Full disclosure: My true love secret spot for stargazing is a cliff in a park that closes at dusk. Risking arrest, I go there anyway, grateful no one else does because I prefer to view stars the way I like to drink whiskey: quietly, with a close friend. The best legal location is Vanderbilt’s 61-year-old Dyer Observatory in Brentwood, replete with astonishing celestial starscapes. The second Friday of every month from March through November, it’s open late as astronomers field questions and proffer telescopes, the jewel of which is the 24-inch Seyfert. With The Bluebird Cafe, the observatory hosts an annual concert series that’s highlighted musicians such as Judy Collins and Marshall Chapman, offering attendees complete sensory enchantment.
Best Place for Stargazing
Dyer Observatory
Photo: Michael W. Bunch
