Las Vegas has some of the brightest urban light pollution on Earth — Bortle 9 over the Strip — but it's surrounded by spectacular dark desert. Red Rock Canyon is 30 minutes away, and Death Valley (a Gold-tier International Dark Sky Park) and the Great Basin are within reach for Bortle 1–2 skies. The Mojave Desert's extreme aridity delivers over 300 clear nights a year and superb transparency. At 36.2°N, both hemispheres' highlights are accessible, and the dry air keeps seeing steady for planetary work.