Stargazing

 

Behold the wonder of the night.

NPS

 

A view of the night sky from the Kettle Falls dam overlook. The dark skies of Voyageurs offer excellent stargazing opportunities. Here, a researcher measures the levels of light on the horizon using a powerful, light-sensitive camera.

NPS / Lapp

Stargazing in Voyageurs National Park

Planets shine, shooting stars dart across the sky, satellites float along the horizon, and our own galaxy wraps an arm over our globe. Earth is a very small, singular, unique place within this awe-inspiring cosmos.

Step out, look up, and embrace the wonder of a Voyageurs night.

Where to View the Dark Skies

Many places in Voyageurs have open horizons with beautiful views of the park's dark sky. However, there are two designated dark sky areas in the park where you can easily access the views. The Meadwood Road Day Use Area along (Ash River Visitor Center Road) is one designated dark sky location and the upper parking lot at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center is another great dark sky designated area. In addition, many of the park's lakeshores, clearings (on trails or in the backcountry), and campsite docks provide wide, unobstructed views of the stars—especially if there is little or no artificial light nearby.

When to Stargaze

A clear, moonless night can provide the best stargazing opportunities because a bright moon will obscure fainter stars. Checking a moon phase calendar can be helpful in planning, as well as watching the weather forecast to avoid storms and cloudy evenings.

Summer nights are generally the best times to view the Milky Way: a spiral of our own galaxy. During summer, the Northern hemisphere is tilted towards the center of the Milky Way, so it is denser and easier to see. In general, everything we can see using just our eyes from our location is within the Milky Way galaxy, with two exceptions: the Triangulum Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy.

 

A full moon and stars on the shores of Lake Kabetogama

NPS

Useful Items to Bring

• Extra layers, long pants, a jacket, and a hat. Even in summer, nights can be cool.
• A blanket or chair, if desired
• Binoculars or a telescope (7 x 50 binoculars are comparable to entry-level telescopes)
• A star chart
• A red flashlight or headlamp, plus extra batteries
• Bug spray
• Water

Different Cultures and their Constellations

A star chart (also known as a planisphere) can help you find the constellations and the Milky Way. There are also several free smartphone apps (e.g. SkyView Lite, Star Walk 2 Ads+, Star Chart, and NASA App) that can provide assistance in finding constellations throughout the year.

Constellations and stars have inspired stories and insights across countless cultures over many centuries. A traditional Ojibwe or Dakota constellation guide, for example, may have different-looking constellations than a Greek-based planisphere. Using multiple star charts can create a unique, meaninful insight into different cultures through the way their ancestors (and they, themselves) view the stars.

 

What to Look For

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  Stars and Planets

  A good rule of thumb: stars twinkle; planets don't. A star chart can help you identify what you're seeing and locate constellations.

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  Our Galaxy: The Milky Way

  The Milky Way appears as a cloudy, silvery streak across the sky. From Earth, our view is from the inside looking out.

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  Shooting Stars: Meteors and Meteoroids

  Meteors ("shooting stars") are small debris fragments burning up in Earth's atmosphere. Meteor showers often give spectacular displays.

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  Aurora Borealis

  The Aurora Borealis (also known as northern lights) are sporadic, mesmerizing arrays of color that occasionally light up the northern sky.

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  The Moon

  Enjoy a relatively stable climate here on Earth? Thank our moon: the only celestial body beyond Earth that has been visited by human beings.

 

Spot the Space Station from Voyageurs

If an object is moving quickly and not blinking, it is likely an unmanned satellite...or possibly even the International Space Station! Check NASA's widget below to find out when and where the station will be visible from the park.

 

The human eye is attracted to bright, white light. The park is currently working to safely reduce light levels here at the Kettle Falls Hotel (as well as other areas) to become a Dark Sky Park.

NPS / Lapp

Stargazing Tips and Techniques

Give Yourself Time

It can take 20 to 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark; spend enough time outside away from bright lights to allow your eyes to adjust.

Use a Red Light

One brief flash of white light from a flashlight, cell phone, or vehicle headlight can set your night vision back and require several minutes for your eyes to readjust once again to darkness. A red light will not impact your night vision nearly as much. Many flashlights and headlamps have a red light feature. If yours does not, you can also cover your white light with red plastic or cellophane.

Bring a Friend; Minimize your Light

Camping and walking in the dark can sometimes make people feel anxious, especially in an wild or unfamiliar place. People often find comfort using bright, white lanterns and other lights in the park after dark. Turning off these lights will strongly improve your stargazing, and it also benefits nocturnal wildlife that live in the park.

For those who feel anxious about tripping and/or animals, it can help to be aware that it is very rare for wildlife to directly approach humans in Voyageurs. Animals are far more likely to be attracted to food left out in the open, regardless of the time of day.

While camping, you can can help improve your night vision (as well as your safety) by securing your food in a bear locker and relying solely on the natural light created by a campfire instead of white lights. Having friends or family along can also help if you're feeling nervous about the dark, and it also lets you share a meaningful chance to stargaze together.

 

NPS

Dark Skies at Voyageurs

Voyageurs has improved its dark sky preservation in order to become certified as a Dark Sky Park. However, Dark Sky certification does not only have to be for national parks. Learn below what Voyageurs is doing to protect the night, and also what you can do (if you desire) to make the lights around your own home more effective, efficient, and night-sky-friendly.

 

Duration:

3 minutes, 33 seconds

In this episode, gaze upon the Voyageurs National Park night sky with Ashley Wilson, Dark Sky intern, and the community while learning about light pollution and IDA dark sky certification.