Night Sky Tonight in Death Valley

The live score above pulls today's forecast and runs it through StarCast's scoring model, which factors in cloud cover, moon illumination, Bortle class, humidity, and atmospheric transparency. Above 70 is an excellent night. Below 40, conditions are poor. The score updates daily.

Death Valley is one of the darkest places in the continental United States, with Bortle 1 ratings across much of the park. The desert air is exceptionally dry, and the park's remoteness from major cities means minimal light pollution on the horizon. The salt flats at Badwater Basin, the sand dunes at Mesquite Flat, and the rock formations at Zabriskie Point all provide striking foreground for night sky photography. November through March is the best season — summer temperatures make overnight shooting dangerous.

The galactic core is visible at Death Valley from March through October, with peak season in May through August when the core rises high in the southern sky. New moon weekends in spring draw astrophotographers from across California and Nevada. The Harmony Borax Works and Artist's Palette areas are popular locations for combining geological color with night sky shots.