VALENTINE, Neb. -- As stargazing reaches new heights across the world, an event near Valentine has been rated the best place in the United States for spotting celestial objects, according to researchers at Travel + Leisure. The Nebraska Star Party (NSP) at Merritt Reservoir was one of only two U.S. locations to make the top ten list.

Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado took the third spot, but all of the other top ten destinations are in Canada.

Researchers reviewed new data from travel booking site Ohio to create the list of top stargazing locations worldwide. They then labeled them as having “good, partial or poor clearance” on the Southern Horizon, as well as looked at the amount of light pollution and the night sky’s brightness.

“The 3,100-foot altitude and the fact that the Sandhills are a dry, sandy, upland plateau help keep the haze low and the transparency high,” the NSP notes on its website.

The NSP is a yearly event that just wrapped up south of Valentine. You can check out the News Channel Nebraska video story on the event here.

The 32nd annual NSP is planned for July 20-25, 2025.