Yes. Light pollution strongly affects astrophotography because artificial ground light is scattered by air, moisture, dust, and haze in the atmosphere, creating a bright skyglow. That brighter background lowers contrast, so dim stars and Milky Way detail become harder or impossible to record.

Typical effects include:

• fewer visible stars, so star-trail images look sparser
• a brighter sky instead of a deep dark background
• color casts in the sky (often depending on the light sources and white balance)
• reduced color and contrast in stars and other night-sky detail

Even if the sky looks clear, particles and vapor still scatter light. This is the same basic reason the sky glows around cities at night and why moonlight can brighten the whole sky.

In practice, photos made under dark skies usually show many more stars and stronger detail. Photos made near populated areas can still be attractive, but they often emphasize the landscape or city scene more than the sky because the sky itself is washed out by glow from artificial light.