New Mexico Tourism Department Prepares for One of the Largest Stargazing Events in the Country

SANTA FE, N.M. - New Mexico has long been known to have some of the best sunsets in the Southwest. Now the state is gaining recognition for also being one of the best and darkest locations in the country to stargaze. The New Mexico Tourism Department, along with the community of Magdalena, are preparing for the Enchanted Skies Star Party (Bit.ly/nmstarparty) as a way to celebrate.
The two-day stargazing festival kicks off April 17th, 2015.

The International Dark-Sky Association, an organization that measures the amount of light a certain community or area puts out, has deemed New Mexico as one of the top sites in the country to study and observe astronomy.

"The Magdalena area has some of the darkest skies in New Mexico. This is important because it allows us to see some of the faintest objects in the night sky with the naked eye," states Dr. Dan Klinglesmith, astronomer, Magdalena Ridge Observatory.

Knowledgeable astronomers from New Mexico Tech, Very Large Array, Magdalena Ridge Observatory and the Magdalena Astronomical Society will come together to lead presentations and guided tours to the public during the outdoor festival. The event, which happens April 17 and 18 in Magdalena, New Mexico, will offer camping sites, daytime family activities, a Solar Crawl and star and observation hikes into the darker areas of Cibola National Forest each evening. The public is encouraged to bring telescopes and cameras to capture what they see.

CNN, Huffington Post, Fodor's, Buzzfeed and Shermans Travel have all ranked New Mexico as one of the top places in the world to stargaze. As cities expand, fewer "dark zones" are available for the public to view the stars, which is one reason the state believes the Enchanted Skies Star Party will continue to grow in popularity.

"New Mexicans have so many things to be proud of; our clear skies are just one of them. There is no greater place on Earth to view the stars than in Magdalena in mid-April, further reinforcing that New Mexico offers experiences that can be found nowhere else," explains Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Latham, New Mexico Tourism Department. We're proud to be a part of this event that brings New Mexico True to life in such a unique and beautiful way."

Other locations that made the top lists for stargazing in the world include: Death Valley National Park in California, Mauna Kea in Hawaii, Exmoor National Park in England and Kerry Dark Sky Reserve in Ireland.

Enchanted Skies Star Party starts Friday April 17 at 4 p.m. and ends Saturday night April 18, 2015. This event is open to the public. Guests can purchase tickets online at NewMexico.org.

For a list of what to bring, full activities and accommodations go to www.enchantedskies.org or call Judy Stanley at 505-515-5780.

For additional information:
Media Contact:
Krysty Ronchetti
PR Rep
New Mexico Tourism Department
Krysty@sjcommunications.com
505-821.9279

Judy Stanley
Enchanted Skies Organization
505-515-5780