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Eagle eye observatory3/10/2023 ![]() 5.) Mansfield DaM Park & Granger Lake DAM If you’re a star loving Austinite, then get excited because we’ve got a killer local astronomy organization called the Austin Astronomical Society and they host stargazing events in the greater Austin area all the time! Check out the group’s website and resources to get connected and learn more about the night sky, and be sure to take a look at their online calendar here if you think you might like to attend any of their events!Īdditionally, a national group called Astronomy on Tap periodically visits Austin, offering attendees the opportunity to sip delicious beverages while getting educated about the stars and planets. 4.) Austin Astronomical Society and Astronomy on tap Events If you’re thinking about driving a little (or a lot) farther to visit any of these locations, check TPW’s stargazing events calendar to see if the park that’s caught your eye has any official star parties coming up. Rangers at McKinney Falls State Park, Blanco State Park, and Pedernales Falls State Park don’t usually host star parties, but these parks are still great places to do some independent stargazing of your own because they’ll have much less light pollution than city parks closer to downtown Austin.Īdditionally, Hill Country State Natural Area, Inks Lake State Park, Davis Mountains State Park, and Lost Maples State Natural Area are all known for being awesome vantage points from which to watch meteor showers, and the stargazing conditions at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Copper Breaks State Park, and Big Bend National Park are legendary. Sometimes, these events even include refreshments, guided night hikes, and bat and owl watching. Multiple parks within 1 hour’s drive time of central Austin - including McKinney Roughs Nature Park, Westcave Nature Preserve, Pedernales Falls State Park, and McKinney Falls State Park - host frequent star parties, which often include talks from experienced astronomers who bring their telescopes for guests to look through. Texas Parks & Wildlife is quite proud of its Dark Skies Program and actively encourages their state parks, nature preserves, and natural areas to organize educational stargazing programs and install outdoor lighting systems that do not contribute to light pollution. Photo: Flickr user Ralph Arvesen, CC licensed The Milky Way over the Texas Hill Country near Llano. ![]() Edward’s University, Zilker Park, or even the Loop 360 Bridge Overlook - all of which are problematic due to light pollution or APD’s tendency to cite trespassers after hours - we seriously recommend that you consider one of these 10 amazing Austin stargazing viewpoints instead: 1.) UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY star parties If you’re thinking about stargazing at Mount Bonnell, Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, St. With that in mind, we decided to publish an Austin stargazing guide to clue locals in to some of the best (and worst) places to stargaze and watch meteor showers, along with several tips for selecting the best viewpoints and tracking weather conditions to get the best visibility. Austin may be growing exponentially right now, which automatically means that we’re creating increasing levels of light pollution, but when you compare our fair city to other huge Texas metropolises like Dallas and Houston, our night sky visibility is actually pretty good. Believe it or not, Texas boasts some of the “darkest” skies in the United States - meaning that our great state contains an abundance of areas that provide optimal visibility of stars, planets, constellations, meteorites, and other astronomical phenomenon.
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