There’s a new moon this weekend. Best spots and tips to star gaze near or in Horry County

Summer is coming to a close, and a new moon this Sunday will mark the start of the lunar calendar, where the moon will align with the sun and earth. It’ll be the darkest sky of the month, and perfect for looking at the stars.

The autumn and winter months tend to be better for stargazing, according to camp.com.

Steven Pfaff, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that winter months tend to be better for viewing the sky because of a drier season.

“It’s generally areas of high pressure during the cooler season where it’s optimum,” Pfaff said.

While Horry County does not have any major urban cities, we do suffer from light pollution, which can affect what you see in the night sky. A light pollution map shows the immediate Myrtle Beach area has a class seven Bortle indicator, meaning the area is “brilliantly lit” and is difficult to view the central galaxy.

Christopher Taylor, a Myrtle Beach resident who’s been utilizing telescopes since the age of eight, said that viewing fainter objects such as more distant planets and constellations, is easier with no moon or light pollution. According to Taylor, there are places outside the city of Myrtle Beach that make for good options.

“[The light pollution] is as bad as every city, just on a smaller scale. The good thing about that is you don’t have to travel far outside of Myrtle Beach,” Taylor said.

Here’s a few other tips Taylor mentioned:

• Don’t cheap out on a telescope. Get one that has a hybrid of a large focal lens and large aperture to get the best shots of brighter planets and stars that aren’t as close.
• Do research on what you want to see before you spend your money on a telescope. For example, for bright planets such as Saturn or Jupiter, a telescope with a large aperture is best. For deep sky views, like nebula, a large focal lens is better.
• Talk to others who are interested in stargazing! The Grand Strand Astronomers Club has almost 400 members on Facebook.

So where should you go if you want to see the stars clearly? Here are three great spots.

Playcard Environment Education Center in Horry County

The Playcard Environment Education center, located off Hwy 19 in Loris, is an Horry County learning center that offers hands-on learning experiences for schools as well as other members of the community. This center hosted a free public event for stargazing earlier this month, and according to Taylor, is a great area for stargazing.

The center is located off Hwy 19, and the surrounding areas show up in yellow on the light pollution map. Other events include SwampFest in November, and a baby animal day in early 2023.

Huntington Beach State Park in Georgetown County

Huntington State Park, a Georgetown County park, is known for pristine, open space and undisturbed views. The park closes at 10 p.m. however, so it may be more ideal in winter months when it gets dark earlier in the day time. The light pollution map shows this state park in the yellow, so it’s better what you might see in a more urban area.

Huntington Beach State Park has 173 campsites and over 300 species of birds.

Hampton State Historical Site in Charleston County

This one is farther away, but worth it for the views.

The Grand Strand Astronomers Club takes this hour long drive to the Hampton State Historical Site to view the sky every month. This Charleston County site is also known for deep history, late-Georgian architecture and scenery. The Hampton State Historical Site has about 274 acres and major trails to explore it’s history. On the light pollution map, this area shows up in blue, meaning it’s perfect for viewing stars, weather permitting.

This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.