Where to Find the Darkest Skies for Stargazing
I’ve written extensively about various stargazing opportunities, from meteor showers to interesting planetary arrangements , and usually suggest finding a dark area for the best viewing results. But what does “dark” even mean?
Bortle scale and darkness measurement
The increasing prevalence of light pollution caused by our cursed civilization has forced amateur astronomers to classify the areas of the night sky that are dark enough for good stargazing. Enter the Bortle Scale. Created in 2000 by astronomer John E. Bortle, the scale divides darkness into nine levels, from Class 1 (the darkest skies) to Class 9 (highly light-polluted urban areas where you’ll be lucky enough to see the North Star). Simply put, for the best stargazing, you need to be in a place with the lowest Bortle number possible.
Fortunately, technology exists that can instantly determine the Bortle number anywhere in the world. If you’re looking for the closest and darkest location, you can view this light pollution map , enter an address or global coordinates, and determine the level of light pollution at any location. Don’t be surprised if it’s hard to find zone 3 or lower—about 83 percent of the world’s people live under sun-dappled skies. Basically, any place where there is even a small city means light pollution.
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Find a suitable spot for stargazing
A dark night sky is worthless if you can’t see it, so find a spot with an unobstructed view of the sky, or at least the part of the sky you want to see. Placing a mountain between you and the city is a great strategy for blocking light; the same can be said for getting to a wilderness area or body of water. Altitude can also help because you’ll be above haze, fog, smoke and smog that can make it difficult to see the sky. However, you don’t have to go beyond their grid to stargaze. There are often quite dark places right next to the road (or even on major highways). It’s not a matter of a few small lights that make the stars dim; this is the cumulative effect of all the city lights.
Plan the phases of the moon
The full moon is beautiful, but it actually outshines dimmer celestial objects; and unlike man-made light pollution, there is no way to avoid it except by waiting for the new moon. Clouds will obviously prevent you from seeing anything in the sky either, so check the moon phase when you start planning and then start checking the weather as you get closer to the days you plan to leave.
Contact your local astronomy organization
Most enthusiasts love to talk about their passion, so join a local astronomy club or two to build your knowledge of the best places nearby to admire the wonders of the cosmos. They probably have a Facebook page where you can ask questions online, and they probably host regular meetups if you prefer to interact with people in person.
Go to an even darker place
If you’re planning on traveling for longer than one night in search of darker skies, check out the Dark Hotels website . It combines an international light pollution map with hotel listings from booking.com and the Airbnb database. This makes it very easy to plan your stargazing trip.
Visit a Dark Sky park or preserve.
If you want to completely take the guesswork out of stargazing, consider visiting a park or dark sky preserve. These designated natural areas are designed to maintain darkness and provide optimal views for planet lovers, and if you visit the International Dark Sky Places Program website, you’ll find a searchable list of more than 200 locations in 22 countries with “outstanding dark skies.” conditions and methods of protection.”
Book your stay at the astronomical hotel
If you have the money and love stargazing in style and with minimal planning, consider an astro-hotel. Places like Adero in Scottsdale, Arizona, have a special “stargazing lawn” with telescopes and astronomy guides. The Hyatt Maui in Hawaii hosts a nightly Star Tour with telescopes on the hotel’s roof, or you can see the northern lights at Alaska’s Lodge in Black Rapids. These are just three of the many astro-hotels around the world.
Make the most of the darkness you have
You may not be able to plan a long trip to an expensive hotel in an area with a perfect Bortle rating, and that’s okay, too. Looking up at the sky isn’t a big deal, and the stars are still beautiful when you see them from your backyard or fire escape. No matter where you go stargazing, you can make the most of whatever darkness you have.
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Set up your telescope an hour before viewing . If you’re using a telescope, they say you should give it an hour for the optics to adjust to the conditions.
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Bring a lens filter : If you’re using your telescope or binoculars in an area of light pollution, a filter can reduce a significant amount of glare.
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Give your eyes a chance to adjust : It takes about half an hour for your eyes to really open up to the darkness. Do not look at your phone or any other light source during this time, unless your phone only emits red light.
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Set your phone to only emit red light. If you’re going to be using your phone, you can easily change the setting to red light only (red light doesn’t kill your night vision like other colors do). On iPhone: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters. Click On, then Hue, and move the Intensity and Hue sliders all the way to the right, and voila , a red phone.
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Use only a red flashlight : You can navigate with a red flashlight or headlamp, but it will not affect your night vision like other colored flashlights. This is also something that can be done for everyone who looks at the stars.
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Stay Warm: You can’t go wrong with a wool blanket or two.
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Bring a friend: Bring a friend, your dog, and a mug of hot chocolate. (Perhaps this is the most important rule of stargazing).