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 most 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 one
of the
most
densely
populated
regions
of the
planet,
Borrego
Springs
is one
of the
darkest
towns in
Southern
California
because
it is
surrounded
by
nearly a
thousand
square
miles of
the dark
Anza-Borrego
Desert.
Mountains
flank
the
community
on three
sides
and
effectively
block
much of
the
light
pollution
from
distant
desert
and
coastal
cities.
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.
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. |
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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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