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, 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 light pollution combine with high elevation to create a unique window to the universe.   

Learning a few basics of stargazing can enhance your visit to Great Basin National Park. 

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 clover 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. 

>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 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. 

>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.

"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.

>Meteor Showers and Viewing Tips