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Related: About this forumThe Darkest Skys You're Likely to See Bring Light to the World
In North America and across Oregon, only a small percentage of the population can look up at night and see the Milky Way without the glare of light pollution.
But there are places with a night sky almost perfectly dark where the tapestry of stars is so rich its almost disorienting. Indeed, one of the largest such places is located just a few hours from Salem and Eugene at the Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary
https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/travel/outdoors/2024/03/27/oregon-outback-international-dark-sky-sanctuary/73109030007/
Yes, there are Darker Places: All filled with Brilliant Wonder.
The Trans-Pecos here in Texas, some other parts of the North American West, vast parts of Africa, South America, Russian Steppes, Northern Canada, Alaska, the Australian Outback, Antarctica, the sky above any transoceanic vessel (on other than a Clown Cruiseship)However this Oregon Sanctuary is unusual in being quite close to major population centers and in being *recognized* as of value simply for the comforting and illuminating darkness it brings.
It is uplifting to see that, after so many years of driving back the night, our Western Civilization now finally is finding the value of being able to see the same starlit dark night sky which our ancestors gazed upward at in wonder and amazement.
This being no longer possible in much of the overdeveloped world
2naSalit
(92,705 posts)Live in a city, I have to be able to see the Milky Way and Saturn at the very least. Out here, when the moon is not blazing through the sky in the middle of the night, you can see the reflection of the Milky Way on water bodies. It's really amazing to see.
Response to 2naSalit (Reply #1)
Fla Dem This message was self-deleted by its author.
MLAA
(18,602 posts)2naSalit
(92,705 posts)The Montana part.
William Seger
(11,042 posts)Talk about seeing the Milky Way, it seemed so bright, I swear it cast a shadow! There are still quite a few Class 1 areas within a few hours drive of Colorado Springs, and I'm going to go to at least one this summer and try to get some good photos.
EYESORE 9001
(27,517 posts)It didnt hurt that the ship was rigged for nighttime running either. Sure knocked me out.
bluescribbler
(2,257 posts)You have never seen stars like you can see them in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Fla Dem
(25,688 posts)I've always lived in urban or suburban areas. Right now along the seashore with few bright lights at night, so I can see several of the bright stars and Mercury and Venus. But your experience is breathtaking.
AllaN01Bear
(23,047 posts)put shades on your outside lamps if u can
AllaN01Bear
(23,047 posts)et tu
(1,883 posts)welcome to du
markodochartaigh
(2,065 posts)was in the middle of the city, about 10 PM on November 8, 2016. It was so dark that the darkness was staring back into me.
moonshinegnomie
(2,916 posts)its a measure of how dark the skies are from 1-10
I live just outside austin in bortle 7+ skies
big bend in west texas is a 1
i shoot from enchanted rock state park about 90 minutes from me sometimes which is a 3
heres another map of how dark the skies are
https://darksitefinder.com/map/?i=/%234/39.00/-98.00
Martin Eden
(13,462 posts)My hiking buddy was always somewhat nearsighted. We're from Chicagoland and he had never really seen the stars, but he got his first prescription glasses prior to this trip. He was absolutely blown away.
The next two days we did a backpacking trek in Coyote Gulch.
Grumpy Old Guy
(3,563 posts)Last edited Wed May 8, 2024, 10:40 AM - Edit history (1)
I shot this in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California around midnight three days ago. Here in California we have Joshua Tree, Anza Borrego, Trona Pinnacles, and many other places to enjoy the night sky, most of which are only a two hour drive from L.A. FYI, the foreground lighting comes from our headlamps.
padfun
(1,856 posts)either on Hwy 50 or I-80 and off a road.
You get dry air, no lights, and high elevation (4600 to 7000 ft).
SorellaLaBefana
(229 posts)
want to share the DarkSky International website: https://darksky.org/
The site has information on how to preserve Dark Skys by societal (and individual) choices which favour Nocturnal Conservation, as well as having a list of Dark Sky sites which you can visit and enjoy.
Left this out of the original already a bit long post as had no idea that so many people would find this resonated with their own experiences.
Always remember the hoary mariners aphorism: Dark Starlit Skies at Night, Sailors Delight (or *something* along those lines?
Thanks
Heres a pix from one of the most famous Dark Sky sites. The Atacama desert with some of the 66 non-dark dependent international ALMA radio telescopes as foreground
ALMAs site is: https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/home/