Lst 14:54
Hong Kong
Hong Kong 22° 16′ 38” N 2012-03-22 Lst 14:00
Paris 48° 51′ 52” N 2021-07-14 Utc 22:18
Source www.iflscience.com
