Dark-sky tips
Most people have never seen a truly dark sky. Here's how to find one — and when to go.
Time it with the moon
Moonlight is natural light pollution. The week around the new moon is prime time:
the sky is at its darkest and the Milky Way shows best. Check our
moon phase calendar and plan new-moon weekends. The days right
after sunset before moonrise (or after moonset before dawn) work too, even in brighter weeks.
Go after astronomical twilight
The sky isn't fully dark at sunset. Wait until the sun is 18° below the horizon
(astronomical twilight ends) — roughly 1.5–2 hours after sunset, depending on latitude and season.
Planetarium apps show this for your location.
Understand the Bortle scale
The Bortle scale rates sky darkness from 1 (pristine dark site) to
9 (inner-city sky). Most suburbs sit at 5–7, where the Milky Way is invisible.
At Bortle 3 and below, the Milky Way casts a faint shadow. You don't need a Bortle 1 desert —
dropping from 7 to 4 transforms the sky.
Escape the glow
- Drive away from the city's glow, not just out of downtown — put the bright
horizon behind hills or at your back.
- Higher is usually darker, and dry air beats humid air.
- New moon + clear forecast + no nearby towns is the trifecta. Two out of three
still beats your backyard.
- Dark-sky parks and reserves (many countries maintain official lists) are purpose-built for this —
worth a road trip at least once.
Protect the dark you find
- Shield outdoor lights downward and use warm-colored bulbs at home.
- At a dark site, keep headlights and white flashlights off — use red only.
- Give your eyes the full 30 minutes. The Milky Way rewards patience.
Honest note: we describe the Bortle scale and timing principles
here, but we don't rate specific locations — darkness varies street by street. Judge a site by what
you can see: if the Milky Way is obvious, you're somewhere good.