Astronomer: Astronomical observations in many areas have become useless because light from nearby cities obscures the stars Many people argue that since streetlights are needed for safety, such interference from lights is inevitable  Here in Sandsville, however, the local observatory' s view remains relatively clear, since the city has restricted unnecessary lighting and installed special street lamps that direct all their light downward
It is ttherefore possible to have both well-lighted streets and relatively dark skies
offering a counter example to a general claim