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Milky Way from NM Highway


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If you go by this resource,

 

http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/

 

I was in a spot that was on the edge of a blue zone and a grey zone.  However, there are two things going for me that this map doesn't account for.  Although I was relatively near to Albuquerque, a lot of the city light in my direction is blocked by the Sandia mountains.  Also, I was at about 6-7000 feet above sea level which drastically cuts down on the amount of atmosphere I need to see through.  So really it was like being in a solid grey zone.  

 

A week earlier I was in Big Bend NP and the skies there are substantially darker so this is by far as dark as they get out here in the west.

 

Now, that being said, the photo has post processing and is a 30 second exposure at 3200 ISO.  That isn't what you'll see with the naked eye.  Its not quite as impressive.  However, the first time I saw a really dark sky in West Texas my jaw nearly hit the floor.  It is really amazing either way.

 

Near Maryland you allegedly have some spots relatively close by in the mountains of West Virginia.  But other than that you're not in much luck out East.

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I'm going to be traveling out to Phoenix next week for a few days and was hoping to try some night shots like this.  Any suggestions for that area?  I'm going to be on the western fringe of the city and according to the Dark Sky Finder map posted I should be able to escape the city lights near Tonopah, AZ.  They also have a Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix where I could get some desert landscape sunset shots, but it's in the middle of the city so dark sky would be out.

 

Any suggestions on finding a spot?  I'm a little hesitant to drive into the desert by myself at night when I have never been to the area before. I'll be along Rt 10, so I figured I can't get too lost.

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Thanks. I am thinking of traveling to a dark sky park sometime this summer and I expect to be amazed either way. I've been under the influence of light pollution for so long I think the best I've ever done was making out a few dozen stars. Out here I can see a couple. That makes for a nice night but I can only imagine what a real nighttime sky looks like.

I'm in NYC. I usually go to South Jersey, the Catskills, or Montauk. Not sure about down in your neck of the woods though.

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