In the International Year of Light, astronomer Alan Duffy wants Australians to think about light pollution and the conservation of our dark skies.

"It's a kind of pollution that we're maybe not so aware of," Swinburne University's Dr Duffy told Hilary Smale on Local Radio.

"Seeing a crisp wrapper in the wilderness may be quite shocking to us [but] it's no less shocking to me when you see a bright sodium lamp with basically almost all the light shining upwards."

It might seem ironic that, as well as promoting all the positive impacts of light, the United Nations-proclaimed International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies also promotes the values of "dark skies" and the need to prevent light pollution.

"It's a celebration of all things 'light', including the lack of light that these dark skies offer for astronomy, for humanity, and can be enjoyed and preserved for generations to come," Dr Duffy said.

Dr Duffy travelled to the Pilbara's Karijini National Park to give a presentation under some of Australia's darkest skies.

"The Pilbara is famous, not just for the dark skies, and it really is incredible when you see the full Milky Way, you can see satellites and galaxies. It's just a stunning location," he said.

Lost stars

If you've ever been out bush at night-time, you can't help but notice the brilliance of the stars glaring down.

It's a spectacle not available to the two-thirds of Australians who live in major cities.

Light pollution from buildings and streetlights obscures all but the brightest night sky features.

Dr Duffy wants to raise awareness of the loss of dark skies due to light pollution, and what may be needed to preserve or restore the ability to see our place in the cosmos.

"We're hoping to create better awareness of preserving the dark skies; better lighting and more, perhaps, restricted development so some areas can keep these dark skies, like the Pilbara for future generations to enjoy," he said.

Along with the gorges and desert landscapes, Dr Duffy believes the night sky is one of the Pilbara's great natural features that is often overlooked.

"One of the biggest, most humbling sights is the full Milky Way. It is just impossibly beautiful the first time you see it," he said.

Dr Duffy says we need to be aware that, as well as costing money and wasting energy, excessive lighting shining into the sky is diminishing the night environment.

"The best way to do that is to take people somewhere dark, shut off the lights, and let them see what they're missing," he said.

"And most people when they see what the night sky above their city looks like, maybe think twice about turning on the light again."