If you are looking to be awed by something in nature, there’s hardly anything more majestic than being able to see thousands of stars in a truly black sky. Unfortunately, you need to get away from the city to appreciate it.
With light pollution, most of the eastern seaboard has way too many brightly lit cities, that you’ll be hard pressed to get the ultimate night sky experience. One place out west is known for their lack of light pollution and that is New Mexico.
There’s even a Dark Skies Trail through New Mexico that will take you to some of the preeminent viewing areas in the state.
From their website…
Did you know that New Mexico was one of the first states in the U.S. with a law that protects our night skies? Did you know that Travel & Leisure named New Mexico one of the world’s Top 10 stargazing spots? Are you ready to be an astrotourist? Come to the Land of Enchantment and experience an ancient and authentic adventure, where we celebrate our dark skies and relish the starlight. Our high elevations, low population densities, dry climate, clean air, and number of clear nights make for an excellent stargazing adventure.
For more information and for a New Mexico travel guide, click here: https://www.newmexico.org/plan/guide/
All bets are off if you show up on night with a full moon. You want to go when the moon rises early in the morning and sets before the end of the day. Check times for New Mexico with this website: https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/usa/albuquerque
Lastly, if you are a photographer, don’t forget your tripod. Your shots will look much more spectacular without handheld camera shake. Enjoy!