Increasingly, it’s difficult to see much in the way of stars while in the city of Madison or even its environs. The online Light Pollution Atlas, updated in 2006 by David Lorenz of the UW’s Center for Climatic Research, shows on Google Maps the extent to which light pollution affects our personal night sky. East of Madison, things just get worse, with Milwaukee’s lights brightening the heavens. Best to head to points west of the city — Governor Dodge or Yellowstone Lake state parks have clearer skies than Devil’s Lake, for instance, but the skies are even clearer west of Governor Dodge, from the town of Clyde west to the Wisconsin River, with the exception of the area right around Boscobel.
No need to buy a telescope. The occasional skywatcher can see a lot with a pair of binoculars.
This time of year the Milky Way — the band of stars that makes up the center of our spiral galaxy — is easily visible.
The Star Walk app (for smartphones, iPad or Kindle) will tell you exactly what you’re looking at — constellations, planets, individual stars, nebulae.
A bottle of natural oils-based Bug Ban should keep the bitey insects away and not leave you reeking of Deep Woods Off! as you hit the clean sheets after your star-spotting session.
Pick your gazing spots with the Light Pollution Atlas at djlorenz.github.io/astronomy/lp2006 and zoom in on southern Wisconsin.
