![]() ![]() Just grab a warm blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and head down to the beach! Just remember to pay attention to the waves and high tides. Luckily, there’s always open parking on the ocean side of the road. The Reserve parking lot gate closes at sunset so you won’t want to park there. On a clear night, the park delivers spectacular views that are actually quite impressive. Though you’re not likely to find as many visible stars here as in more remote locations, Torrey Pines does offer dark skies despite its urban La Jolla proximity. ![]() And when that whim happens and you don’t want to travel very far to see a clear view of the stars, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is the place to be. Sometimes the night sky just begs to be explored. that can clearly see the entire Milky Way. And here’s the best news of all…the Julian community is part of the 1% of the U.S. In the meantime, if you’re visiting Julian on a clear night, there are several places to do some solo stargazing including William Heise County Park. Julian StarFest, an amateur astronomer event sponsored by SDAA will resume at the Menghini Winery in Julian in August, 2022. ![]() We know all about the town of Julian’s apple orchards, mouthwatering apple pies, historic gold mine, and wineries, but this charming mountain town was also recently rewarded the recognition as a dark-sky community. And from November through April, the state park offers monthly stargazing and moon-watching programs. Serious star watchers can even schedule an evening with astronomer Dennis Mammana of Borrego Night Sky Tours for an unforgettable educational and awe-inspiring experience. It is the ideal place to ooh and aah over the magnificent beauty of the glorious night sky. Seasoned stargazers claim the isolated Little Blair Valley on the western edge of the park the top spot for stargazing. The vast desert landscape provides nights so clear, that onlookers can easily view colorful stars, stellar clusters, planets, star-forming nebulae, constellations, Earth-orbiting satellites, and more. Here the locals take stargazing very seriously. The Park is about an hour-and-a-half drive from downtown San Diego, but so worth the visit. It is close to Borrego Springs, Southern California’s first designated International Dark Sky Community. One of the absolute best places in Southern California to view the night skies, Anza-Borrego is a recognized Dark Sky Park. Obviously, the further one goes outside the San Diego core, the better the viewing due to lessening light pollution. The great news for San Diegans is that we too have some incredible places for stargazing ranging from a coastal reserve to the mountains and deserts of San Diego County. These experiences reminded me not only of the immense expanse of our universe, but the magical experience that gazing at the dark night sky and seeing the stars, planets, and other celestial bodies provide. I attended two unforgettable stargazing events in Palm Springs, CA, and Flagstaff, AZ in the past few months. But there they are, in all their twinkling glory for those of us who want to wish upon a star, or just marvel at the vastness of the cosmos. So if you want to explore the universe from below, take a look at our recommendations for the best spots to go stargazing in San Diego.ĭid you know that there are approximately 200 trillion stars in the universe? Some we can see with the naked eye, some with a telescope, and some with even more powerful astronomy equipment. Stargazing is an amazing experience and we are quite lucky to have some fantastic dark sky areas near San Diego. If there’s anything good that’s come out of the recent time of isolation, it’s that we experienced a much deeper appreciation of the natural world around us. Vincent Van Gogh once said, “I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” Best Places to Go Stargazing in San Diego ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |