While late-night phone scrolling may be a universal habit at this point, heading outside to look up at the stars may be a much more rewarding activity. And while stargazing anywhere can be a perfect antidote to copious amounts of screen time wherever you are, a new study shows one state in particular has optimal views.
According to Live Casinos’ June list of the “definitive” top 10 states to stargaze, South Dakota came out on top. As for the study’s methodology, it analyzed the Bortle scale—a nine-level numeric scale measuring the night sky’s brightness at a particular location—as well as the average cloud cover of each state to produce an overall “star visibility score” out of 10.
“South Dakota has the best odds for stargazing, with an almost perfect star visibility score of 7.79 out of 10. Over half (52.66 percent) of the state has a Bortle scale classification between 1 and 3, a measurement of how dark the night sky is,” the team at Live Casinos shared. “Notably, 9.42 percent of South Dakota falls into Bortle scale 1, the most optimal setting for stargazing, which is the highest of any other state.”
It added that the state also has a rather low cloud coverage at just 11.65 percent per year, which is 0.75 percent less than neighboring state of North Dakota, making it a place where it’s “extremely likely that there will be a clear view of the stars and constellations.” As for the best spot to go in the state, it called out Sanborn County as the place that “offers the most favorable conditions for stargazing,” with a star visibility score of 8.78 out of 10.
Next on the list is Wyoming, which earned a star visibility score of 7.65 out of 10. “Aided by being one of the 19 states with laws limiting light pollution, almost half of the state (46.3 percent) falls into Bortle scale 1-3,” the study shared. It pointed to Hot Springs County as the prime spot for viewing in the state thanks to its star visibility score of 8.71 to 10.
Rounding out the top three is Alaska, which came with a star visibility score of 7.64 out of 10. “Out of the 31.74 percent of the state categorized as Bortle scale 1-3, 6.23 percent of the area has an ‘excellent dark sky.’” Additionally, there is just 11.30 percent of cloud coverage per year in Alaska, “solidifying its position in third place.”
Other fantastic stargazing destinations include Montana at No. 4, followed by Arizona, Nevada, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Oregon at No. 10. For those looking to take their stargazing skills global, here are the 12 best places to look up at night around the world.
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