A new examination outlining stargazing research has identified the top spots in the U.S. for stargazing. This has been commissioned due to the growing interest in stargazing in the country, with a particular growth area being the back garden astronomer.
Stargazing is becoming a popular hobby and it offers an alternative way to bring science alive and to find a different way experience the beauty of the skies and also of the surrounding natural world. Methods include simply looking at the night sky with the naked eye, using binoculars, and using a variety of optical telescopes of varying power and quality.
For looking up at the great canopy of space, the best U.S. Cities for stargazing are found to be:
#1 Phoenix, AZ
#2 San Francisco, CA
#3 Washington, DC
#4 San Diego, CA
#5 Austin, TX
The study was commissioned by RTA Outdoor Living. The research considered a host of factors to derive at the list. These included: the number of observatories, degree of light pollution, variations with weather data (including seasonal patterns), and other factors that lead to good start-spotting.
As the list reveals, overall, Phoenix, Arizona ranked as the #1 city in the U.S. for stargazing. This was attributable to the city’s high elevation, which helps to provide a broad panorama, plus a relatively high number of astronomy groups active across the city.
In terms of population, three California cities make the top 10. These were: San Francisco (at #2), San Diego (#4), and Los Angeles (#6).
There are different factors that appeal to stargazers and the degree of darkness afforded the night-sky is an important one. With this, Virginia Beach, VA was recorded as home to the least light pollution in the U.S. with a 94.7 radiance. Light pollution is the presence of anthropogenic artificial light in otherwise dark conditions, and it is an expanding effect through the sprawl of urbanization.
In contrast, other locales provide poor spaces for examining nearby astronomical events. Here, the city of Charlotte, NC was found to be by far the worst city for stargazing. This was the product of the city having a low percentage of land used for recreation and just two observatories being in place within the city.
