Siskiyou is an incredible destination for stargazing because its dark skies let you see tons of stars and planets without city lights getting in the way. We spoke with John Rogers, the president of The Mt Shasta Stargazers about this growing hobby as more people seek out dark skies to experience the beauty of the universe.
When did your interest in space and the stars and planets begin?
Stargazing has been a lifelong hobby of mine. I can remember exactly where and when it started. In the summer of 1965, in Southern California. My father bought a telescope, and I got my first glimpse of the moon and the planet Saturn, and I was hooked.
What makes the night skies in Siskiyou so dark?
We’re really lucky not to have a big city nearby, so the skies are nice and dark. The Bortle Scale measures the relative darkness of the skies on a scale of 1-9, with 1 being the darkest. To measure background light, you can use a device called a sky quality meter, which provides a tangible measurement of sky brightness. Technically, there are some Bortle 1 pockets in northeastern California, but you need to travel to northern Nevada to find truly darker skies. The Phoenix Sky Sanctuary is appealing since it is relatively accessible off of I5 and the city of Mount Shasta. The mountain itself is a natural obstacle, blocking the light from Mount Shasta city.
What are some of the best locations for stargazing in Siskiyou County?
We have lots of great spots for stargazing, and one of the best is less than 30 minutes from Mt. Shasta and only 8 miles east of McCloud. It was named the Phoenix Sky Sanctuary, rising from the ashes of the Bradley Fire. It was created when a wildfire burned in July 2021, which cleared 357 acres in the Shasta-Trinity Forest. You can’t typically see much of the sky in a forest because of the trees, but this clearing is amazing. The rangers in McCloud have cleared the fallen trees and debris, making it a perfect open area with no obstructions. The Phoenix Sky Sanctuary is 1.6 miles off of Highway 89 on a maintained aggregate (rock) road. It’s easily accessible with a 2WD car. There’s no man-made light anywhere, and the views of the Milky Way are incredible, stretching from horizon to horizon. We had our first star party there last July, and we’re planning more for the warmer months, starting at the end of March.
The Shasta Valley also has great sky views. I have witnessed some great aurora activity from the Mt Shasta Vista Point along Hwy 97. Further east, the Lava Beds offers good stargazing spots too.
What times of the year offer the best stargazing opportunities in Siskiyou?
Summertime offers the best opportunities for stargazing, with the Milky Way in full display and numerous celestial targets visible through a telescope. Winter, on the other hand, presents challenges due to weather conditions in our area. Year round, there is always something to see in the night skies above us.
What equipment do you recommend for beginners interested in stargazing?
Binoculars are great for spotting many brighter objects and offer a chance to learn the night sky before investing in a larger telescope. If you’re looking for something portable and small, consider a Dobsonian design. This type of reflecting telescope was popularized by John Dobson in the San Francisco area during the 1970s. An 8-inch aperture Dobsonian is compact enough for easy storage and powerful enough to reveal many faint objects like nebulae and galaxies. I recommend someone looking for a telescope to be patient and keep an eye on the local craigslist and Facebook listings. Finding something local will save a lot of money on shipping.
I also recommend watching some YouTube videos. There are many educational videos on selecting telescopes and learning how to use them. If you would like to connect with like-minded stargazers on the internet, there is a website called “Cloudy Nights” that I recommend. There are a lot of helpful individuals always eager to answer questions.
There are also numerous star-viewing apps available for your phone that are a very worthwhile tool for identifying what is in the sky. I personally use Sky Safari Pro. It’s a paid application but has the capability to connect with many electronic telescopes to help locate sky objects. However, there are many free ones for smart phones and tablets that make identifying constellations and stars easier.
What are some of the most interesting constellations or celestial objects visible from Siskiyou?
During springtime, you need a dark sky to see an area called the Zodiacal Light. This phenomenon is caused by a lot of small debris floating in space in the orbit of the Earth. It’s not a ring, but imagine dust in the orbital plane of the Earth and Sun. In spring, conditions are just right so the particles are reflective and create a glow that is visible in the western sky right after sunset. The zodiacal light appears as an elliptical column of light rising from the horizon, slightly tilted. Since there are no large sources of light pollution to the west, it is easily visible from here. The bright “star” in the image is the planet, Venus.
The Andromeda Galaxy is very visible in the summer and is best viewed during that time as well as other smaller nebulae. One celestial object you can see every month is the Moon, along with planets when they are visible. Venus is very prominent in the western sky after sunset. Additionally, the International Space Station (ISS) can often be seen.
Are there any local stargazing groups or events, such as star parties, that people can join?
Yes, The Mt Shasta Stargazers meet every month the first Tuesday at the Mt Shasta Library. We also meet monthly at the Phoenix Sky Sanctuary during the warmer months, on a Friday near the new Moon phase. The public is welcome, and we encourage interested folks to join the group. Once a year we participate in the International Observe the Moon Night, rent space at a local park and set up different telescopes for people to look through. Each year, the Golden State Star Party is held east of McCloud in Adin, where hundreds of enthusiasts gather in June under the dark skies. The location is about an hour from Mt. Shasta and features on-site camping. It’s a great chance to view different types of telescopes and chat with fellow astronomy lovers.
Can you share a memorable sky viewing experience you’ve had in Siskiyou?
It was May of 2024, a group of stargazers were having a star party at a location off Hwy 97. There was some news about potential aurora activity, and as the sky got darker and darker it started to glow to the north. I had my camera set up and started taking photos and it was one of the two bigger aurora events, you can see photos on our website of that aurora. It was incredible! It should be noted that the human eye is not sensitive enough to detect the brilliant colors of the Aurora shown in the photos. In person, think of it as viewing a black and white television. The intensity of the glow changed rapidly, over a few minutes, appearing as a shimmering curtain of light, with hints of faint green and red colors. Our club website has a link to alert observers of aurora activity in near-real-time.
Other content on stargazing in Siskiyou
5 Spots to View Siskiyou’s Starry Skies
Celestial Wonders: Epic Astronomy Events in Siskiyou
(all images used with permission of Mt Shasta Stargazers)
