“For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” — Vincent Van Gogh
It sounds expensive, but even a first-class window seat on Starship Earth is free.
As summer nights become shirt-sleeve comfortable, and a dazzling Milky Way climbs above the eastern horizon, it’s a sign that night sky season is here.
And it only requires a short drive, a comfortable chair and a bit of your time to explore.
While the night sky may offer exciting views all year, it’s the gentle nights of summer and the breathtaking heavenly star show that make this peak season for sky watchers.
Enjoying this celestial glory can be as simple as a few hours of sit-and-see, or as involved as using precision telescopes, sophisticated cameras and world travel to exotic places for special heavenly events.
There is something quite magic about the night sky. The things of beauty and wonder found there can expand our minds and touch us deeply.
One of my most moving experiences was a trip to Alaska to photograph the Northern Lights.
I had learned the First Nation People of Alaska call the aurora the Happy Dancers and consider them to be the spirit of the departed dancing in heaven. Their legend says, whistle and the spirits will lift you to heaven to dance with you.
Waiting to photograph the shimmering green clouds in the arctic wilderness, I was moved to tears by the beauty and symbolism when they arrived.
On a moonlight night, I hiked to a remote spot on the rim of the Grand Canyon to photograph this great geological wonder in the soft lunar glow. The beauty was breathtaking and life changing.
The immensity of the Grand Canyon, dwarfed by the limitless night sky, was an incredible, thought-provoking perspective.
Between now and the arrival of the chilly nights of fall, sky watchers may enjoy meteor showers, solar and lunar eclipses, summer nighttime landscapes awash in the full moon, oh-wow moonrises, comets and intense lightning storms, all in front of the drop-curtain Milky Way.
Even man-made marvels such as fireworks or drone light shows can add wonder to the night sky.
The secret is the darkness of night, but it’s not that simple.
To truly enjoy all that the night sky can offer, viewers must escape the lights of urban centers.
Fortunately, local residents have several locations where there is limited light pollution, and there are efforts in several communities to ensure the darkness is preserved.
Borrego Springs, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the community of Julian have been recognized internationally as dark sky areas, thanks to efforts to minimize and control night lighting. Sky watchers in Valley Center are also working to achieve that status.
But just about anywhere east of San Diego’s urban areas can be a good place to spend a few hours letting your mind wander into the vast reaches of the universe.
There are even apps for your phone to help identify the objects you will see on a dark night. My favorite is Sky Guide, a free program that offers current views as well as the ability to change dates and times.
A blanket or reclining chair in an open mountain meadow can allow viewers hours of enjoyment looking for constellations, viewing the Aug.12 Perseid meteor shower, or just pondering the movement of the Milky Way as it floats through the summer sky.
Other major meteor showers this year will be the Draconids, peaking on Oct. 8; the Orionids, Oct. 21; and the Geminids, Dec. 13.
A comet could begin to glow in the night sky this month as the object known as C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS approaches.
While comets are always unpredictable, this one will come closest to Earth in late September and could be visible to the naked eye in mid-October.
Those with sophisticated telescopes and cameras may be able to see the comet as early as the end of this month as it travels through the constellation Leo.
On Sept. 18, there will be a partial lunar eclipse visible here, and every month there is a full moon to brighten the night sky.
You will have to travel to South America to see the next solar eclipse in October.
Summer thunderstorms may bring dazzling lightning shows that are thrilling to watch from a safe place, and even more exciting to photograph.
Modern digital cameras, especially the newer mirrorless cameras, have been improved to a point where they can easily capture dim images in the night sky. Built-in or accessory timers can allow you to take repeated photographs to capture a meteor flash or lightning bolt.
Even the soft glow of red tide can be captured in the darkness of night with modern cameras.
So, grab your window seat on Spaceship Earth and enjoy a nighttime voyage.
As Van Gogh said, “It’s time to dream.”
Cowan is a freelance columnist. Email [email protected] or visit erniesoutdoors.blogspot.com.
