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ABOUT BORREGO SPRINGS |
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Only a leisurely two-hour drive from downtown San Diego, the desert community of Borrego Springs is known for having some of the best stargazing conditions in the U.S. Because of its dry air, minimal light pollution and more than 300 clear nights a year, it has long been a popular destination for stargazers, professional and amateur alike. |
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With
pleasant weather during most of
the year, this small rural community offers
visitors a magnificent desert landscape
unlike any other in the area, and a skyscape
you'll not soon forget. On many nights, the
Milky Way arches majestically across the
starry heavens and displays its intricate
dark lane structure and central bulge, and
stargazers can easily see even the faintest
of stars. |
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Though
it's
located
in the
heart of
one of the
most
densely
populated
regions
of the
planet, Borrego
Springs
is an
attractive
destination
for
stargazers.
Because of the
town's
exceptional
commitment
to dark
sky
protection
and
restoration,
the
International
Dark Sky
Association
designated
it in
2009 as
the
first
International
Dark Sky
Community
in
California.
It
remains
the only
one in
the
entire
state.
Borrego
Springs
is one
of the
darkest
towns in
Southern
California,
partly because
it is
completely surrounded
by
nearly a
thousand
square
miles of
the dark
Anza-Borrego
Desert
State
Park,
itself
an
International
Dark Sky
Park.
Mountains
flank
the
desert
on three
sides
and
effectively
block
much of
the
light
pollution
from
distant
desert
and
coastal
cities.
In
addition
to a
variety
of
popular
public
lectures,
workshops
and
special
events
throughout
the
year,
the
annual
Nightfall
star
party is
hosted
here by the
Riverside
Astronomical
Society
every
autumn. |
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In 2011,
KCET
designated
Borrego
Springs
as one
of
The 7
Best
SoCal
Locations
for
Desert
Night
Sky
Viewing. In 2012,
USA
Today
named
the town
as one
of
Ten
Great
Places
to
Stargaze
in the
U.S.,
and in
2013, KCET
ranked
it first
in its
Seven
Best
Places
to
Stargaze
in San
Diego
County.
In
2014,
The
Active
Times
dubbed
Borrego
one of
the
"Top
Spots
for
Stargazing Out
West",
and Afar
magazine
listed
it among
the the
world's
Epic
Stargazing
Destinations. |
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To learn
more
about
the
village
of
Borrego
Springs—its
lodging,
restaurants,
activities
and more—please visit
the
Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce.
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The chart above displays the current and
forecasted sky conditions for Borrego
Springs.
For instructions on how to interpret it,
visit
Clear Dark Sky. |
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