International Dark-Sky Week
I was watching a travel documentary about Idaho last year- "Idaho, The Movie"- while planning our RV adventure to Yellowstone. It highlighted so many lovely places in the state from rivers and waterfalls to majestic mountain ranges and rolling farmland. But one thing in the movie really stayed with me - it was a shot of the night sky from Craters of the Moon National Monument. There were millions of stars carpeting an inky-black sky. Living near a city, we don't see the night sky like that, and I could just imagine sitting in my camp chair and enjoying that night-time show.
So, as a part of my trip planning, I did a bit of research into "dark sky" areas where we could view a night sky like in the Idaho movie. I was surprised that so many National Parks offer stargazing as a part of their ranger programs. And many places out west seem to be blessed with wide-open spaces and few cities, making stargazing a truly awe-inspiring event.
Of course, you have to have cooperative weather to see the stars anywhere you happen to be, and that was the biggest challenge we faced on our trip. So many nights were overcast or had a full moon, making stargazing less spectacular. Night after night we watched the forecast, set out our camp chairs, and waited to see if the cloud cover would clear. Finally, one night while we were in Idaho, the night sky cleared, and a heavenly host of stars twinkled above us.
We stared, heads back and eyes wide gazing at the spectacle. It was absolutely worth the wait. And, we continued watching the night sky throughout the trip hoping to catch another glimpse of heaven. It sparked an interest in me about the beauty of the night sky and, after just a little research, I found the website of the International Dark-Sky Association.
Their purpose is to raise awareness of the issues associated with light pollution and some of the simple ways to mitigate them. They work with cities and smaller communities to plan responsible outdoor lighting solutions. They also promote dark sky areas and provide a listing of places to see the night sky at its best.
April 19 - 26 is "International Dark Sky Week" and the association is inviting families, homebound during this worldwide COVID crisis, to "look up" and enjoy the night sky together. You can explore the constellations, learn about nocturnal animals, and how the sky is viewed by other cultures.
To facilitate your adventure into the night sky, the International Dark-Sky Association is hosting a daily online broadcast to help you learn about the night sky. You can find out more and view the broadcast and programming schedule at idsw.darksky.org or follow them on YouTube or Facebook.
If you'd like to find out just what you might see in the sky this month, check out the website for space.com They outline week by week what can be seen with a telescope, a good pair of binoculars, or with your eyes alone. They also provide a page with a satellite tracker to track satellites and the International Space Station. You might also enjoy using a constellation app on your mobile phone to help identity what you can see above you. And to plan a stargazing adventure trip, check out Reserve America's website for the top five places to see the night sky.
Although an RV trip may have to wait a while, we can still enjoy a little stargazing. We can plant our camp chairs on the lawn, turn off the porch lights, and gaze skyward. Although we may not have the amazing views common to the desert, we'll still appreciate the beauty of a star-studded sky, the sound of crickets, the smell of the evening air, and be reminded to include a dark sky destination on our next camping trip.
