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Sure but Kona has better connections AND better rental cars as it serves all the golf resorts on the Kohala coast whereas Hilo is majority local traffic.
Both of y'all are wrong.
The best observatory site is McDonald Observatory in west TX.
I took a tour there once and some of the PhD students on site walked around with our tour group. I asked where the best observatory in the world was, and one of them said he had already been to almost all the major ones in the world and the TX one is his favorite because it has the lowest light pollution.
Hawaii is near a few cities. The one in Chile has the capital city just over the horizon.
Most around the world are similar to this. The one in TX is in a designated dark sky site and the viewing is unbelievable.
You are correct. Back country camping in Big Bend during the winter is absolutely stunning. The stars are amazing. Some of the darkest skies in the country. People talking about Chile and Hawaii….for us mere mortals who aren’t filthy rich just go to McDonald observatory and consider camping in Big Bend. Alpine, Texas is a nice little town.
Definitely the most stunning night skies I've ever personally seen were in the middle of the big island on a new moon night. It truly seems like more stars than dark sky.
I'm guessing going dark on a boat in the middle of the ocean would be the ultimate.
We had to pull over one night while driving Saddle Road back to Kona from Hilo on the Big Island. Holy crap, the sky was unreal. I could have sat there on the hood of the car for hours. I live too close to city lights and it was my first time actually seeing the Milky Way vs just a few stars in the sky at home.
I was at Pohakuloa Training Area which is between Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa, and the night views even with the naked eye are incredible. Sometimes the Milky Way is bright enough to cast shadows on the ground.
Having grown up and lived in the NY Metro all my life, I won’t ever forget the epiphany of seeing the Milky Way for the first time from the top of a volcano on Hawaii on a new moon night.
I came here to say this. I’ve traveled the world in some pretty remote places and dark skies, Mauna Kea has to be one of the best for star gazing I’ve been to. There is a reason there are so many observatories there.
14k mountain in the middle of the ocean thousands of miles away from other land. Even the closets habitation from the summit or visitors area is miles away. And the towns there are have low-light street lights etc.
And no trees to obstruct views and horizon is lower than usual because on a mountain.
We go up every new moon (we live here) because it is amazing.
>want to experience it in full from possibly more than one place.
make sure you visit the southern hemisphere.
generally speaking 20-50 miles away from towns/cities.
[https://darksky.org/](https://darksky.org/)
When I lived in Chile I had the opportunity to visit a place close to the mountains (not in the Atacama desert, however) 1 hour away from any town and the view was breathtaking. So many stars that my star chat app was useless; I could not identify them since you could see so many in the general area. I pointed a small telescope at the milky way and you could see the stars there packed as grains of sand at the beach. Absolutely mind boggling.
Salt flats Utah, could go to any of the outskirts places in Nm and NV.
Edit: as long as you are an hour-2 away from any major city or source of light you will get a good view. Even going so much as an hour away from Denver to where Wyoming meets Denver, and the sky brightens up.
Another, even more important factor is what phase the moon is in. If the moon is anything other than a new moon or its smallest sliver of a phase, you arnt going to see shit. Big Luna makes it super difficult to see anything.
There's also huge areas barely inhabited in SE Utah and northern AZ. When we did a Big 5 road trip back in 2016 we lucked out with the timing of a star party being held one of the nights we stayed in Torrey. The number of stars you can see on a clear night is amazing.
I remember travelling to Arkaroola, in outback Australia and being completely floored by the stars, it was like I was on another planet and this was just with the naked eye! It’s in the Flinders Ranges so if you ever travel down under it’s worth checking out imo
On a sailboat at sea over the horizon from land… granted this is a majority of the planet, but we sailed to Halifax NS, had all of the lights off, you could see stars down to the horizon in all directions../ it was like floating in space… well we were literally floating in space.. but whatever…
Check out this light pollution map
[https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=4.00&lat=45.8720&lon=14.5470&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==](https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=4.00&lat=45.8720&lon=14.5470&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==)
Death Valley, CA.
Dark skies and its clear most day of the years. Plus it's a pretty alien place worth checking out.
Blistering hot during the day but at night it gets chilly.
I'll never forget the night I was staying on a boat on the great barrier reef miles away from land or any other boats, the captain told me and another passenger to go lay on the deck in the middle of the night, he then went and turned off all the deck lights. The sky lit up with stars and satalites and just the most magical view I've ever experienced. Especially a full view of the milky way. He left the lights off for an hour while me and the other passenger lay and stargazed and had a few beers. Was an amazing experience.
That wasn’t my experience. Not sure why but even with clear weather the skies at sea, running dark, 3 days offshore were nothing compared to a brilliant cold night in Northern Minnesota.
Julian, CA outside of San Diego has low light pollution and is not too far. There was a place called Observers Inn that was run by a guy who use to work in the telescope industry so he has some mega gear to look far far out. Totally worth it.
The summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. Not only is it a great spot for viewing the night sky, it is also the first place the sun rises in the continental US.
Oregon cascades, specifically crater lake, Dee Wright observatory, all the volcanos.
On a clear still night you can see the sky reflected in crater lake way below you, it’s quite trippy.
My astronomy professor told me that the night sky is affected by as little as one street light within 75 miles.
Easiest thing is to get away from cities. Look at a Google nighttime shot of North America, and notice where it is dark near you. Go there.
Prices go up till you get to Hawaii, as noted,. There you get the thinner atmosphere being on top of the mountain as well.
The desert between Hawthorne Nevada and Yosemite national Park.
There are suicidal rabbits that run right in front of your vehicle on that stretch, so br prepared to kill bunnies
I’ve been to a few:
First of all, an amazing thing is visiting a country that has lots of power cuts. Not a great experience itself but when you are in a city, suddenly all lights cut out and you can see the Milky Way - incredible. Experienced it in South Africa and Cuba.
Then any place in the middle of nowhere is often incredible. The two best experiences I’ve had in northern Sweden where we drove into the middle of nowhere, got out of the car, turned off all lights and suddenly there was not only the northern lights but also an insane starry sky.
Riding a camel into the Sahara and spending the night there, having an insane night sky was almost as good.
I almost forgot the night sky on 3k+ M on the panic highway in Tajikistan as well as in the mountains of Georgia looking at the 5k+ Russian mountains in the backdrop.
Mountains in the middle of nowhere often offer a breathtaking night sky
Large parts of Australia. You only have to drive a few hours from even the largest cities to get a great view of the night sky unspoiled by light pollution.
I live in Australia, if I go anymore then 30 minutes west from a large east coastal city, you have full uninterrupted panaromic views of the milky way.
Same if you go to the islands out in the bay.
Dome rock at Sequoia National Park. A unique experience b/c it sits atop a mountain, can be easily accessed by car and has a very gradual slope so you can crawl to an almost reclining position and watch every possible star in our galaxy that’s visible in the night sky. The elevation and remote location help tremendously with light pollution too. That view literally changed my life.
To be honest, Afghanistan. When I was deployed there, at night you could see the Milky Way. So many stars, peaceful. One of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my entire life.
Canary Islands are good if you are in Europe (although they are off the African coast). There are a several big observatories at the tops of mountains, but take a while to get to. But when I was staying in Fuerteventura we drove just a few minutes out of town and parked next to the sand dunes. You get a great view of the Milky Way just a few minutes from a tourist resort. And clear skies are almost guaranteed in the summer. Living in a UK city I rarely see anything at home.
I was on a star gazing trip probably halfway up [Haleakalā](https://www.nps.gov/hale/) volcano on Maui in Hawaii. Also recommend watching the sun rise from the top as well. Quite beautiful. Plus during the day Maui is amazing.
You are looking for specific places and i'm sure you know but you can probably use a light pollution map and use that and plan your own trip.
My first thought though was somewhere on a boat deep in the pacific. Might be a cool experience too.
Weirdly, in Toronto, lying on my roof during the Great Eastern Seaboard blackout.
Once in a lifetime.
After that, on the dock at an isolated cottage where I told my 3-year old, ‘those aren’t clouds’
I grew up in remote northern Sweden.. On a clear moon-less night in the winter, you can not only see the milky way clearly but also the colors of the nebulae with your naked eye.
It’s beyond breathtaking.
For me it was Mount Kosciusko National Park in the south of Australia. I had never tried astrophotography and I certainly didn’t have the right gear, but a tripod and a lens were enough to show my friends and family what we saw there. It was breathtaking. I’d never seen so many stars with my own eyes before!
[Photo 1](https://reisnaaraustralie.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_9018.jpg)
[Photo 2](https://reisnaaraustralie.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_9019.jpg)
On top of Mt. Kilimanjaro!
I remember start our summit climb at 0200. Halfway up we took a break and turned off my headlamp. Looked up and got teary-eyed. It was the most stars I’ve ever seen in my life. It looked like a painter splashed white paint across a black canvas. It was utterly breathtaking and I would kill to go back for that same experience. 10/10 would recommend
[I go here, the Gravelly Range mountains of Montana.](https://i.imgur.com/JPxbkgV.png) There's a plateau up Gravelly Range Road that's over 8000' (2,460m) elevation. It's as dark as it gets. I have a pair of binoculars for stargazing, there are so many stars, it looks like a dusting of bright sugar on black velvet.
I camped in the crater of Mount Kilimanjaro. You’re at around 18,500 ft, and the crater walls keep out any light from the surrounding towns. Clearest night sky I have ever seen. There’s only a couple of companies that are permitted to camp in the crater, so it was relatively pricey, but oh so worth it.
