Astronomers Create Their Own Stargazing Dark Sky Communities

You don't have to buy a lot to participate in the Deerlick Astronomy Village. They have created an Annual Field Membership. It lets people to camp out on the field or in the nearby forest. There are electrical hook-ups throughout the field area to facilitate using astronomy equipment. There is a bathouse with hot showers available. A picnic pavillion has a barbecue and there is a warm-up shed that also has a micro-wave, refrigerator and DSL internet that covers the entire field.

At least one person in the household has to be over 55 years-old to buy a home in the Chiefland Astronomy Village. No one who is under the age of 18 may live there. However to say that this is a retirement community is so wrong. The small community has 25 homes - 18 of them contain sophisticated astronomy observatories. 

This laid back community doesn't have a homeowner's association or many rules. Club meetings are held under the stars on the New Moon weekend of every month. They also allow outsiders to use their field. People have to pay the small fee of $5 a person per night. RV owners are asked to contribute more. 

They have very few rules and expect people to be respectful of each other. Because the site attracts astronomers, who need power, tent visitors will find 100 20-amp electrical outlets. The 9 RV sites have 30-amp outlets. The sites are on a first-come basis. No reservations are taken. While the weekends are very busy, they also have visitor who come for the entire week. 

Chiefland is a small rural community located 30 miles west of Gainesville. In 2000, it was voted the Best Rural Community in Florida. There is still very little development pressure and the median home price in 2013 was only $70,000. So you can trade in a more expensive house for a very affordable model. 

That's good for would-be astronomers. Even though the Chiefland Astronomy Village is full, it's still possible to live nearby, use the field and become an active member of the astronomy community.

It's not easy finding dark night sky that is easily accessible or that provides basic amenities or aging Boomers such as health care. However, it is easier in New Mexico. In 1999, state lawmakers enacted regulations to protect their dark skies.

That's one of the things that attracted Tom and Jeannie Clark to the area. Their development is located 20 miles north of Deming, NM and 30 mile south of Silver City. It has clear skies about 300 nights a year. Star gazers who want to stay in touch with the world will find excellent cell services. 

The Clarks have been astronomers since 1983. They lived at the Chiefland Astronomy Village for 14 years, before they set their sights on the west. Tom founded and published Amateur Astonomy Magazine from 1994 to 2007. They have lived at the New Mexico Astronomy Village for two years. They have been joined by five astronomy families. They hope eventually that their stargazing community will contain 50 families.