How to Plan a Great Basin National Park Stargazing Trip in 2023
Some states have all the luck – they have several national parks and pristine night skies above. A few that come to mind are Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. But don't overlook Nevada, the neighbor to the west! Nevada is home to just one national park, Great Basin, and it too is an epic stargazing location...
9 Must-See Astronomy Events in the April Night Sky (2023)
Let’s hope those notorious ‘April Showers’ stay far away! April is going to be a great month to get out and go stargazing, planet-gazing, asteroid-viewing, and much more. . From close encounters between various planets and our moon to a whole spate of solar system viewing opportunities, there are plenty of April night sky events to mark on your calendar. Don’t forget too that the Milky Way is rising for the northern hemisphere, so other nights are good too even if one of these events isn’t happening...
15 Marvelous Spots for Stargazing in Montana
They don't call Montana "Big Sky Country" as a superlative: if you've ever been to Montana, you know it truly has some of the widest, openest, sweeping skies – there's something special in the air that just makes that dome above us seem to stretch on forever...
How to Plan a Death Valley Stargazing Trip in 2023
For a place with death in its name, Death Valley National Park is surprisingly full of life. Vegetation persists even in the driest, harshest climates; birds, bats, and bugs thrive in their little niches within the ecosystem; there are even springs and creeks where vegetation and animals flourish in the hottest place on earth. And that's all just describing the daytime – Death Valley is more full of life at night, when cooler temperatures bring animals out of holes where they escape the heat all day and stars whirl overhead...
The 9 Best Spots for Stargazing in Louisville
Whether you think of the "slugger" or as a base for striking out to sip some damn good bourbon, Louisville is a place known for a lot – but not necessarily for seeing the night sky. See, like most cities in the world, Louisville, Kentucky is plagued by the phenomenon of light pollution: the city lights tend to reflect and shine up into the sky, making it hard to see the stars...
7 Awesome Spots for Stargazing in Arkansas
It might be hard to believe it, but there is not a single state in the U.S. that doesn't have at least one great spot for viewing the night sky. From the coasts to the inland states, from suburban areas to extremely remote and rural spots far from city lights – our big beautiful country is a stargazer's paradise if you know where to go...
How to Plan a Haleakalā Stargazing Trip in 2023
Hawaii may not have many national parks, but the ones it does have are stunning. On the Big Island, there's Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, one of the most reliably active places to experience volcanic activity and see the scars and changes it leaves behind. Then there's the only other national park in Hawaii, Haleakalā, on the island of Maui....
The 12 Best Spots for Stargazing in Omaha, Nebraska
Among even Midwest cities, Omaha is a bit of an underdog. While it's about the same population as cities like Kansas City and Minneapolis, people are far more likely to visit those cities for barbeque, hockey, live music, and other things they are known for. But hey, what about Omaha?!...
The 6 Best Binoculars for Stargazing between $50-$1000
While stargazing is great under any circumstances, there's something special about using equipment to enhance your view. Using a telescope or binoculars will unlock wonders further in the solar system and deep space, and can encourage a love of the universe for yourself or someone you love. That's why I've put together so many guides for the best stargazing equipment, including the best binoculars for stargazing at each price point...
How to Plan a Mount Rainier Stargazing Trip in 2023
Towering above the landscape, Mount Rainier is the most dramatic and arguably most beautiful of the Cascade volcanoes. This mountain range stretches from northern California to southern British Columbia in Canada – and is dotted by old, sleeping volcanoes including Mount Rainier. Of the extinct volcanoes that draw hikers, mountaineers, and outdoors-folk...