High above Bishop is the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
Mt whitney nasa picture of the day full#
During a full moon in winter the skyline of the Sierra Nevada and Mt Whitney will be starkly white in an azure sky with a sprinkling of twinkling stars. A glittering night sky with the sinuous path of the Milky Way as the backdrop is a sight to behold on a moonless night. Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous USA, can be seen through a natural rock arch named the Mobius Arch. Best PlacesĪlong US Highway 395 from Lone Pine, 60 miles south of Bishop, to Mono Lake, 66 miles north of Bishop, there are innumerable places to stop, hike, bivvy for a few hours, or camp overnight for stargazing.Ī few miles west of Lone Pine is the Alabama Hills recreation area where a view of Mt.
Some destinations for super dark skies are not accessible during winter and the summer months offer warm, dry nights that make this a perfect time for teaching kids about the cosmos. Night sky viewing is, however, a year-round activity in the Eastern Sierra and should be coordinated primarily with moon phases, timing of astronomical events, and the weather. The other is that cold air holds less moisture, which means more transparency and greater clarity.
One is the nights are longer in the northern hemisphere. There are two factors that contribute to this. Photo: Tony RowellĬold, clear winter nights do present optimal conditions for night sky viewing. Geminid Meteor Reflection over Eastern Sierra. Reservations are not required and there is no cost. Getting a different ‘view’ of the skies at this facility will definitely broaden your horizons. Outdoor enthusiasts, astronomers and photographers will be enthralled and engaged by a night out in the Eastern Sierra.Īt OVRO tours are given year-round on the first Monday of every month, unless it is a holiday then the tour is on the second Monday. What makes this all the more special is that the many places in the Eastern Sierra for night sky watching are settings with spectacular natural beauty of their own. This is something that all people should witness and contemplate. In so many parts of the world where the spectacle of the Milky Way can no longer be seen there are countless children and adults who have never set eyes on it. This is also an awesome place to witness astronomical events like meteor showers and comets. Full moon nights are equally spectacular, especially in winter when white snow-capped mountains reflect the moon’s glow. On a moonless night the stars are brilliant from just about any vantage point within the town, but a drive to some of the outlying locations will get you away from the town’s glow and give you a wide and awe-inspiring view of the sky. Whether you spend only a few hours after dark or all night under the canopy of stars watching the Milky Way arc across the sky it will be a memory you will treasure forever. Photo: Bert Dennison What Makes It GreatĪ night out under the stars can be incredibly wonderful to behold.
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