Did you know that Colorado has some of the best stargazing conditions in the country? Well - it does - and fall happens to be the best season to view them! Here’s why and where to go for the best views.
The U.S. Air Force Academy houses the largest research telescope in Colorado. I spoke with their research team about the intersection of weather and space science that makes this a great place to view the stars. We need three things for good stargazing: clear and dark skies, good transparency, and good seeing. Let’s go through each one.
Clear Skies
Clear skies are free of clouds… soot… dust… and smoke. The Colorado plains have a large number of cloudless nights… with the highest clear night percentage during fall. However, urban areas have lots of small particles in the air from car and power plant emissions, among other things. These particles cause city light to bounce off them and brighten the sky. This means Colorado Springs… Pueblo… Denver… and other Front Range cities are hard to stargaze from.
What is Atmospheric Transparency?
Transparency is a weather term used by astronomers to describe how wet or dry the air is… think of it like humidity. It also accounts for other “stuff” that may be in the air that scatters light between us observers at the ground, and space. This is where Colorado shines. Our high altitude (low air pressure) and generally dry air makes for excellent transparency. This is why the sky looks so crisp and dark in the mountains and eastern plains compared to other places in the country. Fall and winter are best for transparency. Cold air can’t hold as much water as warm air.
What’s Atmospheric Seeing?
Seeing is a measurement of how our views of the stars get twisted and blurry due to turbulence—the same kind that makes you bounce around in an airplane. When air at different temperatures mixes… it makes for blurry views. Have you ever seen a shimmer from the air above a road on a really hot day? That’s what seeing measures. Front Range cities can struggle here because of the way air flows east of the mountains. It’s best when we have light winds and stable air… which often occur after a storm system.
Why Fall is Ideal:
Fall is an ideal time to stargaze because we tend to have clearer skies… colder air… and less air turbulence. While our cities can be tricky for good sky viewing… you don’t have to go far for Colorado’s fall weather to work its magic. The Florissant Fossil Beds… Mueller State Park… and Paint Mines Interpretive Park are all Dark Sky Sites within an hour’s drive of Colorado Springs.
Tips for good viewing:
If you do choose to take advantage of this time of the year to spend some time looking at the night sky, here are a few tips. First…
- Allow Your Eyes to Adjust: Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness and avoid looking at bright screens.
- Bring binoculars or a telescope if you have them: If you don’t… check out the public dark sky parties hosted by the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society. Their next event is in Mueller State Park from seven to nine PM on Friday, November 1st. They’ll have telescopes.
- Get Comfortable: Bring a chair or blanket to sit on.
Of course, while colder air does lead to better star viewing… you’ll also need to bundle up to take advantage, so don’t forget your coat, hat, and gloves… especially if you’re driving a ways to see things. Keep looking up!____
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