Finding a Million-Star Hotel: An Astro-Tourist’s Guide to Dark Sky Places (The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series)

Bob Mizon, one of the world’s best known campaigners against the veil of light pollution that has taken away the starry sky from most of the world’s population, takes readers to a hundred places in the UK and the USA where the wonders of the night sky might still be enjoyed in perfect or near-perfect night skies. Visiting small hotels and simple campsites, and savoring vast dark-sky reserves where the night sky is actively protected, __The Million-Star Hotel__ celebrates the black skies of yesteryear – which may become a reality for more and more of us as modern technology reins in lighting and puts it only where needed. How can you prepare for your stay beneath the stars? What astronomy can you do during the daytime? What kind of equipment will you need? Questions such as these are answered, and if town dwellers return inspired – and, Bob hopes, also inspired to look with fresh eyes at their own local lighting – there is enough information here for them to equip themselves for some urban astronomy too. Dedication 6 Preface 8 Acknowledgments 12 Contents 14 About the Author 18 Chapter 1: What Are Dark Sky Places? 19 Zoos for Stars 19 The IDA’s IDSP Scheme 25 The Bortle Scale 27 The Shock of the Milky Way 35 Your Dark Sky Place 39 Chapter 2: Invasion of the Townies 42 Introduction 42 One Small Step: And Many More 43 “Visit Our Stars” 46 Chapter 3: Seeking Out the Real Night Sky 49 General Information 49 Safety Concerns 50 Maps of Darkness 51 Dark Sky Places in the United Kingdom 51 Scotland 51 Northern Ireland 63 The Isle of Man 66 Wales 67 England 72 Dark Sky Places in the United States 105 Alabama 105 Alaska 106 Arizona 107 Arkansas 109 California 109 Colorado 112 Connecticut 113 Delaware 114 Florida 114 Georgia 115 Hawaii 117 Idaho 118 Illinois 120 Indiana 120 Iowa 121 Kansas 122 Kentucky 123 Louisiana 124 Maine 125 Maryland 125 Massachusetts 126 Michigan 126 Minnesota 127 Mississippi 128 Missouri 129 Montana 130 Nebraska 130 Nevada 131 New Hampshire 132 New Jersey 133 New Mexico 133 New York 135 North Carolina 135 North Dakota 136 Ohio 137 Oklahoma 137 Oregon 138 Pennsylvania 139 Rhode Island 140 South Carolina 140 South Dakota 140 Tennessee 141 Texas 142 Utah 143 Vermont 145 Virginia 146 Washington 146 West Virginia 147 Wisconsin 147 Wyoming 148 European Dark Sky Sites 149 Austria 149 Belgium 151 Bulgaria 152 Croatia 152 Czech Republic 153 Cyprus 154 Denmark 155 Estonia 155 Finland 156 France 156 Germany 157 Greece/Crete 159 Hungary 159 Iceland 160 Italy 161 Latvia 162 Lithuania 162 The Netherlands 162 Norway 163 Portugal 164 Poland 165 Romania 165 Slovenia 165 Spain 166 Sweden 166 Switzerland 167 Turkey 167 Where Are the World’s Darkest Skies? 168 Chapter 4: What’s in the Sky? 170 Our Daystar: The Sun and Safe Observing 173 The Solar Disk 173 The Aurora 177 Sundogs, Arcs and Crepuscular Rays 180 Sun Pillars 182 Noctilucent Clouds 184 The Zodiacal Light 184 Nighttime Astronomy: Wonders Without End 185 Constellations: Stars, Science and Myth 185 Seasonal Star Charts 188 Selected Stars: The Stories Behind the Twinkles 195 Albireo, the Summer Surprise 196 Antares, the Rival of Mars 197 Arcturus, the Bear Driver 199 Betelgeuse, the Next Supernova? 