Top national parks for stargazing in US
A survey of hundreds of national park sites across the U.S. has revealed which locations are the top destinations to stargaze from.
The study, conducted by experts at Lake.com, a vacation rental site, found that Oregon and much of the West have great views of the Milky Way Galaxy.
According to their analysis, Crater Lake, located in southern Oregon, received a perfect score, followed by sites in Nevada and Utah.
Each federal park was given a score out of 100 based on the number of visible stars and average light pollution.
"Exploring which national parks and recreation areas are best for stargazing highlights the balance between preserving natural beauty and managing human impact," David Ciccarelli, CEO of Lake.com, said in a statement. "Through stargazing, visitors not only witness the splendor of creation but also gain a deeper understanding of our role in stewarding the natural world."
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Crater Lake received a perfect score of 100 out of 100 based on an average of 98.6% of stars being visible and a low light pollution ratio of just 0.03.
The nearest major city to the park is Medford, Oregon, which is about 60 miles to its southwest.
The National Park Service estimates that between 500,000 to 750,000 people visit Crater Lake every year.
The lake is said to have formed after the eruption of a massive volcano more than 7,000 years ago.
Mount Mazama is considered to be presently dormant but capable of producing a future eruption.
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The only site on the list near the East Coast was Isle Royale National Park in Michigan, which ranked at number 14.
The federal park site is located along Lake Superior, near the U.S.-Canada border, and was given a score of 68.31 out of 100.
Nasa estimates that for many residents of the U.S., around a couple of hundred stars are visible on any given night, but that number can significantly increase to several thousand if far away from light pollution.
"Through stargazing, visitors not only witness the splendor of creation but also gain a deeper understanding of our role in stewarding the natural world," Ciccarelli stated.
Original article source: Top national parks for stargazing in US
