These pages help you find great places to observe in the area. The forecasts below, provided by Clear Dark Sky, represent the current observing conditions at some of the sites we use within a six hour drive of our local area. Our own Lou Behrman (a.k.a. Bearkite) has put together this comprehensive Dark Sites Map of the Northeastern US showing the locations of many more. NOTE: Not all the sites shown in this map are open to public access. Please check with other club members before visiting a site for the first time!
In addition to the maps, you can use the Local Weather page to see the current Accuweather forecast for the region, the Planisphere (courtesy of Fourmilab) to get an idea of what's visible in the sky right now.
Sites within 90 minutes of our monthly meeting site in Bucktown
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Sites 1-1/2 to 3 hours from our monthly meeting site in Bucktown
Note: Weiser State forest is a close approximation to the site we call DS-4
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Sites more than 3 hours from our monthly meeting site in Bucktown
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Key to Light Pollution Index
| Color |
Artificial / Natural Sky Brightness |
Sky Brightness mags / sq arcsec V Band |
Bortle
Scale approx |
Description (Descriptions are approximate. Your sky may vary.) |
| < 0.01 | 22.00 to 21.99 | 1 | Gegenschein visible. Zodiacal light annoyingly bright. Rising milkyway confuses some into thinking it's dawn. Limiting magnitude 7.6 to 8.0 for people with exceptional vision. Users of large dobsonian telescopes are very happy. | |
| 0.01 to 0.11 | 21.99 to 21.89 | 2 | Faint shadows cast by milkyway visible on white objects. Clouds are black holes in the sky. No light domes. The milky way has faint extentions making it 50 degrees thick. Limiting magntiude 7.1 to 7.5. | |
| 0.11 to 0.33 | 21.89 to 21.69 | 3 | Low light domes (10 to 15 degrees) on horizon. M33 easy with averted vision. M15 is naked eye. Milky way shows bulge into Ophiuchus. Limiting magnitude 6.6 to 7.0. | |
| 0.33 to 1.0 | 21.69 to 21.25 | 4 | Zodiacal light seen on best nights. Milkyway shows much dark lane structure with beginnings of faint bulge into Ophiuchus. M33 difficult even when above 50 degrees. Limiting magnitude about 6.2 to 6.5. | |
| 1.0 to 3.0 | 21.25 to 20.49 | 4.5 | Some dark lanes in milkyway but no bulge into Ophiuchus. Washed out milkyway visible near horizon. Zodiacal light very rare. Light domes up to 45 degrees. Limiting magnitude about 5.9 to 6.2. | |
| 3.0 to 9.0 | 20.49 to 19.50 | 5 | Milkyway washed out at zenith and invisible at horizon. Many light domes. Clouds are brighter than sky. M31 easily visible. Limiting magnitude about 5.6 to 5.9. | |
| 9.0 to 27.0 | 19.50 to 18.38 | 6 or 7 | Milkyway at best very faint at zenith. M31 difficult and indestinct. Sky is grey up to 35 degrees. Limiting magntidue 5.0 to 5.5. | |
| >27.0 | <18.38 | 8 or 9 | Entire sky is grayish or brighter. Familliar constellations are missing stars. Fainter constellations are absent. Less than 20 stars visible over 30 degrees elevation in brigher areas. Limiting magntude from 3 to 4. Most people don't look up. CCD imaging is still possible. But telescopic visual observation is usually limited to the moon, planets, double stars and variable stars. |
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