Seems some airline pilots turn down the cockpit lights to view constellations and the milky way. Not as unrealistic as one might believe. http://www.airportbusiness.com/article/art...ction=5&id=7332http://www-star.stanford.edu/~vlf/optical/press/97Discover/And, oddly this one, scroll to the last paragraph. http://www.nando.myacen.com/brucefans/inde...id=14&Itemid=46Seems many a pilot turns down the lights to view the sky at night. Must be a wonderful view.Another, find august 7th.http://flightlevel390.blogspot.com/2005_08...90_archive.htmlAnd July 20th:http://flightlevel390.blogspot.com/2005_07...90_archive.htmlLast one:http://www.airliners.net/discussions/trip_...ead.main/80586/Ian.

OK, I undrstand. I have just not ever seen this. I know in the country you can see many more stars but didn't know this denser region (the disc or center) of the Milky way was discernable from Earth. Will be looking for it now when I am away from the city.Thank you all for thr useful info.Regards, Carlos

>> Of course it is only visible like this when your eyes are>>adapted to the darkness.>>Chris, you could never see it from a cockpit of a flying>aircraft - cockpit light would kill any Milky Way. I even>doubt you would see it from the tarmac of Princess Juliana>airport - too much stray light around. Sure it is "beautiful">but it is totally unrealistic to be included in the flight>simulator. I will be happy with the option to remove it.>>Michael J. Michael: I'm afraid that I must respectfully disagree with your statement. I have not been in the cockpit at night for many years now....butI have "Logged" thousands of hours in the "cockpit" of an 18 Wheeler,and can assure you that the Milky Way is VERY visible while drivingdown the Interstate when conditions are right. I left Denver about the 15th of June and just outside Pueblo Colowas treated to a Magnificent showing of the Milky Way while enrouteto Albuqurque NM. Driving southbound on I25 it was about as faint as a Neon sign. I am reminded of a night in 1963 when I had taken some of mybuddies out to a farm we owned in outstate MO. We were sitting onthe porch of the old farm house having a cold one, when one of themsaid "Well I'm glad to see that you rubes from the country have toput up with pollution too". When I asked him what he was talkingabout, he replied "Can't you see that huge cloud of smoke up there?" I said thats not smoke thats the Milky Way, he replied "Well ifit's not smoke, what is it"? Stars; I said. I'll never forget his reply....he stood there looking for a fewseconds and then said ....Oh.. My..God! Ian, thank you for that great link it led me to another good onewww.lightpollution.it/dmsp/index.html Michael, for what it's worth, I think it's a bit overdone...butI've never been down there in real life.