If you are an amateur astronomer and you are out of ideas with regard to where you should go next to look at the sky, you’ve come to the right place. We have selected some of the best travel destinations to use your telescope.
Keep in mind that you’ll have to do a bit of research because finding such a spot locally can be a challenge given that most fields nearby cities aren’t appropriate, what with the light pollution affecting the way you’ll be able to look at the sky.
Without further ado, we invite you to have a look at the following stargazing spots.
Big Bend National Park, Texas
From all of the national parks in the lower 48 states, Big Bend has the least light pollution. Therefore, you will be able to look up to approximately two thousand stars in the Milky Way without having to deal with any issue. The area is breathtaking, too, so you can take your entire family or some of your friends and set out for the park as soon as possible.
Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah
This scenic area can be found along the border between Utah and Colorado. Probably the neatest thing about this destination is that it can be entertaining for kids, too. The dinosaur fossils can be found at the Quarry Visitor Center in Jensen, Utah, so you can have your cake and eat it, too.
Plus, the Stargazing with Telescopes program will allow you to have a 20- to a 60-minute session devoted to star clusters, nebulae, and planets. Entry is permitted to individuals aged 5 or older, so bear that in mind for your next family vacation.
Palm Springs, California
If you are lucky owner of an excellent optical instrument such as the telescopes from Meade, you can set out for the Joshua Tree National Park, the holder of the annual Night Sky Festival. Every fall, this event takes place and allows you to catch sight of the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, but also Venus and Sirius.
Besides, there’s an 11-inch computerized telescope at the Ritz-Carlton in Rancho Mirage. Maybe you would like to give it a try.
Sedona, Arizona
Whether you’re looking to find yourself or experience spiritual awareness, Sedona can be a great destination both for you and the rest of your family. If you don’t have a lot of experience with optical instruments such as telescopes, we recommend joining a sky tour organized by Sedona Stargazing.
The professional astronomers hired by the tour will tell you all there’s to know about Saturn, Mars, as well as Jupiter, and will show them to you using their excellent telescopes. One thing that we have to note is that May and July are the months where the star-studded sky can be seen best as they are some of the clearest ones in the whole year.
If you live near one of these travel locations, you are one of the lucky ones. However, if you are not, perhaps you should consider one of them for your next RV trip.
