Stargazing

Many Joshua Tree visitors get their first-ever look at the Milky Way while they're in the park.

NPS / Lian Law

 

The night sky is a glittering dome peppered with stars, planets, and passing meteors—but most people no longer get to see it. In urban and suburban settings, artificial lighting and atmospheric pollutants wash out the light of the stars. This is a serious loss. For millennia, our ancestors experienced a dark night sky. Cultures around the world told stories about the constellations and used the stars as a calendar. Only for the past few generations have humans been denied the chance to stand in awe of the heavens. Boasting some of the darkest nights in Southern California, Joshua Tree National Park, an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), offers many visitors the chance to admire the Milky Way for the first time in their lives.

Learn more about the local Night Sky Festival.

 

Tips for Stargazing

Use Red Lights Only

Do not use bright white flashlights, headlamps, or cell phones. It takes 20-30 minutes for the human eye to fully adjust to very low light conditions. Bright lights delay this process. You can turn a regular flashlight into a red light by covering it with red cellophane, tape, fabric, paper, or similar materials.

Bring Food and Water

Plan ahead. There is no running water in most areas of the park.

Layer Up

Temperatures drop quickly in the evening. Bring extra layers of warm clothing.

Bring a Chair

You may be on your feet and looking up for long periods of time. A lightweight folding chair will help keep each person in your group comfortable and reduce strain. Do no trample vegetation and be aware of cacti in your area.

Watch Your Step

Cacti, nocturnal animals, and uneven surfaces may be difficult to see at night. Use a red light to check your viewing are for hazards.

Avoid the Moon

Bright moonlight reduces the number of stars you'll see. Check the moon's phase and rise and set times to find the best time to stargaze.

 

Where to View the Stars and Milky Way

On a clear night and moonless, you should have no problem viewing the stars from anywhere in the park. However, light pollution from surrounding communities does impact Joshua Tree's night skies, so some areas of the park are darker than others.

Designated Stargazing Areas

There are four designated stargazing areas. They are the parking lots of Quail Springs, Hidden Valley, Cap Rock, and Ryan Mountain. Stay awake and within 20 feet (6 meters) of your vehicle, and enjoy the show.

Campgrounds

Pitch a tent, roast some marshmallows, and spend the night under the stars in one of Joshua Tree's nine campgrounds (additional camping fees apply). Cottonwood Campground has the darkest skies.

Wilderness Backpacking

Get away from roads, cars, and people, and camp out under the stars in Joshua Tree's vast wilderness. Backpacking should only be done by those with the skills and knowledge for an overnight backcountry trip. For more information, check out our backpacking webpage.

Roadside Pullouts

Park at any of the roadside pullouts and set up chairs to watch the stars overhead. Stay awake and alert within 20 feet (6 meters) of your vehicle. The Pinto Basin Road between Cholla Cactus Garden and Cottonwood has the least traffic and darkest skies.

Things to Remember

• Overnight camping is not allowed along roadsides or in parking lots.

• Day Use Only areas are closed from dusk to dawn in order to protect wildlife.

• Pets must be leashed at all times and are not allowed on trails or in the backcountry.

• Watch your step in the darkness (use a red light flashlight or headlamp; wear closed-toed shoes).

Joshua Tree National Park never closes. If entrance fee stations are closed when you arrive, proceed and enjoy your visit. You can pay upon exiting if the fee stations are open.

 

Light painting at Jumbo Rocks Campground

NPS/Brad Sutton

Photography Tips

There are many different ways to photograph the stars and Milky Way. These are just a few tips for beginners that will help you get started.

Use a Tripod

• A sturdy tripod will help you create sharp photos with no vibration or shaking.

Use Manual Settings

• Aperture (or f-stop) - use the largest aperture your lens is capable of (f/2.8 is ideal).
• ISO - use the highest setting you can without the image becoming too grainy (ISO 1600 or higher; results will vary by camera model).
• Shutter Speed - adjust your shutter speed as needed (try starting at 25 seconds.

Experiment to Find the Best Results

• Be creative and try different settings. Change only one setting (f-stop, ISO, or shutter speed) at a time to achieve different effects.

Paint with Light

• While shooting long exposures, use a small flashlight or headlamp to draw letters and shapes. Illuminate objects in the foreground to create more interesting compositions. Be courteous to those around you. Spotlighting wildlife and illuminating large areas with constant light is prohibited.

 

Night Sky Programs

Rangers regularly offer programs about the wonders of the night sky and our ongoing relationship with it. Check our Calendar or at any visitor center for information about upcoming programs or events.

Additions programs may be available through our partner:

Sky's the Limit Observatory
9697 Utah Trail
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
760-490-9561
[e-mail]

You can also learn more about the park's dark night skies and watch a series of short films and about why the National Park Service cares about protecting dark night skies.

 

The Night Sky by Season

Winter

The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year—and the longest night. In Joshua Tree, sunset in December can be as early as 4:30 pm, with full dark falling by 5 pm. Campers in the national park at this time of year have plenty of opportunity to stargaze before going to bed for the night.

Winter's most famous constellation is almost certainly Orion, the Hunter. The three stars that make up Orion's belt are easily seen in the southern sky. Below Orion's belt, three faint stars make up the great hunter's sword. Use binoculars or a telescope to look at the Orion Nebula, a vast stellar cloud of dust and gas that appears in the sword.

If you follow the line of Orion's belt down and to the left, you'll come to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Sirius is also known as the Dog Star and lies in the constellation Canis Major, the Great Dog.

Other prominent winter constellations include Gemini and Taurus. Gemini, the Twins, features the bright stars Castor and Pollux marking the heads of the two brothers, who stand in the heavens with their arms about each other's shoulders. From the eye of V-shaped Taurus (the Bull) winks the red giant Aldebaran.

Spring

On the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring, day and night are of equal length. At this time of year, the brilliant star Arcturus appears in the eastern sky at dusk. You can find Arcturus by following the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper (remember: "Arc to Arcturus").

Looking high in the sky to the south, you may find the sickle-shaped head of Leo, the Lion. Bright Regulus is Leo's front paw.

Summer

Summer starts on the solstice in late June, when we have the longest day and the shortest night of the year.

The Milky Way is at its best on a moonless summer night. At this time of year, we are looking inward toward the center of our galaxy when we gaze upward into the night sky. The galactic center, where the band of the Milky Way appears brightest in the sky, is located in the constellation Sagittarius.

The Milky Way runs through the center of the Summer Triangle, which is not a constellation but an asterism. Its three bright and easily observed stars are in the east at dusk and wheel overhead through the night. Each of these three stars is the brightest star in its constellation: brilliant Vega in Lyra (the Lyre), Altair in Aquila (the Eagle), and Deneb in Cygnus (the Swan).

The Perseid Meteor Shower in mid-August is one of the most consistently reliable meteor showers each year.

Fall

At the autumnal equinox, day and night are again of equal length. Around this time—the beginning of autumn—the Great Square of Pegasus rises in the northeastern sky at dusk. Four stars of roughly equal brightness make up the Great Square. If you don't see it right away, find Polaris, the North Star. Draw a line from Polaris past the W shape of Cassiopeia, and it will bring your eye to the Great Square.

The Great Square is oriented more like a diamond, and you can use it to find the Andromeda Galaxy. Home plate is the star at the bottom of the Great Square, with first base to the right, second base at the top, and third base to the left. On moonless nights, the Andromeda Galaxy is visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch off in the stands on the third base side of the field, about as far back from third base as between first and third. Use binoculars or a telescope to get a better view of this spiral galaxy.