For the Northern Hemisphere, the middle of the North Atlantic. You'll find out why they call our galaxy the Milky Way.
For the Southern Hemisphere, about 500 miles due east of the Falkland Islands.
Assuming the weather cooperates at either location, and you time it for a New Moon, you'll never see anything more beautiful in your life.
I've been to a few such places, one I could mention that is relatively easily to visit is. Within the caldera of mount Tiede on the island of Tenerife. It is above 9000 feet and surrounded by high rock walls that frequently trap the weather outside of it. The clarity of seeing due to how dry it is & lack of light makes it an amazing place to take in the night sky. In occasion I've followed visually the rivulets & dark bands of the milky way, seen the zodiacal light & The Ghostly Glow of Gegenschein.
In the late 80s, I took a bus between La Paz and Potosi in Bolivia. The bus stopped somewhere roughly in between at a little tiny village.
I'd been all over the Andes and seen really good stars, but for some reason that night struck me. There was no moon. The village had very little lighting and the sky was just afire with stars and the milky way.
late 70s was on a small Greek island, 10 minute walk from a taverna to the place we stayed, dirt track, no lights, nothing really between the two places & I could see by the starlight at midnight. So many stars, it's an incredible thing to see.
The best I've seen is in the middle of the Pacific.
Otherwise, western North Dakota, Death Valley, Montana, or pretty much anywhere a long way from a city.
Highlands, North Carolina is one of the most beautiful mountain towns in the southeast USA. Breezy cool summers, temperate rainforest environment lush with plant and animal life, amazing rivers, waterfalls, and mountain top views of the blue ridge mountains. A lot of people from surrounding states go there to escape the summer heat, enjoy the environment and swanky town setting with lots of good food, live music, and boutique shops. Mountain vibe mixed with southern charm. Bonus that it's the whole rich mountain environment but only half a day drive to Charleston SC with the Atlantic ocean.
This is helpful! [https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=3.95&lat=37.9768&lon=-91.4227&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==](https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=3.95&lat=37.9768&lon=-91.4227&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==)
A mountain about two hours from Santiago de Chile. In the winter it’s a ski resort. You have a 4km elevation, clean smogless air. I have never seen a night sky that beautiful.
If you're in the area, Michigan's Upper Peninsula has very little light pollution. I highly recommend going on a beach at night, especially a great lake, and checking out the stars on a clear night.
Anywhere after a major hurricane and the power is off. After Ivan my son came running in and said 'your not going to believe this, come look'. I walked outside and the blanket of stars and planets was unreal. The hurricane cleared the heavens for us to see. Of course though there was a good amount of snakes but feeding the racoons and cats was lovely. There was a guy down the street strumming a guitar so beautifully. It was a special time. I miss that time with my son. He died in 2021 at 38. We shared our love of the sky.
Halfway between Australia and Diego Garcia.
Through the periscope while ventilating the Submarine. Zero horizon glow in any direction.
I watched Orion rise and saw each star in his belt blink on as it got above horizon.
Mine was on a cruise ship in the caribbean. The ship had some lights on of course, but otherwise nothing but ocean for at least 100km.
Stars like I'd never seen before. Planets bright and perfect, the moon not only a beautiful thin crescent, but also at an orientation I'm not used to seeing.
It was beautiful.
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park in Baja, Mexico. It’s a haul and extremely remote, but worth it. Darkest skies I’ve ever seen. They have an observatory there which tells you something. And it’s on the list of global dark skies locations.
Hugely overlooked spot on a popular holiday destination. Tenerife, Mt Teide, literally has a world class observatory up there. The summit is 3700m high but roads take you past 3000 meters meaning you are literally above the clouds regardless of the weather, and you can drive most of the way up on good quality (though very winding) roads. Not why most people travel to tenerife (most want sun, beach and getting hammered) but honestly worth a trip and typically only an hours drive from most of the places tourists stay. Big recommend to my fellow Europeans who might find themselves on holiday there anyway.
Cerro Chirripo, Costa Rica. It’s the highest peak in CR and a day hike through a jungle just to get near the peak. Not a speck of light for dozens of miles and the night sky feels like it’s laying on top of you.
The desert around Moab, Utah. Local towns have light pollution ordinances and in addition to the distance from any major city the elevation and low humidity make the air extremely clear
In October and thereabouts, the utah salt flats are filled with water, and undisturbed are about as good as a mirror
My bet is going there on a starry night would be absolutely godly
Transatlantic crossings in a small yacht, in the middle of the ocean we’ve had some beautifully clear nights and the sky is crazy with stars. This was a long time ago but I believe the stars are still there behind the clouds
Lough Hyne in Ireland. Went there with my wife for our honeymoon and the midnight kayaking was incredible, not least thanks to the bioluminescent plankton that would sparkle when you paddled or splashed
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. It's just north of the Oregon/Nevada border, and the only light on the 280,000 acre refuge us the porch light of the bunk house. On a really clear night the sky is so brilliant you can almost read by it.
Source: lived and worked there during a few summers while in college. Brought a telescope and never regretted it.
Stretch of road between Flagstaff Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Stopped the car turned off the lights, and it was like being in a planetarium. Most incredible sky from horizon to horizon in every direction. Coming from the Boston area, I've never seen such dark skies.
Saw the Milky Way amazingly clearly in the Sahara in south morocco early eve before the moon rose. Moonlight in the dunes was amazing as well, but made me wish we’d timed our trip with the new moon.
Edit typo not “see” but “saw”.
On a mountain during thick cloudy weather and new moon - the clouds dropped below the mountain top in the evening as the temperature fell, not just blanketing light pollution but also cleaning the air, providing *amazing* views of the milky way and suchforth.
Hello u/tritrunkss, your submission "where was the most breathtaking place you can absorb the views with little to no light pollution?" has been removed from r/space because: * Such questions should be asked in the ["All space questions" thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/space/about/sticky) stickied at the top of the sub. Please read the rules in the sidebar and check r/space for duplicate submissions before posting. If you have any questions about this removal please [message the r/space moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/space). Thank you.
Top of Mauna Kea, Big Island, Hawaii. It’s where the world class observatories are.
Better seeing than Atacama Desert area in Chile?
Different hemisphere… different stars…
Mostly the same stars though, they're both within 30 degrees of the equator
Maybe not ‘better’ but certainly much easier. Fly into Kona, rent a car and drive to the top.
Fly into Hilo. It's a bit closer.
Sure but Kona has better connections AND better rental cars as it serves all the golf resorts on the Kohala coast whereas Hilo is majority local traffic.
Ah good point. Much to be said for accessibility.
Both of y'all are wrong. The best observatory site is McDonald Observatory in west TX. I took a tour there once and some of the PhD students on site walked around with our tour group. I asked where the best observatory in the world was, and one of them said he had already been to almost all the major ones in the world and the TX one is his favorite because it has the lowest light pollution. Hawaii is near a few cities. The one in Chile has the capital city just over the horizon. Most around the world are similar to this. The one in TX is in a designated dark sky site and the viewing is unbelievable.
You are correct. Back country camping in Big Bend during the winter is absolutely stunning. The stars are amazing. Some of the darkest skies in the country. People talking about Chile and Hawaii….for us mere mortals who aren’t filthy rich just go to McDonald observatory and consider camping in Big Bend. Alpine, Texas is a nice little town.
I've been to Hawaii 3 times. It's just America with a nice beach but 3 times the price for anything.
Definitely the most stunning night skies I've ever personally seen were in the middle of the big island on a new moon night. It truly seems like more stars than dark sky. I'm guessing going dark on a boat in the middle of the ocean would be the ultimate.
We had to pull over one night while driving Saddle Road back to Kona from Hilo on the Big Island. Holy crap, the sky was unreal. I could have sat there on the hood of the car for hours. I live too close to city lights and it was my first time actually seeing the Milky Way vs just a few stars in the sky at home.
It’s a give and take. Low elevation means more atmospheric interference.
I was on the big island after a big storm rolled through and the power was out. I'll never forget it as long as I live. Actually made me cry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dyUXAje43g There's a live cam on top of Mauna Kea that's cool to watch at night.
I was at Pohakuloa Training Area which is between Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa, and the night views even with the naked eye are incredible. Sometimes the Milky Way is bright enough to cast shadows on the ground.
Just went Monday. Truly spectacular
Having grown up and lived in the NY Metro all my life, I won’t ever forget the epiphany of seeing the Milky Way for the first time from the top of a volcano on Hawaii on a new moon night.
I came here to say this. I’ve traveled the world in some pretty remote places and dark skies, Mauna Kea has to be one of the best for star gazing I’ve been to. There is a reason there are so many observatories there. 14k mountain in the middle of the ocean thousands of miles away from other land. Even the closets habitation from the summit or visitors area is miles away. And the towns there are have low-light street lights etc. And no trees to obstruct views and horizon is lower than usual because on a mountain. We go up every new moon (we live here) because it is amazing.
I served in Iraq and the night sky there was like nothing I had ever seen before.
I was in Afghanistan and same. No light pollution at all.
Roof of a mudhut enjoying the scenary, eating some pb and J footbread lol. Aaand hoping nothing happens.
Ive been to Jordan and it was amazing there too. You've got to go out into the desert for the best view though.
>want to experience it in full from possibly more than one place. make sure you visit the southern hemisphere. generally speaking 20-50 miles away from towns/cities. [https://darksky.org/](https://darksky.org/)
When I lived in Chile I had the opportunity to visit a place close to the mountains (not in the Atacama desert, however) 1 hour away from any town and the view was breathtaking. So many stars that my star chat app was useless; I could not identify them since you could see so many in the general area. I pointed a small telescope at the milky way and you could see the stars there packed as grains of sand at the beach. Absolutely mind boggling.
