Yes, It Is Possible to Stargaze in New York City

There is no shortage of bright lights in New York City at night, but for the most part, they are more likely to be office workers burning the midnight oil or a plane flying overhead than a star or planet.

But while the city may not be the ideal place to go stargazing, it's actually not impossible to do so. Urban Scopes is an astronomy private events club based in New York that is dedicated to dispelling the myth that the stars aren't visible from an urban environment. The group often hosts free events for the public, when with a relatively simple set up of just a few telescopes on the sidewalk, they reveal that a random white dot in the sky may actually be a galaxy (or at least a planet) far, far away.

At a recent event Related hosted with Starry at Abington House, for instance, Urban Scopes pointed their telescope at one such tiny, insignificant-seeming dot, only to reveal that it was in fact Saturn.

"The more you look up, the more you can see," Urban Scopes co-founder Cecilia Almeida says.

Stargazing from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade

And there is plenty to see; not only are the rings of Saturn visible from the city with a purchasable telescope, but so is the red dot of Jupiter and its moons.

According to Almeida, if you want to go stargazing in the city, the best places to go are anywhere with an unobstructed view of the sky, like Battery Park or Pier 45. The roof of Tribeca Park offers the perfect clear point to observe, as do many of our rooftops across the city.

Though it may not be quite as pleasant, the winter can be the prime time of year to observe, not because of what you see (stars move around all the time after all, and what you see one year won't necessarily be visible the next), but because the drier, less turbulent air allows for clearer views and sharper images.

"If you’re willing to be outside in a coat, it's really, really worth it," Almeida says.

Check out Urban Scopes Meet Up page to see the next time they’re planning an event. The group is also available to book for private events, like a birthday party or even a proposal (they've accompanied two).

"We're there to add an additional element of magic to an occasion," Almeida says, "It’s a wonderful thing to see when someone looks through a telescope for the first time and pulls their eye away. As we get older, we forget to keep looking up. That’s what we're trying to remind people to do."

The Related Life is written and produced by Related Luxury Rentals. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest events, news and announcements in your area, and tag us for a chance to be featured @therelatedlife and #therelatedlife.