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2012-366 Day 201 – Stargazing

Going to look at stars, will post when I get back.

You know what, I’m going to keep it. There’s nothing like going out into the middle of nowhere and looking up into the heavens to see light that originated thousands (if not more) years ago. Tonight we are in Montague outside of Yreka, and it’s the second largest amount of stars and galaxies that I’ve ever seen. The first largest was on a backpacking trip outside of the Ansel Adams Wilderness when I was a teenager, but this was a worthy sight to see. The paltry handful of stars I see in the city is just so sad after the reminder of what is truly out there in the night sky.

Heightening matters was a lightning storm up on a local mountain ridge which was pretty active, we had to have seen 30-50 flashes in the hour we were out there. We also saw about a dozen shooting stars, although apparently I missed the best one. That’s the sad thing about shooting stars, when you have the entire dome of sky to look at, you may miss one if you’re focused on the wrong section. Between the shooting stars, the lightning, and the plethora (yes, I know how many pinatas that is) of stars, it was a pretty spectacular night.

Sadly I had no way to capture it, as my phone was resting back at home base to recharge. Dennis and Brian captured some great shots on their fancy cameras, and this is one area where I would certainly be tempted to invest in a good photo rig and head out to some desolate places late at night. There are few sights I find so moving as a spectacular night sky, and I am truly grateful for those times where I get to experience one.

Posted in Matt 2012-366, Matt General. Tagged with , , , .

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  1. M said

    Another, more local, place for you to find stars is any campground in the desert. The desert is a glorious place from sunset to sunup. (Note the order.) Take a sleeping bag and sleep in the open air.

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