### Finding dark skies: This [LightPollutionMap.app](https://lightpollutionmap.app/) is a great resource for seeing the expected light pollution. [Dark Sky Meter](https://pocket.science/products/dark-sky-meter-and-loss-of-the-night/) is an iOS app that lets you broadly measure the light pollution in the sky above you (there's also an Android version call Loss of the Night). These are intended as "citizen science" apps, so you can choose to share your findings to a global database (here's [a map of submissions)](https://www.darkskymeter.com/home). ### A quick word about dark sky parks and places There's a cool organization called the [International Dark Sky Alliance](https://darksky.org), which was formed here in my home state of Arizona. One mistake that I often hear travelers make is confusing being a certified Dark Sky Place with having especially dark skies. It's not quite the same thing. The goal of the Alliance is to promote dark sky practices, so certification primarily means adopting outdoor lighting policies that reduce the effects of natural lighting. Now, many of these places are darker than they otherwise would have been, but even definitely-not-dark cities can earn a certification.