Do you know that the Star Constellations representing the 12 Zodiac signs actually fall on the Sun path, an arc like path that the Sun follows in the sky? I didn’t and I am sure most of us don’t. Living In 21st century, we hardly have time to step out of our homes, lie down on the grass and simply observe the incredible beauty of a billion stars in the sky. And even if we do have time, the white light pollution makes it improbable to view more than a dozen stars (yes, you read it right! White light pollution is a thing!)

  • Amazing view of The Milky Way Galaxy!

Last June, I and Ina along with some close friends decided to experience night sky gazing at Cherry Springs State Park, near Coudersport, Pennsylvania in US. Located 260 miles west of New York City, this park is rated one of the best places on the planet for night sky gazing and has the “Gold Level Dark Sky Park” designation from the International Dark Sky Association. Cherry Springs State Park is one of the most sought after places for night sky gazing among astronomers and night sky gazing enthusiasts.

In fact, it’s the only Dark Sky Preserve Park in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The incredible beauty of night sky have always been a subject of fascination for us humans and irrespective of which culture we belong to, we have heard in-numerous myths and legends around stars, planets and the universe, since childhood. Throughout human history, people saw different figures among stars and named them as constellations. One of the most recognizable of them is Ursa Major, which means ‘larger bear’ in latin.

To be honest, I never recognized any of the constellations in the sky before this trip and certainly not the below view which I captured through my Nikon lens!

Why should you go to Cherry Springs State Park

  • If you have read and heard about hundreds of the constellations in the sky but never observed one 
  • If you are a night sky photography enthusiast and want to capture the beauty of The Milky Way Galaxy
  • If you want your kids to get closer to the nature and experience it’s beauty; also learn a bit about the stars and the universe
  • If you are not any of the above but just want to have a peaceful weekend away from the hustle bustle of your daily life

How to reach Cherry Springs State Park

Cherry Springs State Park is located 260 miles west of New York City. We drove to Cherry Springs State Park from Princeton, New Jersey and took us around 5.5 hrs. including a brief stop for dinner. If you are traveling late night, you need to be careful once you are on PA-44N as it’s a one-lane road with lots of deer and other animal crossing the road frequently. In case you are flying in from far away, Newark Liberty International Airport might be the closest major airport with many smaller airports closer to the state park as well.

What to do at the State Park

At Cherry Springs state park, you can observe hundreds of constellations, Stars and Planets in The Milky Way galaxy, Asteroids, wide range of celestial bodies and even artificial satellites revolving around our beautiful planet. You can either visit the Cherry Springs state park and book one of their educational tours or book a private guided tour.

You also have nightscapes photography workshops if you are a photography enthusiast.

We, after doing a lot of research, booked a private guided tour, named ‘Potter County Star Gazing Tours’. The tour is conducted by Greg Snowman, who is a former Cherry Springs state park astronomer and is extremely knowledgeable person. Greg spent more than 2 hours with us talking about all the major constellations and shared many interesting myths and legends around the stars across different mythologies.

The weather did try to play spoilsport earlier in the day and it was cloudy most of the day, to the extent that Greg had to cancel the tour for the night. Fortunately, the sky started clearing up towards the evening and we got a call from Greg around 8 pm telling us that the show was back on! This felt like music to our ears as we had to return the next day and the trip could have been very disappointing if the tour was cancelled.

    The group getting enthralled by the amazing experience of the private guided tour by Greg Snowman

    We reached the location, shared with us by Greg, around 9.30 pm on July 29th and very soon were joined by two other groups on the tour. Greg took us to his exclusive Astro Field Viewing area to start the tour. The place was in the middle of an open field and was perfect for a night sky gazing. It took Greg around 15-20 mins to setup the telescope, video screen for live images of the sky and other sophisticated equipment he was planning to use for the next 2 hours.

    Being a photography enthusiast myself, I didn’t want to lose any time and as Greg was setting up his equipment, I was on the track with mine. I planned to use my Nikon D5200 and got a wide angle Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 lens, which I recently purchased just to capture the beauty of The Milky Way Galaxy. I love taking long exposure photographs but this was my first try at night sky photography. Looking at the below image, it did turn out to be totally worth the investment.

    The amazing view of the sky felt like a dream and as if it was not enough, we were accompanied by thousands of fire flies dancing around, turning it into an even bigger spectacle.

    I didn’t realize this and wasted the first 30 mins of the shoot only to end up with blurred images due to the moisture.

    Where to Stay at Cherry Springs

    We stayed in a beautiful Airbnb cottage in Bolivar, NY which was around 50 mins away from Greg’s Viewing area. However, the region has various cottages, hotels and lot of Airbnb options to stay in Coudersport and Potter county region if you want to stay close. The state park also has camping options available.

    However, plan your trip in advance, ideally 3-4 months, since it’s difficult to get accommodation in the area especially during summer season. Make sure to check the mobile network reception in the area as some places around the park might not have good phone network and internet connectivity.

    The Airbnb cottage we stayed in did not have mobile network or a Wifi connection. Loved it! Helped us disconnect from the outside world and enjoy the beauty around the cottage.

    Best Time to Visit

    The state park is open round the year for sky-gazing but there are lot of factors like the moon phase and local weather conditions which might impact your viewing experience. Try to chose the dates with a clear night sky and nights just before and after the New Moon. Darker the sky, better it is to observe the stars. Full moon is not the best time for star gazing.

    It’s important that you plan in advance and look for the days which are best suited for skygazing. A diligent planning will ensure that you maximize your chances for a clear and dark sky but factors like cloud cover or rain might still be a spoiler on that night. Hence it might be a good plan to stay there for two nights, just in case.

    The Cherry Springs state park website has detailed information on the best times to visit with a lunar calendar and a Clear Sky Chart which will help you plan for the trip. In case you have booked a private guided tour, your guide will help you plan for the same as well.

    Is it worth it?

    Totally! Irrespective of your age or whether you are an outdoor person or not, Night sky gazing is something which will completely blow your mind. All you need is a bit of planning, warm clothes, binoculars, a comfortable camping chair and of course the company of a few loved ones to enjoy a beautiful starry night and an experience to remember.

    In the lap of billion stars!

    Would you like to share you experience? If yes, please share your thoughts in the Comments section below. I would love to hear what you did and how did you feel watching the beautiful sky. If you have any questions on my trip, feel free to put those as well! I would love to share more.

    Reference

    https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/parks/

    https://cherryspringsstatepark.com/stargazing/