Introduction and Monthly Reminders
June has been a stellar month for stargazers so far. The weather has been pleasant, although a little on the hot side for my personal preference, and relatively clear most nights. I was able to see the Venus-Jupiter conjunction and the Moon go through its phases with my unaided eye, and I have plans for an outing with my gear as long as the weather cooperates.
Venus and Jupiter will remain close over the next week or so for observers to enjoy. There is also the occultation of Venus by the Moon coming up on the 17th to still look forward to. Of course, there are still the warm, and hopefully clear nights for every type of stargazer to enjoy through the end of the month and most likely into the summer.
Dark Sky Locations
I often talk about the importance of traveling to a dark sky location to view the faint fuzzies through a telescope, image the Milky Way Band and other regions of the night sky, or just to see the countless stars in the heavens above that cannot be seen from light-polluted skies. I haven't disclosed the exact location of my favorite areas because I don't want them to become too overcrowded. Since buying a house and having a space to set up my gear, I haven't traveled to one of these dark sky sites for quite some time. I also felt it was more important to share these locations, since they are relatively close and easy to get to for those wanting to travel to a dark sky area to see the Milky Way Band and countless stars. Unfortunately, I have lost many of my astrophotography images, but I will share examples of the areas mentioned below if I have an image.
I have taken my gear to several locations around the Salt Lake Valley, but have really enjoyed a few areas in the West Desert region. The first place I found, and still one of my favorites, is what I have nicknamed Area 62. This area has become slightly more crowded than it was approximately 15 years ago. To get to Area 62, I would travel west on I-80 to Exit 62 (hence the nickname), then head north on this road for about 5 miles. At this point, there was a turn off onto a dirt road where I would set up my gear for a night of stargazing and astrophotography. Below is an image of my setup from 2016 at Area 62.
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| Telescope and camera setup at Area 62. |
Another of my favorite places I have traveled to several times is Iosepa, Utah, a ghost town located about 15 miles from Salt Lake City. I take I-80 west to Exit 77, then head south toward Dugway. There is a turnoff that will take the driver east along a gravel road until they reach Iosepa. This location has working bathrooms that were sometimes locked but were nice to use if needed. Being closer to Salt Lake, Iosepa's skies aren't quite as dark as Area 62, and there is also a bit of skyglow being produced by Dugway. The ground has a slight slope, making it difficult to level my gear at times, especially when setting up in the dark. Below is an image taken from Iosepa in 2021.
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| Orion from Iosepa. |
Using the same exit and directions as Iosepa, I have also visited an area called Lone Rock. I have heard that this is a popular area for campers, but on the night I traveled there, I was the only person. The sky would have about the same brightness from Salt Lake City as Iosepa. Unfortunately, on the evening I traveled to Lone Rock, there was quite a bit of smoke from California wildfires that settled in, and I was unable to see the stars.
While traveling farther into the West Desert, I visited a location called Knolls Recreation Area. This is a popular location for dirt bikes, rock crawlers, and other off-road vehicles. I have only visited this location once, but it was where I took some of my best astrophotography images. Since this place is quite popular, unfortunately, there are a lot of campfires and noise.
Antelope Island has also been a great location. There is quite a bit more light pollution due to Layton and other nearby cities, but the Milky Way Band can still be seen. Antelope Island is a favorite location for the Ogden Astronomical Society to conduct public star parties. I encourage observers, or individuals looking to get a telescope, to attend a star party and use the provided telescopes to find what works for their needs. I have never met an astronomer who doesn't enjoy talking about their gear and demonstrating how to use it.
Several years ago, I took an astrophotography class that lasted only a few weeks and consisted of just four classes. The first two and the last class were in a classroom setting, while the third was at a dark-sky location to practice the techniques we had learned. The class voted to go to East Canyon State Park, a short distance from Morgan, Utah. The class was given special permission to be at this location because it is a campground where guests must pay. Unfortunately, or perhaps it was fortunate, there was a thunderstorm the night of the class, so the stars were blocked from view for several hours. However, several students captured images of the lighting over the reservoir.
Just east of Salt Lake City, Jordanelle State Park is also a great location. There is some light pollution here, but the Milky Way Band is clearly visible. The Salt Lake Astronomical Society occasionally hosts star parties here, but a fee may be required to attend. I have traveled to this location to camp with family members and was able to get a few good astrophotography images, but enjoyed looking up at the stars more.
There are several other places in the Salt Lake Valley to see dark skies, and many more if one is willing to drive farther. I like to research locations, while others like to get in the car and just drive and see where they end up. I prefer to bring my astrophotography camera and chair on my first visit to a new location, just in case it doesn't work out. I recommend that, no matter the destination, you wear pants, closed-toe shoes, and bring a jacket or hoodie, bug spray, a flashlight, and a chair at a minimum.
Show that you support dark skies, like me, by being one of the first Utahns to get a Dark Sky license plate! Visit Dark Sky Utah to apply for a new license plate for your vehicle.
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| Now get outside and look up! |
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