NPS Night Sky Team
Great Basin's night sky
On a clear, moonless night in Great Basin National Park, thousands of stars, five of our solar system's eight planets, star clusters, meteors, man-made satellites, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye. The area boasts some of the darkest night skies left in the United States. Low humidity and minimal light pollution, combined with high elevation, create a unique window to the universe.
Click for Great Basin National Park's Astronomical Forecast
2012 Astronomy Program Schedule
All astronomy programs will start with a ranger talk at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center followed by ranger led telescope viewing. No telescope is required as we will have them available.
Weekly Astronomy Programs
Join Great Basin's Dark Rangers weekly (Memorial Day to Labor Day) for astronomy programs. Explore our beautiful night sky with star themed talks and park provided telescopes. Weekly schedule for astronomy nights are still to be determined.
Spring Star Party - Saturday April 14, 2012
Enjoy a night of learning and observing the amazing spring constellations and see such highlights as the Great Orion Nebula using park provided telescopes. The visitor center will remain open to warm up and to enjoy some hot beverages. Saturday April 14, 2012 at 7:00PM.
Annual Solar Eclipse - Sunday May 20, 2012
On May 20, 2012 Great Basin National Park will be in the bull's-eye for the annual solar eclipse. From the park you will experience nearly three minutes of the total eclipse. The park will have a special program at the Great Basin Visitor Center in Baker, NV. Join Park Rangers for this exciting event. Special safe solar viewing glasses will be available for purchase in our bookstores.
Transit of the Planet Venus - Tuesday June 5, 2012
Join Great Basin National Park by observing this historic transit of Venus across the Sun on June 5, 2012. The park will have activities all day long leading up to the beginning of the transit at 3:00PM (PDT). Learn how astronomers calculated the size of the solar system and try it out for yourself. This event will not take place again until the year 2117! Special safe solar viewing glasses will be available for purchase in our bookstores. More information is available here.
3rd Annual Astronomy Festival
June 14-16, 2012 Great Basin National Park will be hosting it's annual Astronomy Festival. Enjoy three days and nights of astronomy themed events.
Holiday and Special Astronomy Events
Memorial Day Weekend
Great Basin Astronomy Festival - June 14 - 16, 2012
Independence Day Weekend
Pioneer Day Weekend
Labor Day Weekend
Full Moon Hikes
Join one of Great Basin's "Dark Rangers" for a nocturnal adventure. These highly popular hikes are only offered during the summer full moons.
A limit of 40 people are permitted on these popular guided hikes and they are first come, first served (no reservations). Free tickets are available the day of the hike at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center. Although we keep the location of the full moon hike secret until you pick up your tickets, expect an easy to moderate 2 mile hike above 10,000 feet. Rules are strictly enforced. Call or email for details.
2012 dates to be determined.
Full Moon Hike Rules
- All participants must have a Full Moon Hike ticket.
- Ages 8 and up.
- Must have lug sole shoes (hiking boots or hiking shoes - no tennis or running shoes).
- We will be stopping at times so please bring warm clothes, preferably layers, and bring water and a snack.
- You can bring a flashlight or a headlamp but their use will not be permitted on the trail except with the ranger's permission.
- No flash photography.
- Ranger can cancel the hike anytime due to weather or sky conditions.
Where to Go
Any location that is open, and away from outdoor lighting, will provide fantastic views. One of the best spots in the park is the Wheeler Peak/Bristlecone Trail parking lot at the end of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. Though surrounded by trees, which will limit views of the horizon, viewing stars at over 10,000 feet is unparalleled. Mather Overlook, and other pullouts along the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, can provide more panoramic views with fewer obstructions. The Baker Archeological Site, located just outside the town of Baker, offers expansive views from horizon to horizon.
When to Go
Stargazing is a year round activity at Great Basin National Park. Two factors will determine the best night to go: cloud cover and the current phase of the moon. Cloudy or stormy skies will obviously obstruct all views of the cosmos. The moon is the brightest and most prominent object in the night sky. You can see more stars during a new moon phase, when the moon is not visible, than during the full moon, when the bright light obscures most of the stars.
Click for Moon Phase Calculator
What to Bring
To make your time stargazing more enjoyable you may want to bring along a few items:
1. A warm jacket, extra layers of clothing, and a hat. Evenings are cool, even in the summer. A thermos of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate isn't a bad idea either!
2. A blanket. Use a blanket to make lying on the ground, or in the back of a vehicle, more comfortable. Sitting can be uncomfortable and can cause neck pain, unless you have a reclining chair.
3. Binoculars. A pair of 7x50 binoculars is comparable in magnification to an entry level telescope. You may need to brace yourself for steady observing.
4. A simple star chart. These are available for purchase at any visitor center bookstore.
5. A red flashlight to read the star chart. Covering the end of the flashlight with red paper will preserve your night vision. Regular white light will disrupt it.
What To Look For
What you will see in the night sky depends on the time of night, the season of the year, and your location on planet Earth. Star charts can help you identify objects visible in the sky tonight.
Constellations are meaningful patterns of stars, known primarily by the names given to them in ancient times. Eighty-eight constellations make up the night sky, most of which are visible in the northern hemisphere, depending on the time of year. Orion is the most famous constellation, identifiable in the winter sky by three equally bright, evenly spaced stars in a straight line.
While stars twinkle, planets reflect a steady light. They can be seen along a low path in the sky, never higher than 30 degrees above the horizon. (Holding your fist out at arms length with the thumb on top is approximately 10 degrees. Three fists will equal about 30 degrees.) The planet Venus, often seen just after sunset and just before sunrise, is the second brightest object in the night sky, next to the moon. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn can often be seen later at night.
Click for Planet Viewing Guide
The Milky Way is one of the most striking and awe-inspiring sights in the night sky. The swath of stars and dust is unmistakable, and is most visible from mid to late summer and again in midwinter. Because we are buried deep within the spiral arms of our galaxy, our view is from the inside looking out. Everything we can see in the sky from the continental United States is within the Milky Way. The only exception is the Andromeda Galaxy - the one object beyond our own galaxy visible with the naked eye.
Man-made satellites can often be spotted crossing the night sky. Look for a bright, steadily moving object that does not twinkle and is moving in a straight line. Communications satellites orbit the earth moving east to west. Military satellites travel north to south.
Click for Satellite Pass Over Times
"Shooting stars" and "falling stars" are both terms describing meteors, small fragments of debris that create streaks of light across the sky when they come in contact with the Earth's atmosphere. Shooting stars can be seen any night of the year, but the best opportunities for seeing them are during meteor showers.
The meteor showers that usually offer the best shows are the Perseids in August, the Orionids in October, the Leonids in November, and the Geminds in December. Meteor showers are named after the constellation they appear to originate from.
Click for Meteor Showers and Viewing Tips