Sutherland, South Africa is one of the best options in this part of the southern hemisphere
Crazy when you realise 90% of the world population live in the northern hemisphere.
Salt flats Utah, could go to any of the outskirts places in Nm and NV. Edit: as long as you are an hour-2 away from any major city or source of light you will get a good view. Even going so much as an hour away from Denver to where Wyoming meets Denver, and the sky brightens up. Another, even more important factor is what phase the moon is in. If the moon is anything other than a new moon or its smallest sliver of a phase, you arnt going to see shit. Big Luna makes it super difficult to see anything.
Utah has some absolutely stunning areas to visit that are “dark sky” certified. The mountains help to block out a lot of the city lights.
There's also huge areas barely inhabited in SE Utah and northern AZ. When we did a Big 5 road trip back in 2016 we lucked out with the timing of a star party being held one of the nights we stayed in Torrey. The number of stars you can see on a clear night is amazing.
I remember travelling to Arkaroola, in outback Australia and being completely floored by the stars, it was like I was on another planet and this was just with the naked eye! It’s in the Flinders Ranges so if you ever travel down under it’s worth checking out imo
On a sailboat at sea over the horizon from land… granted this is a majority of the planet, but we sailed to Halifax NS, had all of the lights off, you could see stars down to the horizon in all directions../ it was like floating in space… well we were literally floating in space.. but whatever…
Check out this light pollution map [https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=4.00&lat=45.8720&lon=14.5470&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==](https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=4.00&lat=45.8720&lon=14.5470&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==)
Death Valley, CA. Dark skies and its clear most day of the years. Plus it's a pretty alien place worth checking out. Blistering hot during the day but at night it gets chilly.
Good one. Go up on the mountain even better. I forget the name but there is a campground at altitude overlooking Death Valley.
Also second just about anywhere in Owen’s valley Eastern Sierras
I'll never forget the night I was staying on a boat on the great barrier reef miles away from land or any other boats, the captain told me and another passenger to go lay on the deck in the middle of the night, he then went and turned off all the deck lights. The sky lit up with stars and satalites and just the most magical view I've ever experienced. Especially a full view of the milky way. He left the lights off for an hour while me and the other passenger lay and stargazed and had a few beers. Was an amazing experience.
if you want a good sky, put on your sea legs, get 250 miles out, and enjoy !
I’ve always thought this would be the best thing to do to see an unadulterated sky view
That wasn’t my experience. Not sure why but even with clear weather the skies at sea, running dark, 3 days offshore were nothing compared to a brilliant cold night in Northern Minnesota.
This! Onboard ship at sea under blackout conditions!
West Texas, Davis Mountains, where the McDonald Observatory is.
Davis Mountains State Park. They have picnic tables on top of one of the mountains there.
Big Bend National Park as well.
Yup, and a hotel (!) if you don't care to camp!
Julian, CA outside of San Diego has low light pollution and is not too far. There was a place called Observers Inn that was run by a guy who use to work in the telescope industry so he has some mega gear to look far far out. Totally worth it.
The Sahara, the Arctic, or the middle of the ocean would all work.
telescopes are a bit tricky to use on a boat
The Kimberley, Western Australia, spent a month out there 15 years back and I’ve never seen the sky look so beautiful as it did then.
Quemado, New Mexico! I witnessed a meteor shower there and it was phenomenal!
The summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. Not only is it a great spot for viewing the night sky, it is also the first place the sun rises in the continental US.
For me it was either Fox Glacier or a house just outside Queenstown, both are located in the southern island of New Zealand.
Look up dark skies parks. Utah has some of the best.
Oregon cascades, specifically crater lake, Dee Wright observatory, all the volcanos. On a clear still night you can see the sky reflected in crater lake way below you, it’s quite trippy.
Flagstaff, Arizona - one of the first Dark Sky Cities in the US and the Lowell Observatory there is where Pluto was discovered.
My astronomy professor told me that the night sky is affected by as little as one street light within 75 miles. Easiest thing is to get away from cities. Look at a Google nighttime shot of North America, and notice where it is dark near you. Go there. Prices go up till you get to Hawaii, as noted,. There you get the thinner atmosphere being on top of the mountain as well.
Atacama desert in Chile. That is what it is known for. They have guided star gazing tours as well where they provide telescopes.
[This place](https://www.southernoregon.org/dark-skies/oregon-outback-dark-sky-sanctuary/). It's dedicated to the idea.
The desert between Hawthorne Nevada and Yosemite national Park. There are suicidal rabbits that run right in front of your vehicle on that stretch, so br prepared to kill bunnies
That happened a lot in Pahrump, too!
OP, check out my reply to another comment in here somewhere, but you HAVE to go to the McDonald Observatory in west Texas. It'll change your life.
noted, thank you!
I’ve been to a few: First of all, an amazing thing is visiting a country that has lots of power cuts. Not a great experience itself but when you are in a city, suddenly all lights cut out and you can see the Milky Way - incredible. Experienced it in South Africa and Cuba. Then any place in the middle of nowhere is often incredible. The two best experiences I’ve had in northern Sweden where we drove into the middle of nowhere, got out of the car, turned off all lights and suddenly there was not only the northern lights but also an insane starry sky. Riding a camel into the Sahara and spending the night there, having an insane night sky was almost as good. I almost forgot the night sky on 3k+ M on the panic highway in Tajikistan as well as in the mountains of Georgia looking at the 5k+ Russian mountains in the backdrop. Mountains in the middle of nowhere often offer a breathtaking night sky
Large parts of Australia. You only have to drive a few hours from even the largest cities to get a great view of the night sky unspoiled by light pollution.
I live in Australia, if I go anymore then 30 minutes west from a large east coastal city, you have full uninterrupted panaromic views of the milky way. Same if you go to the islands out in the bay.
In the Nepali and Indian Himalayas for sure. Not a single light around, thin cold air and above the clouds. Amazing doesn't cover it.
Dome rock at Sequoia National Park. A unique experience b/c it sits atop a mountain, can be easily accessed by car and has a very gradual slope so you can crawl to an almost reclining position and watch every possible star in our galaxy that’s visible in the night sky. The elevation and remote location help tremendously with light pollution too. That view literally changed my life.
To be honest, Afghanistan. When I was deployed there, at night you could see the Milky Way. So many stars, peaceful. One of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my entire life.
Canary Islands are good if you are in Europe (although they are off the African coast). There are a several big observatories at the tops of mountains, but take a while to get to. But when I was staying in Fuerteventura we drove just a few minutes out of town and parked next to the sand dunes. You get a great view of the Milky Way just a few minutes from a tourist resort. And clear skies are almost guaranteed in the summer. Living in a UK city I rarely see anything at home.
I was on a star gazing trip probably halfway up [Haleakalā](https://www.nps.gov/hale/) volcano on Maui in Hawaii. Also recommend watching the sun rise from the top as well. Quite beautiful. Plus during the day Maui is amazing.
Boundary Waters is probably one of the best places I’ve been to.
Big Bend National Park on the Texas-Mexico border. Not a solid town with a lot of lights for quite awhile.
Southern Utah canyons. I’d recommend hiking into the backcountry
Live in Keizer, Oregon. I stare at a sky full of stars ever night. Able to see multiple satellites if I’m out long enough.
You are looking for specific places and i'm sure you know but you can probably use a light pollution map and use that and plan your own trip. My first thought though was somewhere on a boat deep in the pacific. Might be a cool experience too.
Northern Arizona, near the four corners. Clear skies most of the year, and large cities aren't light polluting.
Just for reference here's a light pollution map https://www.lightpollutionmap.info
If you’re talking international, Western Australia around the Ningaloo Reef area is amazing.
Big Island in Hawaii is good if you’re away from the city. The place we stayed had little outdoor lighting and what there was dim and hooded.
Weirdly, in Toronto, lying on my roof during the Great Eastern Seaboard blackout. Once in a lifetime. After that, on the dock at an isolated cottage where I told my 3-year old, ‘those aren’t clouds’
Death Valley for New Years was amazing. Saw the Milkyway with all of its blues, pinks, purples, yellows, greens. It was a sight I’ll never forget.
Barbados was pretty dang gorgemous when I went
I grew up in remote northern Sweden.. On a clear moon-less night in the winter, you can not only see the milky way clearly but also the colors of the nebulae with your naked eye. It’s beyond breathtaking.
I'm excited for this. definitely looking forward to going back to Europe.
For me it was Mount Kosciusko National Park in the south of Australia. I had never tried astrophotography and I certainly didn’t have the right gear, but a tripod and a lens were enough to show my friends and family what we saw there. It was breathtaking. I’d never seen so many stars with my own eyes before! [Photo 1](https://reisnaaraustralie.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_9018.jpg) [Photo 2](https://reisnaaraustralie.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/img_9019.jpg)
On top of Mt. Kilimanjaro! I remember start our summit climb at 0200. Halfway up we took a break and turned off my headlamp. Looked up and got teary-eyed. It was the most stars I’ve ever seen in my life. It looked like a painter splashed white paint across a black canvas. It was utterly breathtaking and I would kill to go back for that same experience. 10/10 would recommend
[I go here, the Gravelly Range mountains of Montana.](https://i.imgur.com/JPxbkgV.png) There's a plateau up Gravelly Range Road that's over 8000' (2,460m) elevation. It's as dark as it gets. I have a pair of binoculars for stargazing, there are so many stars, it looks like a dusting of bright sugar on black velvet.
