These Are Colorado’s Best Stargazing Hotspots

Brittany Anas, Denver Post
Tue, 06/25/2024 - 5:00am

The past 12 months have been an exciting time for skywatchers and stargazers. In October 2023, the path of a “ring of fire” eclipse clipped southern Colorado, visible from Mesa Verde National Park and its neighbors. Next came the April solar eclipse, which revved up enthusiasm for astrotourism even more despite Colorado not being among the 15 lucky states in the path of totality. Now that the sky has your attention, there’s a lot more to marvel at in Colorado’s celestial theater: Helped by recent legislation to turn off the lights and make night skies as dark as possible, the Centennial State is vying to become a top astrotourism destination. In 2022, the state legislature signed a law awarding communities grants to help them darken their night skies. Colorado is home to 10 International Dark Sky Parks and five communities, many of which have been awarded designations in recent years. Sections of the state that are high elevation with low humidity have a natural edge regarding stellar stargazing. However, coalitions are working even more to obscure artificial city lights further and promote the idea that the park system stretches beyond land and into the sky. Colorado may soon be home to the planet’s largest dark sky preserve. The proposed Sangre de Cristo International Dark Sky Reserve, a swath of 4,200 square miles along the eponymous mountain range, would cover Salida down to the New Mexico border and stretch from Alamosa to LaVeta. Many small communities with star status celebrate with public stargazing parties throughout the summer. Here are seven staycation ideas for aspiring and expert stargazers alike. Trained Star Guides point to stars with laser pointers and talk about stars and dark skies during the “Public Star Party: The Awe of the Milky Way” event at the Smokey Jack Observatory at Bluff Park in Westcliffe on June 7, 2019.

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BING NEWS:
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    06/24/2024 - 7:00 pm | View Link
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