44 replies to this topic

[RLK1]

"Gerlach Nevada"?

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=rvxQYOfkAwI

[Sebastian_Sajaroff]

I’m pretty sure it’s some city in North Korea.
Look at satellite pictures of both Koreas at night.

[Tony Flanders]

I’m pretty sure it’s some city in North Korea.

Maybe. But there are many towns in the under-industrialized world that have no electricity. Some of them quite big.

[CarolinaBanker]

Define what you mean by town. I’d think it would be very different if you chose say 100 versus 1,000 or 10,000.

[mountain monk]

Well, Gerlach is pretty darn dark. DaveL’s map shows a black sky zone about 20 miles north and a site near town is 21.92. Not much of a town, however. I’ve spent some time just north of there along the Oregon border, and it is indeed dark.

 

Dark skies.

 

Jack

Edited by mountain monk, 15 May 2024 - 11:19 PM.

[kasprowy]

Kenton, Oklahoma

[Jon Isaacs]

Mexican Hat, Utah, population 31.. 

 

Jon

[mountain monk]

It should be noted that hundreds of miles in Tibet and Central Asia registrar 22.00 mpsas.

 

Dark skies.

 

Jack

Edited by mountain monk, 15 May 2024 - 11:20 PM.

[katie_panda]

If you're talking just US, I know someone who worked in the Aleutian Islands. Every night (I think he said at 10) the town generator would shut down.

[TayM57]

Perfection, Nevada.

 

Just don't let the graboids get 'ya at night.

[vsteblina]

"Gerlach Nevada"?

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=rvxQYOfkAwI

I started looking at the light pollution maps for eastern Oregon and Nevada since these are the last best places for dark skies in the US.

 

I was surprised at the light pollution growth in Nevada over the past decade.  Some of it appears to be either wildland fires picked up by satellite or lighting for large mines.

 

Gerlach, doesn't look that dark anymore.  Looks like there are light domes in several directions.  I have not been in Gerlach for decades.

 

I do drive central Nevada every year.  The area north of Hiko, looks to me like it might be the darkest skies in the US.  I measured 21.99 just 10 miles south of Alamo and only a small sliver of sky showed the light dome from Las Vegas.  Farther north from Hiko I suspect the light dome would not be visible.

 

There is a new subdivision in Hiko and the satellite photos do show an increase in sky brightness in the past two years.  It still is very dark.
 

[Maggrippinhoppin]

I wish I could get out to some of those skies haha

[OK Apricot]

Vsteblina - I echo your experience around the Alamo/Hiko area in Nevada. In Oct 23 I drove up to that area, while we were staying in Vegas, so I could shoot from darkness. It is hands down the darkest I've ever seen the sky, so much to see. I posted about it on my thread "first visit to Bortle 1". Up into the hills on Mail Summit Road, just off US318, 125mi from Vegas. Noticeable light dome to the south but E/W/N were beautiful.

[RalphMeisterTigerMan]

It's not the only "super-dark" place. There must be extremely dark skies in Australia's Outback. I realize it's not the US but how about darkest in the World?

 

Clear skies and keep looking up!

RalphMeisterTigerMan

Edited by RalphMeisterTigerMan, 31 May 2024 - 09:01 PM.

[Look at the sky 101]

the city of Alert in Canada, the lights are non-existent there.

[JBelden]

I second Mexican Hat, stayed by Monticello and it was very dark at my cabin and extremely dark by Mexican Hat.

Joe

[vsteblina]

I second Mexican Hat, stayed by Monticello and it was very dark at my cabin and extremely dark by Mexican Hat.

Joe

If you want more urban amenities and dark skies Bluff is a good alternative.
 

[Anhydrite]

Most of Canada and Alaska is dark.  you only need to go a short way out of any town there to be at the black.

[mountain monk]

Bluff… Yes, it is very dark around there, especially to the west along the Comb. I have an old girlfriend that has lived there for thirty years and I often visit. Great country.

 

Dark skies.

 

Jack

[Sebastian_Sajaroff]

Most of Canada and Alaska is dark. you only need to go a short way out of any town there to be at the black.

That’s quite true if you’re more than 300 miles away from the border. Most Canadian population is concentrated on that band and our light pollution is pretty intense.
Look at satellite night pictures of Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City.

[Jon Isaacs]

I second Mexican Hat, stayed by Monticello and it was very dark at my cabin and extremely dark by Mexican Hat.

Joe

 

If you want more urban amenities and dark skies Bluff is a good alternative.
 

 

The Valley of the Gods is about halfway between Bluff and Mexican Hat. There's a board and breakfast there but nothing else.

 

The difficulty I have with the idea of the darkest town in the US is that the darkest places are not towns and it all comes down to what's a town and what isn't.  

 

 

 

 

Jon

[mountain monk]

For your information… I did the first ascent of Mexican Hat Rock with Royal Robbins in 1962. We had no bolts and there was no place to place pitons, so… we backed off to opposite sides, scrunched down, and rappelled off. Crazy stuff.

 

Southern Utah has always been my home away from home and there are still lots of dark sites. As for towns…  I would nominate the town of Boulder, Utah. Very dark and it has a a Clear Sky Chart. You can drive to 9,000 feet on Route 12 slightly above town where a pull-off and some two-tracks give you 22.00 mpsas. I recall that you have been there.

 

Dark skies.

 

Jack

Edited by mountain monk, 09 June 2024 - 04:58 PM.

[Jon Isaacs]

For your information… I did the first ascent of Mexican Hat Rock with Royal Robbins in 1962. We had no bolts and there was no place to place pitons, so… we backed off to opposite sides, scrunched down, and rappelled off. Crazy stuff.

 

Southern Utah has always been my home away from home and there are still lots of dark sites. As for towns…  I would nominate the town of Boulder, Utah. Very dark and it has a a Clear Sky Chart. You can drive to 9,000 feet on Route 12 slightly above town where a pull-off and some two-tracks give you 22.00 mpsas. I recall that you have been there.

 

Dark skies.

 

Jack

 

My observing buddy Bruce (Astro-Master) was just in that area.  He was camping at some high elevation location and told me he measured 21.7 on his SQM.  He had been there a few years ago when it was 22.0 or 21.9.  There is something going on,.. Solar cycle?

 

Jon

[mountain monk]

Yes, there is something going on. My best sites here that are rated 21.96-21.98 on DaveL’s’s map are no longer that good on my SQM-L. Still good, but not that good.

 

Dark skies.

 

Jack

[RLK1]

Yes, there is something going on. My best sites here that are rated 21.96-21.98 on DaveL’s’s map are no longer that good on my SQM-L. Still good, but not that good.

 

Dark skies.

 

Jack

"Yes, there is something going on."

 

That "something" is the solar maximum.