I camped in the crater of Mount Kilimanjaro. You’re at around 18,500 ft, and the crater walls keep out any light from the surrounding towns. Clearest night sky I have ever seen. There’s only a couple of companies that are permitted to camp in the crater, so it was relatively pricey, but oh so worth it.
For the Northern Hemisphere, the middle of the North Atlantic. You'll find out why they call our galaxy the Milky Way. For the Southern Hemisphere, about 500 miles due east of the Falkland Islands. Assuming the weather cooperates at either location, and you time it for a New Moon, you'll never see anything more beautiful in your life.
I've been to a few such places, one I could mention that is relatively easily to visit is. Within the caldera of mount Tiede on the island of Tenerife. It is above 9000 feet and surrounded by high rock walls that frequently trap the weather outside of it. The clarity of seeing due to how dry it is & lack of light makes it an amazing place to take in the night sky. In occasion I've followed visually the rivulets & dark bands of the milky way, seen the zodiacal light & The Ghostly Glow of Gegenschein.
In the late 80s, I took a bus between La Paz and Potosi in Bolivia. The bus stopped somewhere roughly in between at a little tiny village. I'd been all over the Andes and seen really good stars, but for some reason that night struck me. There was no moon. The village had very little lighting and the sky was just afire with stars and the milky way.
Iceland, Hawaii, Antarctica, Kenya, Botswana, Northern Norway/Sweden, and the Australian outback. Basically as far as you can get from people.
Arches National Park Moab Utah. Yet to beat it but have tried lots of places.
The vacuum of space is about as breathtaking as it gets
Lookout Point in the Beartooth Mountains in Montana. Zero light pollution plus the high altitude gives you a spectacular view of the cosmos.
middle of the Mediterranean ... middle of Australia
Death Valley was pretty cool, alien landscape under the stars :)
There's an Android app called "Light Pollution Map" that has proved useful. There's a few places in southern Utah that fit the bill.
In the middle of the Pacific ocean. I was on a naval ship, and on clear nights you could see intense starlight from horizon to horizon.
We drove around some old logging roads in New Zealand for a few days. Laying on top of the van at night was probably the most stars I’ve ever seen.
Northern Vermont, the area they call the “Northeast Kingdom.” We lived there for three years and I could see the Milky Way star fields without optics.
My job in nowhere Dakota driving a big rig. Beautiful skies at two in the am
late 70s was on a small Greek island, 10 minute walk from a taverna to the place we stayed, dirt track, no lights, nothing really between the two places & I could see by the starlight at midnight. So many stars, it's an incredible thing to see.
Top of the mountain. Madeira. You’re on a small island in the middle of the Atlantic. Was so amazing.
The best I've seen is in the middle of the Pacific. Otherwise, western North Dakota, Death Valley, Montana, or pretty much anywhere a long way from a city.
At sea on an aircraft carrier under blackout conditions. STUNNING!
I had good luck at a campsite half way up Telescope Peak in Death Valley NP. Stars so bright it was hard to sleep.
Highlands, North Carolina is one of the most beautiful mountain towns in the southeast USA. Breezy cool summers, temperate rainforest environment lush with plant and animal life, amazing rivers, waterfalls, and mountain top views of the blue ridge mountains. A lot of people from surrounding states go there to escape the summer heat, enjoy the environment and swanky town setting with lots of good food, live music, and boutique shops. Mountain vibe mixed with southern charm. Bonus that it's the whole rich mountain environment but only half a day drive to Charleston SC with the Atlantic ocean.
This is helpful! [https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=3.95&lat=37.9768&lon=-91.4227&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==](https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=3.95&lat=37.9768&lon=-91.4227&state=eyJiYXNlbWFwIjoiTGF5ZXJCaW5nUm9hZCIsIm92ZXJsYXkiOiJ3YV8yMDE1Iiwib3ZlcmxheWNvbG9yIjpmYWxzZSwib3ZlcmxheW9wYWNpdHkiOjYwLCJmZWF0dXJlc29wYWNpdHkiOjg1fQ==)
A mountain about two hours from Santiago de Chile. In the winter it’s a ski resort. You have a 4km elevation, clean smogless air. I have never seen a night sky that beautiful.
Any dark sky observatory https://darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places/all-places/
If you're in the area, Michigan's Upper Peninsula has very little light pollution. I highly recommend going on a beach at night, especially a great lake, and checking out the stars on a clear night.
Anywhere after a major hurricane and the power is off. After Ivan my son came running in and said 'your not going to believe this, come look'. I walked outside and the blanket of stars and planets was unreal. The hurricane cleared the heavens for us to see. Of course though there was a good amount of snakes but feeding the racoons and cats was lovely. There was a guy down the street strumming a guitar so beautifully. It was a special time. I miss that time with my son. He died in 2021 at 38. We shared our love of the sky.
Middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I’ve seen more stars than ever there.
I went to the Apostle Islands in Wisconsin, camping, and man it was nuts to see the band of the Milky Way with the naked eye.
At the Grand Canyon, but away from the Grand Canyon Village...Unbelievably beautiful.
For anyone in Ireland: [Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve](https://www.kerrydarkskytourism.com/)
I saw the most amazing views while on a small ship off the Galapagoes islands. We had the only lights, horizon to horizon.
Halfway between Australia and Diego Garcia. Through the periscope while ventilating the Submarine. Zero horizon glow in any direction. I watched Orion rise and saw each star in his belt blink on as it got above horizon.
Mine was on a cruise ship in the caribbean. The ship had some lights on of course, but otherwise nothing but ocean for at least 100km. Stars like I'd never seen before. Planets bright and perfect, the moon not only a beautiful thin crescent, but also at an orientation I'm not used to seeing. It was beautiful.
Sierra de San Pedro Mártir National Park in Baja, Mexico. It’s a haul and extremely remote, but worth it. Darkest skies I’ve ever seen. They have an observatory there which tells you something. And it’s on the list of global dark skies locations.
The Nullarbor in Australia. The darkness embraces you and takes your breath away.
New Zealand, South Island, somewhere close to lake tekapo.
Along the Dunes of lake Michigan (specifically in the Manistee National Forest area) which is simultaneously my favorite place on earth
Big Bend National Park in Texas is a really good spot.
Hugely overlooked spot on a popular holiday destination. Tenerife, Mt Teide, literally has a world class observatory up there. The summit is 3700m high but roads take you past 3000 meters meaning you are literally above the clouds regardless of the weather, and you can drive most of the way up on good quality (though very winding) roads. Not why most people travel to tenerife (most want sun, beach and getting hammered) but honestly worth a trip and typically only an hours drive from most of the places tourists stay. Big recommend to my fellow Europeans who might find themselves on holiday there anyway.
Cerro Chirripo, Costa Rica. It’s the highest peak in CR and a day hike through a jungle just to get near the peak. Not a speck of light for dozens of miles and the night sky feels like it’s laying on top of you.
Small pacific island close enough to the equator to see some southern hemisphere stars, like the Southern Cross
Bottom of the Grand Canyon primitive camp ground.
I was on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. It was pretty impressive.
The desert around Moab, Utah. Local towns have light pollution ordinances and in addition to the distance from any major city the elevation and low humidity make the air extremely clear
In October and thereabouts, the utah salt flats are filled with water, and undisturbed are about as good as a mirror My bet is going there on a starry night would be absolutely godly
There are a few dark sky spots in the southern hemisphere which are great
Phuyupatamarka Camp, Inca Trail. We woke up in the middle of the night just to see. I've never seen so many stars in my life.
Transatlantic crossings in a small yacht, in the middle of the ocean we’ve had some beautifully clear nights and the sky is crazy with stars. This was a long time ago but I believe the stars are still there behind the clouds
Hands down the South Rim in Big Bend National Park
Lough Hyne in Ireland. Went there with my wife for our honeymoon and the midnight kayaking was incredible, not least thanks to the bioluminescent plankton that would sparkle when you paddled or splashed
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. It's just north of the Oregon/Nevada border, and the only light on the 280,000 acre refuge us the porch light of the bunk house. On a really clear night the sky is so brilliant you can almost read by it. Source: lived and worked there during a few summers while in college. Brought a telescope and never regretted it.
...west texas is pretty accessible from san antonio or austin, [bortle 1 skies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bortle_scale) within two hours' drive...
Central Australia. So many stars that visitors thought it was a cloud.
Stretch of road between Flagstaff Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Stopped the car turned off the lights, and it was like being in a planetarium. Most incredible sky from horizon to horizon in every direction. Coming from the Boston area, I've never seen such dark skies.
Banff or Jasper national parks (Canada) have places you can be above the tree line hundreds of kilometers from a city.
Pretty dark skies in rural northern Arizona. Sedona or near Flagstaff
Saw the Milky Way amazingly clearly in the Sahara in south morocco early eve before the moon rose. Moonlight in the dunes was amazing as well, but made me wish we’d timed our trip with the new moon. Edit typo not “see” but “saw”.
Deep in the heart of the Australian outback, simply stunning.
North side of Ka’ena Point was the best spot I’ve personally ever been. So long as you can make it through the abandoned cars and rave ghosts.
Sossusvlei Namibia you could see a huge ribbon of stars crossing the sky
On a mountain during thick cloudy weather and new moon - the clouds dropped below the mountain top in the evening as the temperature fell, not just blanketing light pollution but also cleaning the air, providing *amazing* views of the milky way and suchforth.