Stargazing

If your visit happens to be between March and November, you will be able to witness the Galactic Core (the central part of the Milky Way). The good news is if you are ready for bed after a big day of adventuring, the best time to see the Galactic Core is during “true night”— only 60-90 minutes after sunset. Snuggle into your sleeping bag and stay awake as long as you can because the sky will only become more intense as the night gets darker.

Do you need to plan ahead? No! For the length of human history, in every origin story, we have a shared experience of admiring and being awed by the brilliant night sky with nothing but our own two eyes.

But what if you’re a planner? Of course, there are things you can do to take your stargazing experience up a notch or two. How, you ask?

• Bring a telescope, though you might be impressed by what a pair of binoculars reveals
• If you turn on your flashlight, point it at the ground
• Consider using a red bulb in your flashlight or headlamp
• Bring something warm (sleeping bag, jacket, blankets). It cools off quickly in southeastern Utah!
• Check out the forecast relevant to astronomical observing
• Hit up the app store for an app that identifies constellations and planets, that tells you just how dark the sky is, or an app to add your observations to a global database.

Want to learn more? Visit the Rugged Skies website: