Frequently asked
Is tonight good for stargazing at Convict Lake?
The live score above pulls today's forecast and runs it through StarCast's scoring model, factoring in cloud cover, moon illumination, Bortle class, humidity, and atmospheric transparency. Above 70 is an excellent night for astrophotography. Below 40, conditions are poor. The score updates daily.
What makes Convict Lake good for astrophotography?
Convict Lake sits in the eastern Sierra Nevada just south of Mammoth Lakes, ringed by a jagged wall of peaks reaching over 12,000 feet, including Mount Morrison rising directly above the shoreline. A short, easy trail circles the lake, making it one of the more accessible alpine lake shoots in the Sierra without a long backcountry hike. On calm nights the still water gives near-mirror reflections of both the peaks and the stars above them. Being away from Mammoth's small amount of town lighting, skies here typically run Bortle Class 3 to 4.
When is the Milky Way visible at Convict Lake?
The core is visible from March through October, though the access road and trail can carry snow and ice well into spring at this elevation. June through September, once the high Sierra has fully opened up for the season, tends to bring the calmest water for reflections along with the clearest, driest air. Afternoon Sierra thunderstorms are possible in mid-summer, so checking the forecast before a sunset arrival is worthwhile.
