Here in the city and around the metro it can be hard to see a lot of stars in the night sky, even on a clear night because of the light pollution around us. However, what if you were far away from the city, on a night with no moon and no clouds or haze. How many stars could you see with the naked eye?

Although technically there isn't an exact numbered answer, astronomers use different numbers as theoretical estimates. Considering all the stars visible in all directions around Earth, the most you could possibly see on the estimates seems to be around 10,000 visible stars. Other estimates place the number of stars visible to the naked eye alone surrounding the Earth at more like 5,000. At any given time, half of Earth is in daylight, so therefore only half the estimated number –say, between 5,000 and 2,500 stars – would be visible from Earth’s night side.

Factors that affect star sighting

This is the main reason most astronomers can't come to an agreement on how many stars are visible to the naked eye because it can fluctuate based on so many factors in the world around us. Haze all around our horizon for instance can limit how many stars we see and could cut that number down from 2,500 to 5,000 to more like 2,000 or less. It's not just atmospheric factors that can limit your seeing, but specific things about yourself as well. 

Picture courtesy: John Talbot, The Milky Way is observed over the Rainwater Observatory and Planetarium in Choctaw County, MS

Even under ideal conditions, there’s a fair amount of variation between how well people can see the stars, depending on things like the strength of your vision and your age. As you get older, for example, your eyes become much less sensitive to faint light. Remember, too, that it takes up to 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the darkness.

Obviously one of, if not the, biggest factor is of course the brightness of the sky you're looking into. Even on a moonless night, the glow of lights from Earth’s surface brightens the sky. 

Picture courtesy: Wikipedia 

Either way, far from the city lights and out in the country the average person should still be able to see thousands of stars, no matter the exact number. 

Here's a cool link that provides what some major cities would look like without the light pollution that they are giving off.

Facts of star count and some information courtesy of EarthSky.org