Astronomy & Dark Sky Stargazing

Dark sky guides for national park stargazing — Bortle scale ratings, DarkSky International designations, Milky Way season, meteor showers, and gear basics for the best parks in the American West.

Guides to stargazing at America’s national parks — from Bortle scale primers and DarkSky International designations to moon-phase planning, meteor shower calendars, and practical gear lists for night sky observers.

Wide-angle night sky photograph of the Milky Way galactic core arching over a silhouetted desert canyon landscape, with thousands of stars visible against a deep blue-black sky

Astronomy & Dark Sky Stargazing August 28, 2024

Best Parks for Stargazing in the American West

The top Western national parks for dark-sky stargazing — DarkSky International designations, Bortle scale ratings, Milky Way season, meteor showers, ranger …