Along with the Atacama, this dormant volcano is a mecca for professional astronomy. Visitors are allowed to hike to the nearly 14,000-high summit, but are advised to watch out for altitude sickness and frigid temperatures.
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Combine a safari with stargazing at this reserve in the southern African nation of Namibia, among the most sparsely populated countries on Earth. Barentine says the site is “perhaps the darkest location IDA has ever designated.” The skies above the reserve’s 770 square miles of land, he added, are “as close to ‘natural’ darkness as one can obtain in the world.”
This region on New Zealand’s south island includes Aoraki Mt. Cook National Park and the famed resort and stargazing village of Lake Tekapo. Barentine calls it “another instance of near-primeval darkness.” Four companies based there can assist with astro-tourism.
Some peaks of this isolated archipelago in the East Atlantic off of southern Morocco have the advantage, along with the Atacama and Mauna Kea, of being above a so-called temperature inversion layer. That means that a “sea of clouds” forms below the peaks, keeping moisture low and the atmosphere free of star-distorting turbulence. Perhaps the best island is La Palma, whose Caldera de Taburiente National Park hosts a 7,800-foot-high rocky mound called Roque de los Muchachos that’s home to numerous observatories.
Located in the remote southwest corner of Ireland, the Kerry reserve offers 270 square miles of away-from-it-all stargazing in northern latitudinal climes. “Of our European Parks and Reserves,” Balentine says, “this is clearly the darkest on account of being furthest from major cities and being bordered on one side by the Atlantic.”
Visitors can bask in an awe-inspiring view of the night sky transected by one of the three natural, rocky “land bridges” formed in canyons here by rushing water thousands of years ago. The 12 square-mile site is “exemplary of the darkness of the Colorado Plateau” and “one of the darkest locations in our system,” says Barentine.
Along with Natural Bridges, Big Bend is one of the least light-polluted natural parks in the lower 48 states. The park occupies over 1,200 square miles in the Chihuahuan Desert, right on the Mexican border.
The Dark-Sky Association designated this park as its largest International Dark Sky Park last year. Although Death Valley’s skies are not entirely immune from the glitz of Las Vegas and other southwestern U.S. cities, it’s still plenty dark, and “in many places, offers views close to what could be seen before the rise of cities,” according to IDA.
Even those poor souls living along I-95’s light-drenched northeast corridor don’t have to go too far to experience high-quality night skies. This park in upstate, mid-Pennsylvania spans 82 acres and is ensconced within the 262,000-acre Susquehannock State Forest, helping to ensure its remove from civilization’s illumination.
