Frequently asked
Is tonight good for stargazing at Devils Tower?
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. Below 40, conditions are poor. The score updates daily.
What makes Devils Tower good for astrophotography?
Devils Tower rises 867 feet above the Belle Fourche River in northeastern Wyoming, surrounded by open grassland and ponderosa pine. The nearest significant light source is Gillette, more than 60 miles away, placing the area under Bortle Class 2 to 3 skies. The tower's flat-topped silhouette makes it one of the most dramatic foreground subjects in the American West: a geological formation unlike anything else under the Milky Way. The monument sees far fewer visitors than comparable national parks, so dark, uncrowded skies are the norm.
When is the Milky Way visible at Devils Tower?
The galactic core is visible from mid-March through late October. The best window falls between May and August, when the core rises high enough in the south to clear the horizon by midnight. Late summer is ideal: the core arcs directly above the tower from the northeast side of the monument. New moon weekends in June and July see the most active astrophotography crowds, but the site remains manageable compared to more famous parks.
