A View of the Night Sky

I don't know what kind of camera (or exposure time) was used by Dan and Cindy Duriscoe when taking this photo over Flagstaff, AZ...but I like to think it gives an excellent idea of the brilliance of the night sky experienced by our ancestors.  It's not too far from what I experienced while in the New Mexico desert several years ago. 

Before things like air and light pollution, on a clear night, practically every person would have been able to step out into their backyard and view with the naked eye the Milky Way, various nebulae and Messier objects, and a whole host of constellations.  Today it seems that the majority of people will go their whole life without ever glimpsing the unspoiled night sky.