{"id":1208327,"date":"2023-12-02T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-02T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1208327"},"modified":"2023-12-02T09:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-02T14:30:00","slug":"where-to-find-the-darkest-skies-for-stargazing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1208327","title":{"rendered":"Where to Find the Darkest Skies for Stargazing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve written a lot about different star-gazing opportunities, from <a href=\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/science\/how-to-see-the-geminid-meteor-shower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">meteor showers<\/a> to interesting <a href=\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/you-can-see-five-planets-and-the-moon-line-up-this-week-1850270173\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">planetary alignments<\/a>, and I usually suggest finding a dark area for best viewing results. But what does &#8220;dark&#8221; even mean?<\/p>\n<h2>The Bortle Scale and the measurement of darkness<\/h2>\n<p>The growing prevalence of light pollution caused by our accursed civilization created the need for amateur astronomers to classify which areas in the nighttime sky are dark enough for good stargazing. Enter the \u201cBortle Scale.\u201d Created in 2000 by astronomer John E. Bortle, the scale breaks darkness into nine levels\u2014from Class 1, the darkest skies, to Class 9, heavily light-polluted urban areas where you\u2019d be lucky to see the North Star. Put simply, for the best stargazing, you want to be in a place with the lowest Bortle number possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, there&#8217;s technology that can instantly identify the Bortle number of anywhere on earth. If you\u2019re looking for the nearest, darkest spot, you can check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lightpollutionmap.info\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Light Pollution Map<\/a>, enter an address or global coordinates, and identify the amount of light pollution anywhere. Don\u2019t be surprised if it\u2019s challenging to find Zone 3 or lower\u2014about 83 percent of the world&#8217;s people live under light-polluted skies. Basically, anywhere with even a small city means light pollution.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Recommended products:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zdcs.link\/bopDj?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=article&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Telescope%20filter&amp;short_url=bopDj&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Telescope filter<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zdcs.link\/3wl53?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=article&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Red%20LED%20headlamp&amp;short_url=3wl53&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Red LED headlamp<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zdcs.link\/xRlYO?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=article&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Xasteria%3A%20Astronomy%20Weather%20app&amp;short_url=xRlYO&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Xasteria: Astronomy Weather app<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zdcs.link\/qe0Yq?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=article&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=PuTian%20Merino%20Wool%20Blanke&amp;short_url=qe0Yq&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">PuTian Merino Wool Blanke<\/a>t<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/zdcs.link\/Gvm2q?pageview_type=Standard&amp;template=article&amp;module=content-body&amp;element=offer&amp;item=text-link&amp;element_label=Ghirardelli%20Chocolate%20Premium%20Indulgence%20Hot%20Cocoa%20Mix&amp;short_url=Gvm2q&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Flifehacker.com%2Ffeed%2Frss\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Indulgence Hot Cocoa Mix<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Finding the right area to stargaze<\/h2>\n<p>A dark night sky isn\u2019t worth anything if you can\u2019t see it, so find somewhere with an unobstructed view of the sky, or at least the part of the sky you want to see. Putting a mountain between you and the city is a great strategy for blocking out light; so is getting to the side of a wilderness area or body of water. Elevation can help too, because you&#8217;ll be above the haze, fog, smoke, and smog that can obfuscate your view of the heavens. You don&#8217;t necessarily need to travel off themgrid to stargaze, though. There are often spots right off the road\u2014or even big highways\u2014that are suitably dark. It&#8217;s not the few small highway lights highway that keep the stars dim; it&#8217;s the cumulative effect of all the lights in a city. <\/p>\n<h2>Plan around the phase of the moon<\/h2>\n<p>A full moon is beautiful, but it will basically blot out dimmer celestial objects; and unlike manmade light pollution, there\u2019s no way you can avoid it except to wait until around a new moon. Clouds will obviously keep you from spotting anything in the sky too, so check the moon phase when you begin planning, and then start checking the weather when you get closer to the days you plan to leave. \u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Connect with a local astronomy organization\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>Most enthusiasts love to talk shop about their passion, so hook up with a local astronomy club or two to glean their inside knowledge of the best spots nearby to stare at the wonders of the cosmos. They probably have a Facebook page where you can ask questions online, and they probably have regular meet-ups if you\u2019d rather talk to people in person.