Stargazing in Washington State
Have you ever been out in the middle of nowhere on a clear moonless night and looked up at the sky? It’s pretty amazing! We are very fortunate to have lots of dark places to choose from if we want to view the night sky. It’s something we try to do at least once every summer.
On this particular trip we decided to try our luck at Suntop Lookout. We had been there before, and it has wide open gorgeous view of Mount Rainier that seemed like a great place to see the stars.
Suntop lookout is on Forest Road 73 near Greenwater Washington. The road isn’t too bad as far as FS roads go, but a little ground clearance is needed. When the gate is open you can drive right up to the lookout, but when we went, only foot traffic was allowed at the top. So, we parked and walked up the last mile with our gear.
We were early enough in the year that a burn ban wasn’t in effect yet. So, we pulled a small cart up with us with firewood, chairs, Scott’s guitar, and our camera gear and planned to settle in. The night didn’t disappoint. The stars were AMAZING! It’s unbelievable what you can see when you get away from the city lights.
Do you want to try and see the stars this summer? Here are some helpful things to know.
1. The darker the better. Artificial light washes out the night sky. You can use a dark sky map such as this one https://www.darkskymap.com/nightSkyBrightness or in Washington and Oregon you can head for one of the national parks.
2. The smaller the moon the better. Don’t go when there is a full moon. It’s best if there is no moon in the sky. Here is a link for lunar information. https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/usa/tacoma
3. Arrive at your location before dark. This is especially true if you are taking photographs. I find it much easier to frame up my shot and set my focus while there is still some light. It can be done after dark but it isn’t fun. So, bring a chair and some coffee. Settle in and enjoy the night.
4. Look to the South, Southwest to see the Milky Way. I use an app called ‘Sun Surveyor’ to get a more precise location so I can frame up my shot ahead of time, but generally the milky way will appear SSW and move further West as the night goes on.
5. For taking photos, use your widest angle lens with the aperture wide open, and use a tri pod. The shutter speed will very with the size of your lens but could be anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds. If you have a star tracer attached, you can go longer and capture more light. Be patient; it takes a little trial and error to figure out what works best with your camera gear.
6. Have a place to stay or a plan for getting home. Spending the evening under the stars is a lot of fun, but it can end up being a really late night. The last thing you want is to fall asleep at the wheel on the way home, so make a plan for staying somewhere nearby or staying awake on the way home.