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Over the long run, the Moon doesn't interfere with observations of distant stars and galaxies. On any particular night, there will be an area of the sky in which the bright moonlight (especially when full or near-full) will wash out the background stars. This is because Earth's atmosphere scatters light and diffuses the glow across the sky somewhat. But last night, or tomorrow night, the Moon was/will be in a different area of the sky and our observations won't be affected.

For a professional astronomer who is planning an observation of a distant object, it's important to schedule the observation for a time when the Moon isn't in that area of the sky. Fortunately, the apparent motions of the Moon are precisely predictable.

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Q: How does moonlight hamper our ability to view distant stars and galaxies?
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