199 Deneb, Tail of the Swan 200 Fomalhaut, the Fish’s Mouth 201 The Garnet Star, Herschel’s Red Gem 201 Mizar, the Second Hunter 202 Polaris, the Pole Star 204 Sirius, the Dog Star 205 The Moon, Our Nearest Neighbor—And Nature’s Light Pollution 207 Planets: The Moving Lights 209 Mercury 209 Venus 209 Mars 210 Asteroids 210 Jupiter 211 Saturn 212 Uranus and Neptune 213 Pluto 213 Meteors: Journey’s End 214 Artificial Satellites 215 Telescopic Targets 216 Star Clusters 216 Nebulae 217 Supernova Remnant 218 Faint Fuzzies: The Very Far Universe 218 Chapter 5: The Great American Eclipse of August 2017 and Beyond 221 The ‘Big One’ 221 Future Eclipses of the Sun 226 Terms Used in the Eclipse Diagrams 263 Geocentric Conjunction 263 J. D. (Julian Day) 264 Greatest Eclipse 264 Eclipse Magnitude 264 Saros Series 264 Contacts 265 Sub Solar (Subsolar) Point 265 Chapter 6: The Star-Hunter’s Kit 266 Instruments 266 Accessories 271 Apps 272 Chapter 7: Stargazing Etiquette and Hosting Astro-­Tourism 274 Stay Safe 274 Respect Others’ Property 275 Keep It Quiet 275 Night Vision Is Important—And Easily Damaged 275 Use of the Property/Legalities 276 Non-Participants 276 Hosting Astro-Tourism 277 Planning, Telescope Hire, Lights, Accommodation 277 Dark Site Guidelines 278 Chapter 8: Light Pollution: Thief of the Stars and Mother of Dark Sky Tourism 280 Veil Across the Universe 280 Our Chemical Parents: Stardust in Our Lives 289 The Universe and Us 290 Appendix A IDA International Dark Sky Places (as of April 2016) 295 International Dark Sky Reserves 295 International Dark Sky Parks 295 International Dark Sky Communities 296 UK Dark Sky Discovery Sites 296 Appendix B UK Dark Sky Discovery Sites 297 Appendix C The Report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution 299 Paragraph 6.1 299 Paragraph 6.2 299 Paragraph 6.3 300 Paragraph 6.4 300 Paragraph 6.5 300 Paragraph 6.6 300 Paragraph 6.7 301 Paragraph 6.8 301 Paragraph 6.12 301 Paragraph 6.16 302 Appendix D Starry Starry Night 303 What Causes the Skyglow That Has Erased Our Stars? 304 Types of Lighting 304 Making a Difference 305 Appendix E 100 Places in the United States to See the August 2017 Total Eclipse of the Sun 307 Georgia 307 Idaho 307 Kansas 307 Kentucky 308 Missouri 308 Nebraska 308 North Carolina 308 Oregon 308 South Carolina 308 Tennessee 308 Wyoming 309 Appendix F Further Information 311 Websites 311 Books 311 General 311 Astronomical Equipment 312 Light Pollution 312 Astronomy Magazines 313 Planetarium Programs 313 Sky Charts 313 Appendix G The Bortle Scale and SQM Readings 315 A ppendix H Glossary of Astronomy Terms 317 Index 331 Finding a Million-Star Hotel explores the modern phenomenon of astro-tourism, the efforts by increasing numbers of people to find nearby and distant locations where they can see the real night sky so often hidden by light pollution. Astronomer Bob Mizon directs readers to dark sky sites in the United Kingdom, the United States, and a few further afield. This is more than just a hotel guide with links for accommodation at or near the locations. There are chapters on choosing telescopes and binoculars, on celestial objects astro-tourists can look for in the night sky, and an investigation into the causes of the skyglow that veils our view of the stars. Most of those who go seeking the stars are not professional astronomers. This book is aimed at those observers with limited knowledge of the night sky who are eager to explore and enjoy it. Even those contemplating setting up astro-themed hotels, campsites, or astronomy events can benefit from reading this book and from the advice included on how to equip such places, stargazing etiquette and star-friendly lighting Front Matter....Pages i-xvii What Are Dark Sky Places?....Pages 1-23 Invasion of the Townies....Pages 25-31 Seeking Out the Real Night Sky....Pages 33-153 What’s in the Sky?....Pages 155-205 The Great American Eclipse of August 2017 and Beyond....Pages 207-251 The Star-Hunter’s Kit....Pages 253-260 Stargazing Etiquette and Hosting Astro-Tourism....Pages 261-266 Light Pollution: Thief of the Stars and Mother of Dark Sky Tourism....Pages 267-281 Back Matter....Pages 283-322