Too much light forces relocation of observatory

Shanghai's observatory is not only moving out of town, it is moving to the next province to escape "light pollution" that has made it increasingly difficult to scan the night sky.

The dazzling lights of the metropolitan night sky "have greatly affected our observation and we must find a more appropriate base", Tao Jun, director of the optical astronomy laboratory of Shanghai Observatory, was quoted as saying by the Shanghai Morning Post.

The observatory has signed an agreement with authorities in Zhejiang province to establish China's first "night sky protected area" in the Tianhuangping area of the city of Anji. Equipment from Shanghai will be moved to two astronomical observation rooms and a popular science observation spot will be built there, according to the observatory.