Sure, you can look up and glimpse stars, and if you're super lucky, the northern lights, in your own backyard.

But in Milwaukee, it's sort of like looking through a dirty windshield. That's the effect of light pollution on night skies in urban areas.

There are places to go to see velvety black night skies, and they can be as close as county parks.

Bob Bonadurer, director of the Milwaukee Public Museum's Daniel M. Soref National Geographic Dome Theater & Planetarium, recommends county or state parks since they're open to the public and are usually far from street lights. Plus it's easy to find a parking place.

Harrington Beach State Park

Bonadurer frequently visits Harrington Beach State Park, which is near I-43 about 35 miles north of Milwaukee and 20 miles south of Sheboygan.

Whitnall Park

Home to Boerner Botanical Gardens and Wehr Nature Center, Whitnall Park has 220 acres in Franklin.

Kettle Moraine State Forest

The Southern Forest is 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee and features more than 22,000 acres of glacial hills, kettles, lakes, prairie restoration sites, pine woods and hardwood forests.

The Northern Forest has 30,000 acres stretching 30 miles across Sheboygan, Fond du Lac and Washington counties. For both forests, a state park sticker is required. It's open until 11 p.m.

Lapham Peak State Park

Part of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Lapham Peak is 25 miles west of Milwaukee and just one mile from the I-94 Delafield exit. A 45-foot observation tower is the tallest spot in Waukesha County.

Hit up a local observatory or stargazing club