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Travel to an even darker place<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re planning to travel for longer than one night in search of darker skies, check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/darkhotels.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Dark Hotels website<\/a>. It mashes up the international light pollution map with hotel listings from <a href=\"http:\/\/bookings.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">booking.com<\/a> and Airbnb&#8217;s database. It helps make planning a stargazing trip super easy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Visit a Dark Sky park or reserve<\/h2>\n<p>If you want to take the guesswork out of stargazing entirely, consider visiting a dark sky park or reserve. These designated nature areas are designed to preserve darkness and provide optimum viewing for planet nerds, and if you visit the website of <a href=\"https:\/\/darksky.org\/what-we-do\/international-dark-sky-places\/all-places\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">the\u00a0International Dark Sky Places\u00a0program<\/a>, you\u2019ll find a searchable listing for over 200 spots in 22 countries with \u201coutstanding dark sky conditions and protection practices.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Book a stay at an astronomy hotel<\/h2>\n<p>If you have the cash and like to do your stargazing in style and with as little planning as possible, consider an astro-hotel. Places like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aderoscottsdale.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Adero in Scottsdale, AZ<\/a> provide guests with a dedicated \u201cstargazing lawn\u201d with telescopes and astronomy guides. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hyatt.com\/hyatt-regency\/en-US\/oggrm-hyatt-regency-maui-resort-and-spa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Hyatt Maui in Hawaii<\/a> hosts a nightly &#8220;Tour of the Stars&#8221; with telescopes on the hotel roof, or you could check out the Northern Lights at the Alaska\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lodgeatblackrapids.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"(opens in a new window)\">Lodge at Black Rapids.<\/a> Those are only three of many astro-hotels all over the world. <\/p>\n<h2>Make the most of the darkness you have<\/h2>\n<p>Maybe you can&#8217;t plan a faraway trip to an expensive hotel in an area with a perfect Bortle score, and that&#8217;s obviously okay too. Looking up at the sky doesn\u2019t have to be big deal, and the stars are still pretty when you see them from your backyard or fire escape. No matter where you go to stargaze, you can make the most of whatever darkness you have.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Set up your telescope one hour before viewing<\/strong>: If you\u2019re using a \u2018scope, they say you should give it an hour for the optics adapt to the conditions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Bring along a lens filter<\/strong>: If you\u2019re using a telescope or binoculars in an area with light pollution, a filter can cut out a significant amount of glare.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Give your eyes a chance to adjust<\/strong>: It takes about a half an hour for your eyes to truly open up to the darkness. Don\u2019t look at your phone or any other source of light during this time, unless your phone is emitting only red light. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Set your phone to emit only red light:<\/strong> If you\u2019re going to use your phone, you can change the setting to only red light easily (Red light doesn\u2019t kill your night vision like other colors do.) On an iPhone, go to Settings &gt; Accessibility &gt; Display and Text Size &gt; Color Filters. Click \u201con,\u201d then \u201cColor Tint,\u201d and move both the \u201cintensity\u201d and the \u201chue\u201d sliders all the way to the right, and, <em>voila<\/em>, red phone.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Only use a red flashlight<\/strong>: You can navigate with a red flashlight or headlamp, but it won\u2019t affect your night vision like other colored lights will. It&#8217;s also the kind thing to do for anyone else who&#8217;s out looking at the stars.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Keep warm:<\/strong> You can\u2019t go wrong with a wool blanket or two.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><strong>Bring a friend: <\/strong>Bring a friend and a dog and a mug of hot chocolate. (This might be the most important rule of stargazing).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#013;<br \/>\n&#013;<br \/>\nSource: LifeHacker &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/science\/darkest-skies-stargazing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Where to Find the Darkest Skies for Stargazing<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve written a lot about different star-gazing opportunities, from meteor showers to interesting planetary alignments, and I usually suggest finding a dark area for best viewing results. But what does &#8220;dark&#8221; even mean? The Bortle Scale and the measurement of &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1208327\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,110],"tags":[92],"class_list":["post-1208327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifehacker","category-unfiltered-rss","tag-lifehacker"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1208327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1208327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1208327\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1208327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1208327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1208327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}