The LAist picked up on a great story from KCET’s SoCal Connected, highlighting the problem of light pollution in Death Valley and other National Parks.

In the six minute video, the reporter ventures to Death Valley with a ranger and a night vision camera to document just how much light pollution from Vegas and other nearby cities is getting into the park … then travels to Vegas to see if anyone cares.

See if you can guess what the answer is before you get to it:

Seeing a full-blown starry sky and Milky Way is an experience that everyone should be able to have — not just us rugged outdoorsfolk — and it’s too bad it’s becoming more and more of a rare experience.

For more information on light pollution, the International Dark Sky Association has some ideas on what you can do at home and in your community to help.

Tags: Dark Skies, Death Valley, KCET, Las Vegas, light pollution, stargazing