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We are excited to see AstroTours.org included in ColoradoStargazingTrail.com, a new guide built to help people explore stargazing across Colorado.
The site brings together official Colorado Stargazing Trail destinations, additional places worth knowing, guided astronomy programs, self-guided observing locations, daytime space stops, regional information, dark-sky conditions, and practical planning details in one place.
For anyone trying to figure out where to go stargazing in Colorado, it is an ambitious resource, and we are excited to see where it goes.
Helping make our listing accurate
As the guide was being developed, AstroTours.org had the opportunity to review and help edit the sections that describe our programs.
That gave us a chance to make sure details such as where we operate, what guests can expect, and how our programs work were represented accurately.
We appreciate that kind of collaboration. Stargazing information can become outdated quickly, particularly when it comes to access, program schedules, observing locations, and seasonal operations. Having businesses and organizations check the information that directly relates to them can make a guide much more useful for visitors.
Sharing our photography with the project
You may also recognize quite a few AstroTours.org photographs throughout ColoradoStargazingTrail.com (including on the main page).
We gave the project permission to use our photography beyond just the AstroTours.org listing, provided the photographs are properly credited. We were happy to support this project in that way.
A statewide stargazing guide needs more than maps and lists. Good photographs can help show what astronomy programs actually feel like, what observing under Colorado skies looks like, and why people might want to make a nighttime stop part of a larger trip.
It has been especially fun for us to see photographs originally taken during AstroTours.org programs used to help illustrate stargazing around the state.
More than a list of places
One of the things we find interesting about ColoradoStargazingTrail.com is that it goes beyond simply naming places with dark skies.
Darkness is important, but it is only one part of planning a good night outside.
The guide also looks at questions such as access, seasonal conditions, the Moon, weather, road considerations, whether a location offers a guided program, and what someone can realistically expect to see from skies of different quality.
It also includes both established destinations and places that might otherwise be easy to overlook.
That makes it useful whether you are looking for a guided astronomy experience, planning a road trip around Colorado, or simply trying to find somewhere to set up a telescope for the night.
Explore the Colorado Stargazing Trail
We are pleased to be part of the guide, and we are interested to see how it continues to develop as more locations, information, and firsthand knowledge are added.
If you are planning a stargazing trip around Colorado, take a look at ColoradoStargazingTrail.com and start exploring the map.
And if your route brings you to one of the places where AstroTours.org operates, we would be glad to show you the sky.
