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A common worry among parents, and what our robotics classes actually ask of children aged 8 to 16.
Dark-sky spots within a drive of Bengaluru
How far you need to go to escape the city’s glow, and what to expect at each distance for a family night out.
Bengaluru’s lights wash out all but the brightest stars within the city. Planets, the Moon and bright stars are still easy from a rooftop, but to see the Milky Way you have to drive. Here is roughly what each distance gives you.
At 30 to 40 km out, on the edges of the city towards Kanakapura Road or Magadi Road, the sky improves noticeably. On a clear winter night you can see three or four times as many stars as in Jayanagar, and constellations become easy to trace. This is good for a short evening drive with younger children.
At 60 to 80 km, the sky changes. Our camp site near Kanakapura sits about 70 km from the city, away from towns and highway lights. On moonless nights between November and February, the Milky Way is visible as a pale band overhead, and children can see faint star clusters with the eye alone. The glow of Bengaluru is still visible on the northern horizon, but much of the sky is dark.
Wherever you go, a few rules help. Choose a night close to the new moon, when the Moon will not brighten the sky. Check that the place is safe and open after dark, and go as a group if you can. Arrive before sunset to find your way, park facing away from the sky you will watch, and switch off headlights. Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust, and use only red torches. Carry mats, warm layers, water and a thermos; even in Karnataka, open fields get cold after midnight in winter.
