I’ve got a shiny new telescope and want some dark sky south or west of Minneapolis. My google fu isnt bringing results targeted at dark skies, mostly I’m finding locations that are hosting viewing events on their equipment.
So I’m looking for a state park or other safe place to view the stars late at night under the darkest sky. I’m in Bloomington and I’d like to be within an hour from home. If anyone has direct experience with a place to go, I’d appreciate a good reference.
A little tricky to figure out exactly where you are if you zoom in on that map. i copied the lat-long out of the URL and put it in the URL in OpenStreetMap to be able to see roads and state lands.
Looks like one of the state wildlife management areas near Marshall would be a good bet.
Thanks for the responses, though I’m hoping to find something more specific.
DarkSiteFinder is awesome, but it doesnt identify “safe” places where its OK to set up and be late into the evening. The few references that I have come across that identify a specific location typically lead to parks that close at 10PM. At this time of year, that isnt really feasible.
I’m hoping to find a park, or any other place for that matter, that is within an hour of the cities where it’s “safe” to be late into the evening (or at least wont get me chased off by an angry farmer or park police). If I was 25 again, I wouldnt care so much about where I parked the car to do what I want, but at 50+ I find that I’ve become more of a rule follower than I ever thought I’d be
Any specific suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Hoping to find a doper that enjoys stargazing and has a favorite place to share!
What about the New Market Rest Area off I-35? That’s probably less than 10 miles south, and I believe the rest areas are open 24 hours a day. But maybe the headlights from I-35 traffic would be a problem?
The other problem at a rest area is the streetlights over the parking area.
A county road leading into a state WMA should be very, very quiet after sundown, as no one would have any reason to go there. Just pull off the pavement (or gravel). Often you can find an abandoned driveway that lets you pull entirely out of the roadway. You’re very unlikely to even be passed by another vehicle the whole time. I can’t imagine you being bothered by a farmer so long as you don’t step into the plowed or cultivated area.
The OP did specify “within an hour”, or I would have recommended Lewis and Clark National Forest, in Montana. It’s one of the very few spots left in North America with no visible light pollution at all.
Metcalf Observing Field is east of St Paul, and off of I94. Yes, there is some light pollution, but the Minnesota Astronomical society uses this site. That group also has a darker location near Kenyon, east of Faribault. Check out the website for the Minnesota Astronomical Society for more info about their sites.
