Westcliffe is a small village at the heart of Colorado with a variety of tourist accommodations and a reasonably dark sky, about 148 miles (238 km) southwest of Denver, Colorado. It’s an accredited dark sky community, claiming its “small population, largely rural setting, and limited outdoor lighting make for dark night skies.” The town also celebrates an annual Sangre Star Festival, as well as various observational events such as public star parties or guided tours at the local Smokey Jack Observatory.
Deborah Byrd
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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.