Book Review: Dark Skies by Valerie Stimac

Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism
by Valerie Stimac (520 Sti)

This book, from the publisher of the Lonely Planet travel guides, is one of the more unique “travel guides” I’ve seen in the libraries’ collection in quite some time. It’s a small, 290-page hardback focused exclusively on identifying tourist locales for fans of astronomy and astronomical events. Whether you love stargazing, meteor showers, auroras (Borealis and Australis), eclipses, international launches of stellar vehicles, or other sites dedicated to the study of space and man’s place in it, you’ll find something in this book!

After an extended introduction and explanatory notes, the first section identifies 35 “dark places” — locations where the light pollution of human settlements has little or no affect. Following that is a section dedicated to 13 “Astronomy in Action” locations, including Mauna Kea, CERN, Elqui Valley and the Arecibo Observatory (recently damaged in Puerto Rico). Additional chapters cover the best places to observe expected meteor showers and eclipses, and the best viewing sports in northern and southern hemispheres for the “northern and southern lights”.

Each location profile features one or more gorgeous photos plus a detailed description of the location involved, with sidebars listing web addresses (when appropriate) and guides to the optimal times of the year to visit for the best stellar viewing. For places with facilities, there are contact methods, and general hours of availability.

This guide is highly detailed, and my only complaint is that it is published in such a small font that it is often hard to read. That, plus most of the great sites for “dark skies” are so far away from here in Lincoln, NE that it’s not likely I’ll ever visit them. But it’s still great fun to read about them in books like this!

[ publisher’s official Dark Skies web page ] | [ official Valerie Stimac – Travel & Space Tourism Writer web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

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