Pack the bag and the telescope for a stellar stargazing holiday this summer! Escape the city light pollution and gaze upon some of the most beautiful night skies in the world, we have listed some of the best and darkest country locations to explore here in WA, so you can have your own cosmic adventure!
Check out the dark sky measurements below. We use a Sky Quality Meter device that measures the brightness of the night sky in magnitudes per square arcsecond. The higher the number, the darker the sky.
Cervantes
Cervantes is a spectacular coastal destination for stargazing and astrophotography. The nearby Pinnacles Desert in the Nambung National Park is an iconic place for daytime and night-time visitors. The ancient limestone pillars will make the perfect foreground composition. Close by Lake Thetis offers the chance to discover Stromatolites.
Sky Quality Meter Reading: 21.72 magnitude per arcsecond squared recorded at 3:30am, 18th Jan 2019.
Carnamah and Three Springs
Both Carnamah and
Three Springs are Astro-friendly towns, boasting pristine dark skies. In Carnamah, the historic Macpherson
Homestead is the dedicated observing site, welcoming visitors to set up telescopes
and enjoy the magnificent views. Three
Springs offers up the Talc Mine Lookout as your astrophotography hot spot and the
panoramic views are fantastic.
Sky Quality Meter Reading: 21.66 magnitude per arcsecond squared recorded at 10.33pm, 5th Oct 2018.
Mingenew
Mingenew is surrounded
by breathtaking breakaway country and boasts stunning clear night skies for
stargazing and astrophotography. The Mingenew
Space Centre, with numerous satellite tracking dishes and on occasion, green
laser beams pointing into the night sky, makes the perfect location for unique
astrophotography.
Sky Quality Meter Reading: 21.01 magnitude per arcsecond squared recorded at 7.57pm, 4th Sept 2018.
Wickepin
Home to spring
wildflowers, walk trails, scenic lakes and rich heritage, Wickepin has added a
dedicated stargazing site and astrophotography hot spot to its many
attractions. Explore the historic homestead inherent to the famous novel ‘A
Fortunate Life’. Then take a step into the Universe when you spend a night
under the stars.
Sky Quality Meter Reading: 21.11 magnitude per arcsecond squared recorded at 10:47pm, 7th Sept 2020.
Lake Grace
The Shire of Lake
Grace is a photographer’s dream with white salt lakes and wide open horizons. The Jam Patch is named after the local Jam
Tree and using the shore of Lake Evelyn to form the perfect foreground and
pristine night sky overhead, it’s a haven for astro-photographers.
Narembeen
Step back in time
to discover pioneer heritage, the Prospector’s Trail and the amazing Narembeen
sculptures. Visit the massive granite outcrops of Hidden Hollow and Roe
Lookout and take in the terrific Giant Planisphere and learn what’s up in the
night sky. The night skies here are
stunning!
Sky Quality Meter Reading: 21.36 magnitude per arcsecond squared recorded at 8.37pm, 6th Oct 2021.
Something Interesting
A Sky Quality Meter (SQM) reading of 20 or 21 indicates a dark sky where stargazing is at its best and the stars of the Milky Way are clearly visible. A reading of 16 or 17 indicates a light sky that is impacted by either artificial light or bright Moon light.
