Best places to see stars around the U.S.
See the night sky over Owachomo Bridge in Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah. Credit: Alamy / NPS Photo
Escape the bright lights of the city and introduce your family to the night sky. Here are five places to experience a star-filled landscape:
1. ARIZONA SKIES Expect stellar stargazing and the chance to tour the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, the first city to be designated a Dark Sky City. In Tucson, often noted as the astronomy capital of the world, check in to the Westin La Paloma, where you can learn about the celestial world in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
INFO lowell.edu; flagstaffarizona.org; westinlapalomaresort.com
2. NATURAL BRIDGES NATIONAL MONUMENT, UTAH In this scenic landscape, massive natural bridges form star-filled windows through which you can observe the skies as the Pueblo people did some 800 years ago. Among the most spectacular sights is the river of Milky Way brilliance observed rising over Owachomo Bridge.
3. DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA The park’s 3.4-million-acre expanse and the region’s clean, dry air combine to provide an ideal vantage point for observing shooting stars, meteor showers and constellations galore. Stay at the Ranch at Furnace Creek and join the Las Vegas Astronomical Society for star parties on selected evenings.
INFO furnacecreekresort.com; nps.gov/deva
4. WAIKOLOA, HAWAII This Hawaiian island is home to one of the world’s most important observatories. During Cosmic Night at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, youngsters gather with astronomers for educational stories of the night sky. They can also learn to pitch a tent, stargaze and play flashlight tag.
INFO hiltonwaikoloavillage.com; ifa.hawaii.edu
5. COSTA RICA Discovered by Magellan in the 1520s, his namesake dwarf galaxies are best observed mid-December through April. And Costa Rica is one of the few places in the Northern Hemisphere where it’s possible to view the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.
INFO visitcostarica.com
