If You Can Do It, You Can Do It at Night

05.08.2024 - 10:17 / nytimes.com

Hiking and kayaking in the daytime? Fun and invigorating. But under a full moon, those activities can be transcendent. Gazing at blue skies is pleasant — but rather ordinary. Looking up at the night sky, on the other hand, feels as though deep mysteries may be revealed.

Astrotourism, travel devoted to stargazing and other celestial activities, is booming, spurred on, in part, by DarkSky International, which aims to protect the night skies from light pollution. The nonprofit organization, based in Tucson, Ariz., has designated 220 dark sky areas around the world since its grass-roots founding in 1988, and has recently started the DarkSky Approved Lodging program.

“Viewing our starry night sky has connected humanity throughout the ages and allowed us to form a deep connection with the cosmos,” said Susan Serven, DarkSky’s communications director. “Now it’s seen as a growing potential economic driver, as well.”

It could be the breathtaking photos captured by the Hubble telescope, the Northern Lights that dazzled farther south this spring, or our growing awareness of light pollution and its impact on migratory birds, nocturnal pollinators and other wildlife that has helped catalyze interest, but the night skies are sparking invitations to explore in new ways.

Here are five nocturnal adventures that will add a strong dose of awe to your next vacation.

Bradley Mountain Farm, in Southington, Conn., has been a dairy farm for two centuries. But it’s only in the past five years that the owner, Anneliese Dadras, brought goats and humans together under the full moon.