Dark Skies: What They Are and Where to Find Them in San Diego

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Kamala Venkatesh (https://darkskysandiego.org/)

Have you ever looked up at the night sky from your backyard and remembered a time from childhood when the Milky Way stretched across the sky, but now you only see a handful of faint stars? In urban areas like San Diego, this is the unfortunate situation where that wonder has been dimmed by light pollution, hiding the beauty of our night sky from view.

Why Dark Skies Matter: 

Dark skies have been essential to life for billions of years. Living creatures, humans included, built their daily routines on the natural light and dark cycle, now known as circadian rhythm. Yet today, with the spread of infrastructure and the glow of artificial lights, we have not only diminished our own ability to see the night sky, but also disrupted the health and rhythms of plants and animals. This issue even ties into climate change, as the vast amounts of electricity used to power these lights generate significant greenhouse gas emissions. On a cultural level, erasing our view of the Milky Way severs our link to the past where our ancestors used the stars to navigate, tell stories, understand our place in the universe, and even find concrete representation of their religion, according to an astronomical paper titled “Astronomy Through the Eyes of Ancients.” 

How Can We Find the Dark Skies in San Diego?

Here are some spots, all free of charge and accessible to the general public: 

• Palomar Mountain & Observatory: While the observatory itself closes at night (to the public), the surrounding areas offer elevated, low-light conditions ideal for stargazing. On some weekends, volunteer astronomers often host “Explore the Stars” events with telescopes and guided sky tours.

• Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: California’s first International Dark Sky Park, with vast open desert views and almost no light pollution.

• Mount Laguna (Cleveland National Forest): Just an hour from the city, its ~6,000 ft elevation and dry air give crisp, detailed views of deep-sky objects. 

• Julian: Designated as a verified International Dark Sky Community, this town has many public stargazing opportunities. 

  
  

How to make the most of a visit?

It's best to bring binoculars or a small telescope if you have it. Additionally, try to get a red-light flashlight, this really helps as you want your eyes to be able to adjust to get “night vision.” Once you get to the site, pack away your phone and wait around 15 minutes, assuming the sun has set, and your eyes should start adjusting to a point where you can see the Milky Way (again if you couple this with binoculars or a telescope its best). 

If you’re really into stargazing, and want to understand more about what you're seeing, I suggest looking at some articles on what's observable the night when you're up observing; study up on those objects and try to find them!

Conclusion:

Access to dark skies isn’t equal for everyone however. Less privileged communities often see the cost to travel as a large barrier in experiencing the stars firsthand. Thus, by highlighting these accessible spots nearby our city of San Diego, we hope to show the dark skies to people from all walks of life.