Comment by cratermoon
3 days ago
https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/ reports the area rates a 2 "average dark sky" on the Bortle scale, just short of an "excellent" score of 1. It's location halfway between Santa Rosa and Las Vegas, New Mexico is as far from populated areas as you might think.
I live in Albuquerque and within 2 hours you get the darkest skies you can imagine. Put that together with the average elevation and the dryness and the views are spectacular.
I grew up in southern NM, near White Sands, and the skies were so dark and vibrant that the Milky Way band is visible and prominent, and thousands of stars dot the night sky.
My parent's first date was going stargazing in the desert!