Although people live their whole lives under the sky, they may never truly see the glory of the Milky Way, and it's all because of light pollution.
You can see the true night sky this summer from several national parks, with special stargazing events in August and September. To see the Milky Way, choose a night of a new moon to see the brightest band of the galactic center, located in the constellation Sagittarius.
National parks, located far from populated areas, have the dark skies necessary to enjoy the sky. First among those parks is the Grand Canyon National Park, which regularly hosts astronomy programming and views of the Milky Way.
Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah has been designated a dark sky park since 2019. Another Utah park, Arches National Park, features dramatic views of the night sky framed by dense concentration of 2,000 natural sandstone arches and balancing rocks.
In South Dakota, the Badlands National Park regularly hosts stargazing events in July.
This year, for a fantastic view of the night sky (including the peak Perseid meteor shower), visit Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota from August 8 to 10. See: voyageurs.org/starparty.
In September, head to Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado for its AstroFest, an annual gathering to appreciate the night sky.
In Nevada, the Great Basin National Park has an annual astronomy festival from September 5 to 7 for observing the Milky Way and learning about the night sky.
Plan ahead for 2025 if you want to admire the night sky at Joshua Tree National Park. Tickets to the night sky festival in the first week of October go on sale in June and usually sell out.
