Skywatching and Stargazing
In populous Southern California, Joshua Tree National Park offers stargazers a rare opportunity to view the night sky with little to no light pollution.
Plan Around Skywatching and Stargazing
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Skywatching and Stargazing Details
In populous Southern California, Joshua Tree National Park offers stargazers a rare opportunity to view the night sky with little to no light pollution. Stargazing opportunities vary by season, but are good throughout the park. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, and thusly the longest night. In Joshua Tree, sunset in December can be as early as 4:30 p.m., with full dark falling by 5:00 p.m. Winter's most famous constellation is Orion, the Hunter, with the three stars making up the constellation's belt easily seen in the southern sky. Below Orion's belt, three faint stars make up the hunter's sword. Binoculars or a telescope are necessary to spy the Orion Nebula, a stellar cloud of dust and gas that appears in the sword. Following the the line of Orion's belt down and to the left, you'll see 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. The first day of spring, or vernal equinox, brings days and nights of equal length. During this time of year, the brilliant star Arcturus appears in the eastern sky at dusk. Find it by following the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper. The Milky Way is most visible on a moonless summer night, and during the summer, viewers are gazing directly into its center. Another summer sky-watching event not to be missed is annual the Perseid Meteor Shower in mid-August. Fall brings the autumnal equinox, when day and night are again an equal length. During this time, the Great Square of Pegasus, made up of four equally bright stars, rises in the northeastern sky at dusk.
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What to Do
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Compare nearby parks around Skywatching and Stargazing when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
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Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Skywatching and Stargazing while the map context is still fresh.
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