Guardian piece on Arizona Sky Village

[Martin Meredith]

Anyone fancy 300 dark clear nights a year?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/13/stargazers-arizona-sky-village-home-observatories

Martin

[John]

I've heard of this place but it's interesting to read a bit more detail about it

 

 

[Mark at Beaufort]

You can rent a house from Green Witch if you fancy the clear skies of Arizona. Here is a link - https://www.green-witch.com/gw-arizona-sky-village.html

I must admit I fancy flying to San Francisco to meet up with my Son and his Family (they live in Livermore CA)  then flying to Tuscon and driving down to this dark site for a week.

[FenlandPaul]

I always see the adverts in the back of Sky and Telescope for several dozen acres near Portal, Arizona for the cost of a modest family home over here. It's very tempting, but quite a long commute for me I'd think! Maybe later in life...

one of the properties I looked at on the web came with its own mountain; well, it's a hassle to share isn't it?!

[laser_jock99]

I'll stick to my 'dark sky hamlet' in Wales and it's less respectable clear night count of 30.......

[Martin Meredith]

I think its a great concept and maybe something that could be repeated in Europe? Land is very cheap here in Spain and entire villages have been abandoned in some of the regions with dark skies (not where I live though...). I don't think anywhere could rely on 300 clear nights a year but maybe 200. In any case, 300 would be exhausting, at least for observers!

I was in the north of Arizona last year and spent some time in Flagstaff, the world's first dark sky city. Along with neighbouring Utah its a part of the world I'd love to return to and highly recommended for an astro-related visit.

Martin