When it comes to stargazing, we all know it can be a little difficult to get a good view in the city. With all the city lights, cars, and buildings, there’s a little too much light to get a good look at the sky most nights. But that doesn’t mean that stargazing is out of the question completely! You might just have to go a little further than down the street for a good view! Keep scrolling to learn more about the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, one of Georgia’s recognized dark sky locations.
What is a dark sky location?
It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Dark sky locations are the spots where there’s the least amount of light pollution, and therefore, you can most easily see the stars and night sky.
Light pollution is measured with the ‘Bortle scale’. Astro Backyard defines a Bortle as,
The Bortle scale is a way of measuring the quality (brightness) of the night sky for a particular location. There are nine levels to the Bortle scale with Class 9 being the most extreme amount of light pollution.
For example, Atlanta would rank at 1 on the Bortle scale, since the city has a ton of light. According to Deerlick Group, which is a community dedicated to keeping an area of Georgia’s sky safely dark, “There are 3 Level 3 dark sky zones within a 2 hour drive of Atlanta.”
Where is Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest?
According to Go Astronomy, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest is a recognized dark sky location, and a great spot for stargazing.
While it does not have a ranking on the Bortle scale, they say,
As a U.S. national forest, dispersed camping, also known as boondocking, is permitted away from car/RV campsites. This allows you to find even darker skies. A permit may be required.
The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest is located in Gainesville, GA, just over an hour from Atlanta.
Are there other recognized dark sky locations in Georgia?
Yes there are! You can find a list of more dark sky locations across our state on Go Astronomy’s website, here.
Happy stargazing, Atlanta!