Can’t-Miss Events this Fall that Celebrate Celestial Wonders

What’s the fastest-disappearing natural phenomenon? Dark skies. As cities expand, the night skies are flooded with light, dimming our views of the complex, mystical wonders of the heavens that inspired our ancestors. 

 

We are still fascinated by the night skies, and many of us take time on vacation to spend our evenings outdoors gazing up into the darkness and its mysteries. 

 

Luckily, there are places around the world preserving the darkness and celestial visions. Dark sky preserves are found in some of the most remote corners of the world, but some are closer than you’d think. North America’s western regions have some of the best night skies close to home, and a number of events in the fall help celebrate the wonders of the night skies.

 

Nevada is home to the darkest skies in the U.S. mainland. The state also has one of the only official Dark Sky Sanctuaries recognized by the International Dark Sky Association.

 

That’s why you’ll want to be in Nevada in October. On October 14, 2023, the biggest celestial event of the year happens above Nevada. For the first time in 11 years, there’s a solar eclipse that will be visible with the phenomenon where only the outer edge of the sun “a Ring of Fire” will be apparent, with the moon blocking the rest.

 

The viewing path of the eclipse runs directly through some of Nevada’s rural communities, which are setting up to welcome visitors flocking to experience the celestial event in person. 

 

Nevada’s Great Basin National Park is one of the best spots to witness the event with a reported eclipse time of 3 minutes and 29 seconds.

 

In celebration, White Pine County is hosting a community-wide Ring of Fire Eclipse Festival from the 11-16 October. The festival will feature trail rides, an aliens and UFO event and a pub crawl.

 

Visitors can also hop aboard an early 20th century locomotive at the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely to view the eclipse. The Solar Eclipse Limited will head to a viewing area outside of Ely in Keystone. Passengers will be joined by NASA-affiliated interpreters and special eclipse-viewing glasses are provided.

 

To the north in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper’s Dark Sky Festival returns in October, 2023, for the 13^th year in a row.