The Darkest Skies
in Iowa

"Sky quality measurements were recorded at Little Sand Bay West Jetty in Apostle Islands NS on 9/18/2012. The site demonstrated a scientific darkness reading of 22.06 SQM."

"Stars visible to 83° zenith angle. Good detail in the Milky Way with good contrast and dust lanes/Great Rift visible. Cygnus dust lane visible."

"Sky quality measurements were recorded at Heritage Center in Homestead NM on 9/27/2005. The site demonstrated a scientific darkness reading of 21.37 SQM."

"Good visibility during the day. According to the weather record, it rained in the previous days. Duluth light dome is clearly visible."

"Set up about 50' from the water in a depression in the sand dunes. Local glare from the western most home in the "1933 Century of Progress" homes. Other glare sources from the power plants to the SW and NE along the lakeshore are easily visible but did not saturate the camera sensor. A clear view across Lake Michigan to the Chicago skyline, though clouds and haze never completely cleared away. I suspect the industrial developments from the Port of Indiana all the way around to Chicago has a significant impact on aeresols and local cloud development. Even so, at 35 miles distant, the illuminated buildings of the Chicago skyline were easily visible to the naked eye on this evening. The light dome of Michigan City (5 miles to the ENE) was very bright, but the dome from Chicago all the way to south of INDU is by far the greatest source of skyglow. The Milky Way was visible from 15° above the horizon at both ends. Not a lot of detail was visible in the Sagittarius or Cygnus star clouds. M31 was barely visible to the naked eye without using averted vision. Comparitively, for the region, this is not too bad a place to view the night sky. If not for the local glare sources, it would be fairly quick to dark adapt and be able to see many celestial features. Was able to see 6.2 LM in Ursa Major (which was over the lake to the darker north)."