Where to see the stars (the space ones) +/- 2 hours from LA?
September 13, 2013 11:16 AM Subscribe
Good news: After a long period of being broke as a joke, I fell into a little bit of cash. I'd like to take the lady friend on a trip. She recently mentioned that she'd never seen a real night sky. I'd like to change that. Where, say, plus/minus 2 hours from Los Angeles can two young folk go see a sky full of starts? More inside.
Difficulty Level: We've never really camped before, so that's kind of out. Renting a cabin out in the middle of nowhere would work just fine, I just have no idea where to look. Cost isn't really an obstacle, but I'd like to keep the weekend <$600.
Difficulty Level: We've never really camped before, so that's kind of out. Renting a cabin out in the middle of nowhere would work just fine, I just have no idea where to look. Cost isn't really an obstacle, but I'd like to keep the weekend <$600.
Joshua Tree is maybe just a hair over two hours. I've had relatively good luck renting on VRBO.
Pick a moonless night.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:20 AM on September 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Pick a moonless night.
posted by mr_roboto at 11:20 AM on September 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Seconding the desert. And picking a moonless night, or at least one where the moon rises after you wake up. Clear Sky Chart is a great tool for an astronomers weather forecast, but since it only goes out 48 hours it's not much use for planning ahead of time.
A pair of $30 10x50 binoculars goes a long way towards being able to see a lot more stars.
posted by Nelson at 11:32 AM on September 13, 2013
A pair of $30 10x50 binoculars goes a long way towards being able to see a lot more stars.
posted by Nelson at 11:32 AM on September 13, 2013
The dark sky map is also pretty good for getting a sense of things.
You will see a lot more stars if there's no moon. The next new moon is Oct 5 which, conveniently, is on a weekend. The weekend before that should be okay too earlier in the evening; the waning 3/4 moon doesn't rise until midnight.
posted by aubilenon at 11:37 AM on September 13, 2013
You will see a lot more stars if there's no moon. The next new moon is Oct 5 which, conveniently, is on a weekend. The weekend before that should be okay too earlier in the evening; the waning 3/4 moon doesn't rise until midnight.
posted by aubilenon at 11:37 AM on September 13, 2013
Joshua Tree or Palm Springs for sure.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 12:05 PM on September 13, 2013
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 12:05 PM on September 13, 2013
Everybody's on it, but yes, the desert or the Big Bear area (Running Springs, Green Valley Lake, Lake Arrowhead, etc.).
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:12 PM on September 13, 2013
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:12 PM on September 13, 2013
I'm also in LA and am interested in this sort of thing. I've been "practicing" for a trip to Telescope Peak at the edge of Death Valley National Park for awhile now. Per the Dark Sky Finder it's one of the darkest nearby places you can reasonably get to or that isn't inside some sort of restricted access area. This is both too far and too much for your first trip, but it might be something to build towards.
As for nearby stuff, I second the recommendation of Joshua Tree. If you're looking in the park, I'd recommend the area near Lost Palm Oasis in the south as good place to start. Keys View via the western entrance is also good, but it's going to be brighter due to the orientation and relative proximity to town. I think Palm Desert/Palm Springs would be too bright.
posted by feloniousmonk at 12:12 PM on September 13, 2013
As for nearby stuff, I second the recommendation of Joshua Tree. If you're looking in the park, I'd recommend the area near Lost Palm Oasis in the south as good place to start. Keys View via the western entrance is also good, but it's going to be brighter due to the orientation and relative proximity to town. I think Palm Desert/Palm Springs would be too bright.
posted by feloniousmonk at 12:12 PM on September 13, 2013
Possible Joshua Tree/Twentynine Palms bonus: when I was out there last, there were helicopters doing some kind of exercise with flares that, thanks to elevation and angle, provided us with about 7 stunned minutes of "wtf is that WTF IS THAT" excitement.
But yes, it's a lovely sky and not as prone to clouding up as, say, Lake Arrowhead and similar elevations.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:19 PM on September 13, 2013
But yes, it's a lovely sky and not as prone to clouding up as, say, Lake Arrowhead and similar elevations.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:19 PM on September 13, 2013
High desert.
On phone cant link.
Search for kates lazy desert in landers.
posted by adamvasco at 1:09 PM on September 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
On phone cant link.
Search for kates lazy desert in landers.
posted by adamvasco at 1:09 PM on September 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
When I was a kid we always went camping in the Lucerne Valley (high desert north of Big Bear), but that was serious rough camping, and before Apple Valley and Hesperia were as built out as they are now (read: I have no idea what the light polution is like there now). I've camped over the last few years in Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, and it sucked for nighttime stargazing IMHO. We did get to see lots of lots of planes that were on approach to Ontario though.
I would go with Joshua Tree.
posted by vignettist at 1:22 PM on September 13, 2013
I would go with Joshua Tree.
posted by vignettist at 1:22 PM on September 13, 2013
Pressed post too soon.
Don't go until after the weather gets cooler because it can be up into the high 90's at night there. Unless, of course you want to be sweaty young star-gazers.
posted by Sophie1 at 1:50 PM on September 13, 2013
Don't go until after the weather gets cooler because it can be up into the high 90's at night there. Unless, of course you want to be sweaty young star-gazers.
posted by Sophie1 at 1:50 PM on September 13, 2013
And stay at Twenty Nine Palms Inn. Great accommodation, terrific food, lovely people.
posted by firstdrop at 2:11 PM on September 13, 2013
posted by firstdrop at 2:11 PM on September 13, 2013
I'm currently up in Yucca valley and the milky way is gorgeous here...make sure you pick a time when the moon is closest to its 'new' phase so its light isn't blotting out the stars. If you have an android phone, get google sky map (in the app store, free) and you can just point it at the sky to know what you're looking at. (For iphone I've played with star walk and it's awesome, but I don't know how much it is, but prob less than 5$)
Also, google for info on 'dark adaptation'...it takes fully 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, and that can be wiped out by pretty much any flash of light.. except red light, so get a red filter for your flashlight.
posted by sexyrobot at 2:42 PM on September 13, 2013
Also, google for info on 'dark adaptation'...it takes fully 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark, and that can be wiped out by pretty much any flash of light.. except red light, so get a red filter for your flashlight.
posted by sexyrobot at 2:42 PM on September 13, 2013
Several times a year I spend the night under the stars on BLM land two or three miles from Johannesburg off Trona Rd near where it intersects Hwy 395. I guess you can call it camping, but it's more like kicking back on a reclining lawn chair. No tent, no fire, or other trappings. Usually by myself, I look at the sky, listen to the breeze, and when it dies down, I listen to the silence. There is nothing out there as far as facilities, but I generally only need some water, sleep in the car if it gets too cold, and leave just after sunup when I wake up. I like this spot because out of the dozen+ times I've spent the night out there, I've never seen another person. If solitude and silence creeps you out, this might not be the place for you.
posted by 2N2222 at 4:51 PM on September 13, 2013
posted by 2N2222 at 4:51 PM on September 13, 2013
Seconding Yucca Valley, or Joshua Tree, or anywhere in that area. Pioneertown is another option.
posted by MexicanYenta at 6:22 PM on September 13, 2013
posted by MexicanYenta at 6:22 PM on September 13, 2013
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posted by changeling at 11:20 AM on September 13, 2013 [5 favorites]