Backyard Universe: Want to see a cool astronomical event? Head for a dark sky site.

Back on the evening of May 10 a rare display of the aurora borealis splashed color across the skies of our area.

Amateur astronomers who follow night sky happenings knew the first thing they needed to do to see the northern lights display when they heard one may be happening.

They needed to head for a dark sky site.

They knew that attempting to see the northern lights from a brightly lighted urban location would offer a greatly reduced view, if not an outright waste of time.

With increasing urban lighting even in remote areas, finding that dark sky site is tough these days.

Say there is an auroral display predicted for tonight, or a wispy naked-eye comet is supposed to appear in this evening’s skies. Where would you go to get the best view or photograph of the event? Where is the darkest place you can travel to within an hour of Fayetteville or four hours ... or a half-day drive?

Dark sky sites near Fayetteville

Online is a good place to determine where the sky will be darkest.

The website lightpollutionmap.info gives an online, color map that plots the brightest and darkest areas.

Looking at the light pollution map, we see a couple of areas near us that offer decent dark sky possibilities. Uwharrie National Forest south of Troy is a fairly dark area. Darker still is southern Sampson County near the Ivanhoe community. From these locations, the summer Milky Way should be very evident on clear moonless nights. If you’re looking to travel further and wind up at the beach, Ocracoke Island is one of the darkest sites in North Carolina, especially when looking eastward out over the ocean. The Ocracoke Campground at the north end of the island is a great dark sky site.

Also south of there is Cape Lookout which, while not as easy to drive to, is a recently designated dark sky site. I’ve been out there several times over the years under the vivid Milky Way arcing over the Cape Lookout lighthouse. A short passenger ferry ride from Harkers Island can get you there and back. Except during winter, count on lots of insect life during Cape Lookout nights.

Another dark sky dilemma isn’t just about where the sky is dark, but where we can go to be safe and secure. Traveling alone to a remote roadside location is never a good idea these days.

Over the years I’ve made a list of property owners I have contacted at dark sky locations around southeastern North Carolina. A call to any of them almost always results in a memorable and secure trip on clear evenings since I’m very welcome and safe on their private property. Since the 1980s, I’ve gotten special permission to be at the top of Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina for all-night viewing and photography of the night sky. While there is some great dark sky looking straight up atop mile-high Grandfather, looking down in the valleys shows plenty of light pollution from nearby Boone and Blowing Rock. It’s a very secure location, too, since the gate at the entrance is locked and I have the mountain all to myself ... except for a few deer and skunks.

More Backyard Universe: Miss the northern lights in Fayetteville? You may have another shot soon

You don't always need a dark sky

Dark skies don’t matter for some bright sky targets. I can just as easily show folks the moon and planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn through my telescope from a bright Fayetteville mall parking lot as from a dark sky location. These objects are bright and dark remote locations aren’t needed for good views and images. It’s the fainter stuff like Milky Way star clouds, nebulae and galaxies where dark skies are needed for the best views and photos.

As important as a dark sky is the condition of the air above us. Cloudless skies with low humidity are most desirable. Afternoons with clear deep blue skies with no haze bring the best sky transparency and the darkest star-filled skies as darkness falls

One thing is certain, though. It doesn’t matter if it’s a night sky attraction like an aurora or comet or any other encounter with the natural world.  The best and most memorable experiences will always belong to those folks who make the most effort to watch from the best locations under the best conditions.

If you have a question about astronomy send it to Backyard Universe, P.O. Box 297 Stedman, NC 28391 or email [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Where are the dark sky sites in North Carolina?