A Dark Sky Park: Stargazing in Death Valley
Under the darkness of night, gazing up at the seemingly millions of stars twinkling overhead, we couldn’t help but pull out our smartphones and launch our star gazing apps. Scanning the sky, constellations were easily apparent and planets popped onto the screens. For those of us who live in or near cities across the USA, star gazing of this magnitude just doesn’t happen.
When the sun sets over Death Valley National Park in the California and Nevada desert, about two hours west of Las Vegas, the world’s largest International Dark Sky Park begins to shine. And with an area encompassing more than 3 million acres and exceedingly clear skies (rain is very rare here – just over two inches a year, on average), it’s no surprise that the park is a popular destination for night-sky tourism, which is on the rise.
“Death Valley is a place to gaze in awe at the expanse of the Milky Way, follow a lunar eclipse, track a meteor shower, or simply reflect on your place in the universe,” said National Park ServiceDirector Jonathan B. Jarvis.
To help visitors do just that, the park and Furnace Creek Resort co-host an annual Death Valley Winter Star Party, usually in February. Over the course of the event, amateur and seasoned astronomers are invited to join park rangers and the Las Vegas Astronomical Society on the resort’s golf course, where telescopes of various sizes are arranged to gaze upwards.
In addition to the Star Party, Death Valley National Park and Furnace Creek Resort host a number of other stargazing events throughout the year, mostly between November and April when temperatures are lower. However, another terrific opportunity for stargazing is May 5, when there will be a New Moon – no moonlight means the stars will be shining even brighter overhead and for as far as the eye can see, easily visible with our without telescopes.
For “Star Wars” fans, there’s a totally different way to see “Stars” in Death Valley. Several scenes of the original trilogy were filmed within the park, at easily-accessible sites such as Dante’s View, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Desolation Canyon, Artist’s Drive and Golden Canyon, to name a few.
Seeing stars across the USA
The Annual Winter Star Party is held each February (scheduled February 20-26, 2017 for next year) on Scout Key (mile marker 34.5 off US Hwy 1) in the Lower Florida Keys. Each year, more than 600 astronomers from around the world gather for warm-weather viewing of the Southern Cross and other southern constellations; the Florida Keys are among the only places within the contiguous USA where these objects can be seen.
Though not a star, full moon hikes are offered at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. Groups are small in size, and the hikes are led by park rangers – a fantastic way to see the park after dark. Not surprising, several parks within the National Park Service have opportunities to explore the night skies, too; click here to learn more.