GREATEST STARGAZING SITES TO VISIT IN 2020

Ask any astronomer what their greatest hindrance is during a typical observing session and you’re likely to be answered quite quickly with ‘light pollution’. That’s because this misdirected and often excessive artificial light seeps into the night from lit-up towns and cities, washing out the faint dark-sky treasures that stargazers take great pleasure in imaging and gazing upon. And, with more areas becoming built up, the problem seems to be getting worse, obscuring our beautiful starry skies with an orange haze.

That’s why the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) is the astronomer’s best friend. Working with parks, reserves and communities to keep areas relatively free from light, the IDA also focuses on heavily lit regions by finding ways to keep lighting to a minimum or suggesting night-sky