Written in the stars

For stargazers, the darkest skies provide the best entertainment. Planets, innumerable twinkling stars and bright meteors are good reasons to look up.

Moonbow is a seasonal program to search for rainbowlike phenomenon that occur at night when the light from the moon refracts in water droplets from the park’s waterfalls. Cape Lookout National Seashore is a 56-mile strand of beaches that make up the coastal islands of eastern North Carolina, one of the world’s few remaining natural barrier island chains. Its lunar legacy includes serving as the training ground for Apollo astronauts such as Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin who walked on the moon in 1969. While stars are guaranteed to be more visible in these certified dark sky places, even without a designation there are locations in the U.S. that put on brilliant night sky shows. There’s also the Wupatki National Monument’s parking Dark skies can also be admired from overlooks inside the park, including Geologic, Mancos Valley and the Montezuma Valley overlooks. Stargazing programs conducted by park rangers are also offered in the summer. As of 2022, there are 195 certified IDSPs globally, with 60 in the U.S., including at least 17 national parks. The International Dark Sky Places (IDSP) program is dedicated to preserving and protecting dark sites across the world. A good place to start when planning a stargazing trip is to consult the International Dark-Sky Association’s website for a listing of certified dark areas, including national parks. A full moon creates its own version of light pollution, so try to time your trip a couple of days before, during and after a new moon to enhance your viewing odds. For stargazers, the darkest skies provide the best entertainment.