Northwest Oklahoma perfect for stargazing (2024)

FREEDOM, Okla. — The stars. The moon. The planets. Meteors and comets. The Milky Way. Unidentified flying objects.

The night sky has an amazing array of things to view, but it’s not always easy when you’re in an area where there are lights everywhere to dim your stargazing.

Fortunately, Oklahoma is home to some of the most pristine dark skies in the United States, void of light pollution. Black Mesa State Park outside Kenton is the only location in the state that ranks a 1 on the Bortle Dark Sky Scale.

“Dark skies are a real value. They attract tourism from all over,” said Bobette Doerrie during her stargazing and astrotourism presentation at Red Carpet Country’s tourism conference in August at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Doerrie cited that the annual Okie-Tex Star Party every fall at Black Mesa draws visitors from around the world, including Australia and Europe.

Doerrie, who formerly taught at NWOSU-Woodward as sciences professor (biology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics and astronomy), is a member of Starcreek Astronomical Society.

Starcreek regularly meets the second Saturday of every month either in Woodward or at the Selman Living Lab (SLL) located southwest of Freedom. SLL is a field station for the University of Central Oklahoma to do biological research and study in conjunction with the Department of Wildlife Conservation. SLL also is an observatory site featuring two astronomy domes, several programmable telescopes, and a teaching facility as well as bunkhouses.

“It has a stunning landscape. There are so many research opportunities out there,” said Gloria Caddell, SLL’s director and UCO’s dean of math and science. Her husband, Bill Caire, is the one who set up the living lab in 1998 after Betty Selman of the historical Selman Ranch donated the land surrounding the Selman Caves.

A memorandum of understanding was established between Starcreek Astronomical Society and UCO through Steven Maier, who was then the physics professor at NWOSU and is now Northwestern’s dean of faculty.

SLL isn’t quite as void of light pollution as Black Mesa, but it’s pretty close, Doerrie said. The skies above SLL and the nearby Alabaster Caverns State Park are a 2 on the Bortle Dark Sky Scale. Other locations in the state that are ranked a 2 include Gloss Mountains State Park near Fairview and Southeastern Oklahoma in the Choctaw Nation near Talimena State Park and the Ouachita Mountains.

“It’s an amazing countryside,” Doerrie said of the gypsum hills surrounding the Selman Living Lab. She and her husband Jerome currently live in the Texas Panhandle, but return to Northwest Oklahoma often to meet with fellow stargazers.

Late September into early October is a fantastic time to view the night sky in Oklahoma, according to the experts. Starcreek Astronomical Society recently co-hosted a star party at the Selman Living Lab with Kansas Astronomical Observers, out of the Wichita, Kan., area. Oklahoma City Astronomy Club hosted its 39th annual Okie-Tex Star Party at Camp Billy Joe outside Kenton this past week.

Astrophotographer David Gaede said the best time to spot the Milky Way this fall is Oct. 15-28.

“You have to be away from the city lights and look to the south,” he advised. If you can’t travel to one of the dark skies’ locations aforementioned, Gaede recommended going at least 20 miles out of town to ensure less light pollution.

A storm chaser for Channel 8 in Tulsa, Gaede has been an observer and videographer of the Oklahoma skies for nearly 50 years. He grew up in Duncan, but has lived in Owasso the last three decades. His passion turned to astrophotography in 2018, and several of his photos have appeared in the magazine Oklahoma Today. His favorite site for capturing shots of the Milky Way is the Gloss Mountains.

Astronomers strongly recommend planning ahead when going out stargazing, using these tips:

• Watch the weather forecast. You can’t see anything if it is cloudy or raining. And you don’t want to be in the desert when thunderstorms are rolling through due to flash flooding, Gaede said.

• Track the moon phases. The moon can wipe out your visuals of the starry sky and the Milky Way, Gaede said. He suggested downloading the PhotoPills app (photopills.com) to figure out current positions of the sun, moon and Milky Way.

• Get a star chart. You can download the SkyView app (there is a free “lite” version) to learn planets and constellations in real time by holding up your smartphone to the sky. You also can go to skymaps.com and print them off for free each month, Doerrie said.

• Have the right gear. Sure, you can witness the majestic evening sky with the naked eye, but it’s helpful to have a zoom with a smartphone, camera, binoculars or telescope. Cover a flashlight with a red cloth or taillight tape since red light protects your night vision.

• Get familiar with your location in the daylight, especially if you’re going off the beaten path, so you know how to find it in the dark.

“Use Google Maps and pin it,” Gaede said.

• Safety first. Pack a first aid kit, jumper cables and bug spray. If you’re going alone, let someone else know your schedule and coordinates, or download a tracker app to your and their smartphone such as Life360. And dress warmly as temperatures drop after the sun goes down.

• Join a group. Starcreek Astronomical Society of Northwest Oklahoma has members ranging in age, hometown and experience, but all have a passion for the night sky. Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Wichita all have astronomy clubs, too.

“We are always looking for a better view,” said Bobette Doerrie’s husband, Jerome. The advantage of joining an astronomy club means you have someone to sit around and talk with and share your observations with.

Enid’s own Jake Cook has been gazing into the universe for over 10 years and tried to find an astronomy club locally but discovered many were disbanded. He finally surfed NASA’s website in search of one and stumbled upon Starcreek through the Night Sky Network. He officially became a member this past summer.

Cook said he chose Starcreek because of “how friendly they were and they were the closest club to me.” He encouraged anyone in the Enid area remotely interested in the night sky to consider attending a Starcreek meeting or star party.

To learn more about how to join Starcreek Astronomical Society, go to starcreek.org. Annual membership is $5 for individuals, $10 for families.

For Fred Gassert, a longtime member of Kansas Astronomical Observers, his interest in stargazing exploded while he was serving as a Girl Scout leader for his daughters’ troop. After the local Girl Scouts camp purchased new telescopes and started an astronomy club, the camp director asked him to assist since he was allegedly the astronomy expert (since he knew something about telescopes), Gassert said, laughing.

“Fred’s gone from looking at the stars to building telescopes,” chimed in fellow Kansas stargazer Richard Meredith. The two of them met the Doerries and other Starcreek members at an Okie-Tex Star Party years ago.

“How far do you want to go?” Meredith asked. Haley’s Comet spurred his astronomical interest in the 1980s and he found his way to Lake Afton Public Observatory outside Goddard, Kan. That led him to join Kansas Astronomical Observers.

Kansas Astronomical Observers costs $20 a year and includes membership to the Astronomical League; go to kaowichita.com for more information.

The heavens above are waiting for you to step out and notice.

“You can see pictures of the Grand Canyon, but wouldn’t you rather go to the Grand Canyon yourself?” Gassert said.

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