When I first moved to the jungle 10 years ago, the skies were dark and I had few neighbors. Now, I have more neighbors and they love their outdoor lighting! The sky is still dark (luckily, their lights are not directed upwards), but the glare is very annoying. I found a great solution here. It's called a "Sport-Brella" and is designed specifically for fun in the sun (UPF50 and all that nonsense). Indeed, it is so portable and easy to set-up that I always bring it to the beach with me when I want to look at the ocean, drink rhum and listen to Harry Belafonte CDs. But I digress. This thing makes a great half-dome observatory! Does a great job of filtering out annoying lights. I paid the equivalent of $80 for it. Great investment. I think that these are available at Wal-Mart or Costco (are there still WalMarts and Costcos in the US?). Anyway, check it out!