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rootofallworlds t1_ix9p6ys wrote

The darkest places on Earth, on a moonless night, are pretty close to what it would be like in instellar space. Although even then there are light sources not present in interstellar space such as the planets, zodiacal light, and airglow.

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/light-pollution-and-astronomy-the-bortle-dark-sky-scale/

Bortle 1 locations on land are rare indeed.

Near a star, on the other hand, the starlit side of a spaceship will be highly visible, while the unlit side will be virtually black. But all spacecraft and decent-sized celestial bodies glow in the infrared.

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zoicyte t1_ix9tcfq wrote

Just as a little anecdote - I was lucky enough to get to do not one but two observing runs at the IRTF at Mauna Kea as an undergrad, and let me tell you, you haven’t experienced dark until you step outside on the summit of Mauna Kea at midnight.

Like locked in a sealed closet dark. Not being able to see your hand in front of your face while outside is a trip, especially for a jersey boy like myself who isn’t used to any kind of true darkness lol. (Also being able to see Andromeda with the naked eye is mind blowing)

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WazWaz t1_ixcqm8n wrote

Technically it would be twice as bright in interstellar space. Since it's lit by a sphere of stars, not a hemisphere. Of course, you can only see one side of an object at a time, so as lit from above in those places. Roughly half the side lighting.

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