Stargazers who live in or will be visiting the southwestern U.S. should take note: Death Valley National Park’s Dark Sky Festival will be held February 10–12.
“During our annual spring Dark Sky Festival, visitors are invited to come explore the night sky and the unique park landscapes which can help us better understand wonders beyond our world,” according to the National Park Service (NPS).
To understand the event’s importance, consider that the Dark Sky Festival is a collaborative effort involving Death Valley National Park, its nonprofit partner Death Valley Natural History Association, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Ames Research Center, SETI Institute, and California Institute of Technology.
If you don’t know about the annual event, you may be wondering what’s so special about the sky at Death Valley.
“Far from cities and carefully managed to protect darkness, Death Valley National Park is an excellent place to view the night sky,” the NPS explains. “Nights in Death Valley are so dark that the park is classified at the highest — Gold Tier — level by the International Dark-Sky Association. In fact, many celestial objects which can be viewed from Death Valley are not visible elsewhere in the world!”
Indeed, the International Dark-Sky Association explains that Death Valley National Park
“is distant enough from the large cities of the Southwest so that much of the night sky above the desert floor is near pristine and, in many places, offers views close to what could be seen before the rise of cities.”
Here’s a quick look at some of the events scheduled for the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival. Importantly, all Death Valley Dark Sky Festival programs are free and open to the public.
Astronomy Programs
“Explore Death Valley’s famous dark skies through ranger talks, telescope viewings, and trivia events,” the NPS explains. “Learn about the cosmos and see distant galaxies, planets, and stars.”
Here are some of those events.
Astronomy Talk
On Friday, February 10, you can join a park ranger to learn about the night sky. The NPS notes that attendees should bring a red flashlight to protect night vision. Attendees may also want to take a pair of binoculars and a chair.
The event will be held from 8–9 p.m. at Harmony Borax Works.
Furnace Creek Star Party
This event, which includes the use of telescopes and is put on by the Las Vegas Astronomical Society and Caltech, will be held on Saturday, February 11, and Sunday, February 12, in the Sunset Campground Overflow Lot.
Rangers will lead “constellation tours” at 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m.
Moon Walk
“Walk under the light of the moon as you join a ranger on an easy night walk on the moonlit salt flats,” the NPS explains.
The walk will take place on Saturday, February 11, from 5:30–6:30 a.m., at Badwater Basin.
Auditorium Talks
Auditorium talks, which will cover a wide range of topics about space and the night sky, will be held at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
For example, subjects for the daytime talks include “The Dynamic Landscape of Death Valley, As Seen By NASA’s NISAR Mission,” on Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m., as well as “The Science of Black Holes,” on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, keynote evening talk subjects will include “Exploration of Venus,” on Friday at 6 p.m., and “The Cosmic Autobiography,” on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Field Talks
“Enjoy Death Valley and learn about other worlds by joining a scientist at locations around the park!” the NPS explains.
One of the scheduled field talks is “Searching for Signs of Ancient Life on a Cold and Desolate Mars.” It will be held from 9:30–10:30 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday at Mars Hill.
Another one of the talks is “Mars-like Places on Earth: A Journey into the Ubehebe Crater,” which will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Ubehebe Crater.
Astrophotography Meetups
“As dark skies are becoming harder and harder to find, astrophotography in national parks is growing in popularity,” the NPS explains. “Join other astrophotography enthusiasts and professionals to learn tips and tricks for capturing striking night images to share the beauty of darkness with the world.”
Don’t worry if you aren’t already skilled at taking night sky pictures: Astrophotography volunteers and rangers will be on hand to help. However, a DSLR camera and tripod are essential to enjoy these sessions.
The first Astrophotography Meetup will be on Friday, from 7–8 p.m., at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
The second meetup will be held on Saturday, from 8:30–9:30 p.m., at Harmony Borax Works.
Family Program
If you have kids or grandkids, the Dark Sky Festival has a hands-on activity for them; it’s even co-led by park rangers and NASA scientists.
This year’s activity is “Build A Mars Lander,” which is suitable for all ages.
“Become a NASA engineer! Design, build, and land your own ‘spacecraft’ on Mars,” the NPS explains.
The sessions, which will be held in a tent behind the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, will be held over 2 days. On Saturday, sessions will be held from 10–10:45 a.m. and then again from 2–2:45 p.m. On Sunday, the Build A Mars Lander session will be held from 10–10:45 a.m.
Know Before You Go
If you plan to attend Death Valley Dark Sky Festival, you’ll need to know that the park will be busy and rangers recommend making overnight reservations early.
Be sure to visit Camping in Death Valley to learn about camping options in the area.
If camping isn’t really your thing, be sure to visit Lodging Inside the Park to learn about indoor lodging options in Death Valley.
You can find the complete schedule of events on the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival webpage.
While you’re thinking about it, be sure to read all of our Death Valley National Park content, including: