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Minnesotian
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awbrown: "I've been an amateur astronomer for over 40 years, living in N. Illinois. On a trip to Big Bend National Park, the skies were so dark and the stars so numerous that I had trouble identifying the constellations."
I grew up in western Minnesota and got to know the stars and the patterns very well. Same thing happened to me as you, when I was in Quetico the stars were so thick I felt momentarily lost looking for some of those same familiar constellations.
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ZaraSp00k
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Look at Lost Wages, Chicago, and LA, that’s disgusting. Maybe more disgusting is that you can see Grand Marais & Ely, and worse yet, Tofte & Lutsen.
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Pinetree
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awbrown: "I've been an amateur astronomer for over 40 years, living in N. Illinois. On a trip to Big Bend National Park, the skies were so dark and the stars so numerous that I had trouble identifying the constellations."
You really don't realize the number and magnitude of stars until you go to a dark place and also less pollution in the air beside light pollution.
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arctic
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awbrown: "I've been an amateur astronomer for over 40 years, living in N. Illinois. On a trip to Big Bend National Park, the skies were so dark and the stars so numerous that I had trouble identifying the constellations."
Me too. The best skies I have seen were in Yellowstone, the BWCA/Quetico, and northern Ontario/Manitoba.
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awbrown
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I've been an amateur astronomer for over 40 years, living in N. Illinois. On a trip to Big Bend National Park, the skies were so dark and the stars so numerous that I had trouble identifying the constellations.
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Bearpath9
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Now, that's a cool map. Since my mom lives in Wyoming, I have been to a couple of those places out there. Never really thought about it, I just know that I see more stars when I'm at her place. The map gives it some perspective.
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deerfoot
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Even in Canada it helps to be a couple hundred of miles north of the border to get really clear skies.
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deerfoot
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OneMatch: "I notice one of the places on that map is Big Bend National Park on the Rio Grande near Terlingua, TX. This is a pic (with admittedly an extended time exposure) of my tent on a campsite on the Rio Grande: 
The stars were amazing."
Very nice!
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x2jmorris
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I don't really get what this is. Trying to get recognized as a dark sky? Cool pictures and I guess cool designation though it will bring even more people now lol.
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Basspro69
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Awesome
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Minnesotian
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This is very cool. Thanks for the link.
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PuffinGin
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Folks in Superior National Forest and Quetico are involved in a cooperative venture to collect needed data for International dark sky initiative.
International Dark Skies Quetico & Boundary Waters
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Pinetree
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A person doesn't realize what they can't see around home sometimes. The BWCA or like Montana it amazes me how many stars-planets are out there. There is life out there somewhere. The universe or even beyond is sooo big. Kirk and Dr. Spock know.
I always wished I had a astronomy class. Sometimes we know so little about so much.
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arctic
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Pristine skies, free from light pollution, are nearly gone from east of the Mississippi River, and are rapidly disappearing from the West as well.
Studies have shown that a large metro area can brighten the sky out to a radius of 300km (>180 miles), and every little town, "security" light, street light, etc brightens the sky.
Few American have seen a truly dark sky because nearly every Midwestern, Southern, and Eastern state has no such places left. Even in the West you need to be FAR from a city to find it.
The border country of NE Minnesota and adjacent parts of NE Minnesota, as well as the Red Lake area, still have pristine skies. On the map below, only BLACK is pristine...
Dark Skies in the Lower 48 States
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x2jmorris
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arctic: "Pristine skies, free from light pollution, are nearly gone from east of the Mississippi River, and are rapidly disappearing from the West as well.
Studies have shown that a large metro area can brighten the sky out to a radius of 300km (>180 miles), and every little town, "security" light, street light, etc brightens the sky.
Few American have seen a truly dark sky because nearly every Midwestern, Southern, and Eastern state has no such places left. Even in the West you need to be FAR from a city to find it.
The border country of NE Minnesota and adjacent parts of NE Minnesota, as well as the Red Lake area, still have pristine skies. On the map below, only BLACK is pristine...
Dark Skies in the Lower 48 States "
That is a pretty cool map. Crazy to think about that. I guess I have taken it for granted.
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OneMatch
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I notice one of the places on that map is Big Bend National Park on the Rio Grande near Terlingua, TX. This is a pic (with admittedly an extended time exposure) of my tent on a campsite on the Rio Grande:
The stars were amazing.
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SaganagaJoe
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arctic: "awbrown: "I've been an amateur astronomer for over 40 years, living in N. Illinois. On a trip to Big Bend National Park, the skies were so dark and the stars so numerous that I had trouble identifying the constellations."
Me too. The best skies I have seen were in Yellowstone, the BWCA/Quetico, and northern Ontario/Manitoba. "
Western Olympic National Park and thereabouts, near the Pacific Coast, is pretty awesome. I slept under the stars on two occasions when hunting out there (not in the park of course) and will never forget it.
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DanCooke
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Been to several dark sky places. It is amazing the differences of how many and the intensity of the stars from the burbs. Leaving shortly for another location of dark sky.
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