2/15/2024 0 Comments Stargazing boondocking californiaIf you’re staying in Moab, just an hour’s drive south gets you into the eclipse path at Monticello (2 m 18 s). Hotel availability in Moab around the eclipse dates is currently good. Stargazing in Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, and Canyonlands National Park - all close to Moab, Utah - is sure to be popular. George and Cedar City just south of the path. Instead, watch the ring of fire from one of many private campgrounds in the area. Save visits to Bryce Canyon National Park (2 m 17 s), Kodachrome Basin State Park (2 m 30 s), Fremont Indian State Park (4 m 38 s), Capitol Reef National Park (4 m 37 s) and Goblin Valley State Park (2 m 54 s) for after the eclipse, as crowds are likely. Both of these are International Dark Sky Parks, too. If you’re coming from Salt Lake City, consider visiting Antelope Island State Park those driving from Las Vegas should consider Valley of Fire State Park. The staff there has planned an observing event for the big day and recommends its Mather Overlook for stargazing. Wizard Island, in the middle of Oregon’s Crater Lake, will see a “ring of fire” on October 14, 2023.Īt one of the least-visited national parks in the country, the Great Basin National Park (3 m 48 s) offers more than a view of the eclipse - it’s also an International Dark Sky Park. The Oregon Outback Scenic Byway just to the east in the desert may serve as an escape on the morning of the eclipse, both from crowds and clouds. So consider instead taking an RV to Eclipse Fest 2023, which includes organized stargazing the night before the eclipse. However, snow could ruin both eclipse-chasing and stargazing. The Watchman Peak/Trailhead (4 m 23 s) will give you view of the annular ring above Wizard Island at Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park. Stargazing Opportunities Along the Annular’s Path 1. Bureau of Land Management land – which you can find using apps like The Dyrt. Surprisingly, some private campgrounds still have availability as of July 19th (check HipCamp’s dedicated map for the eclipse), while those in an RV have ample boondocking opportunities – not least on U.S. You’ll want to arrive at least a few days beforehand for those. Another option is to find a hotel in a less popular region along the path.Ĭampgrounds in most of the parks in or near the path are similarly crowded, although there are first-come, first-served opportunities. One good option is to stay just south or north of the eclipse track and drive into it on the day. Hotel space is especially limited in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is also hosting its International Balloon Fiesta just before the eclipse, and in parts of Utah close to the path’s centerline. You’ll need to act quickly to secure lodging within the path on the nights of October 13–15. The only problem is that word has gotten out about the upcoming “ring of fire” - and accommodations in honeypot locations are already hard to find. Many readers will find a stargazing-themed road trip difficult to resist. Since by definition a solar eclipse occurs during new Moon, the nights just before and after October 14, 2023, are ideal for stargazing. Many more parks are located close to (but not in) the path of annularity. Many of these are also designated International Dark Sky Parks. Leah Tiscione / Sky & Telescope source: Fred EspenakĬrucially for amateur astronomers and stargazers in the U.S., the path crosses 29 national parks, state parks, and other protected wilderness areas. The blue lines indicate the fraction of the Sun’s diameter covered by the Moon. On October 14, 2023, the Moon’s antumbral shadow travels along a track that extends from the Pacific to the Atlantic - a journey lasting 3 hours and 34 minutes. The shadow then hops over the Gulf of Mexico before passing down through Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, and northwestern Brazil. It then moves across the northeastern tip of California northern Nevada the “four corners” where New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah meet and then diagonally across New Mexico and Texas. The Milky Way arcs over the Delicate Arch in Arches in National Park.Īn annular solar eclipse is typically of limited interest even to committed eclipse-chasers, but on October 14, 2023, this “ring of fire” will be visible from some of the most alluring landscapes in North America.įor a maximum of 5 minutes, 17 seconds, it will be possible to see a ring around the new Moon from a wider-than-average track that first makes landfall in southern Oregon.
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