Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What is about Joshua Tree national park that makes it so good for stargazing? Because go to any National Park or remote wilderness location away from the glow of light pollution of cities and you’re going to see an incredible view of the night sky and the Milky Way, so why is it that astrotourism is booming here in Joshua Tree with every other airbnb around here now having a “stargazing dome” gimmick? Well first of all, the desert is a great place for astronomy - the drier the air the better because there’s no big fat water molecules getting in the way of the starlight’s journey through the atmosphere. That means less scattered light around, so the sky is darker and the stars are brighter, but also the stars are crisper and clearer in the sky. It also helps that Joshua Tree is at higher altitude, from around 700-1500m, where the air is thinner, so again less molecules to scatter away faint star light. The mountains of Joshua Tree also help block the light from low lying big cities nearby on the coast. All of these properties mean it’s been designated an International Dark Sky Park, where the darkness of the night sky is now protected under law, which means any human habitations with lights on the outside have to pass strict codes to keep the light that makes it up to the sky at a minimum. All of this is a perfect recipe for a gorgeously dark night sky with a Milky Way that you can see even with your naked eye, but that’s also true of other desert national parks like Zion, Bryce Canyon or Arches to name a few. So what is it about Joshua Tree that gets so much attention? Location location location. While it is remote, it is only a 3 hour drive from both Los Angeles and San Diego, making it an accessible destination for millions of city dwellers to experience a truly dark sky.
#nationalpark #joshuatree #hikingadventures
Video filmed on a Sony ⍺7 IV
Video edited and produced by Dr Becky Smethurst
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📚 My book, "A Brief History of Black Holes", out NOW in hardback, paperback, e-book and audiobook (which I narrated myself!): lnk.to/DrBecky
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👕 My merch, including JWST designs, are available here (with worldwide shipping!): dr-becky.teemill.com
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🎧 Royal Astronomical Society Podcast that I co-host: podfollow.com/supermassive
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🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and click the little bell icon to be notified when I post a new video!
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👩🏽💻 I'm Dr. Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford. I love making videos about science with an unnatural level of enthusiasm. I like to focus on how we know things, not just what we know. And especially, the things we still don't know. If you've ever wondered about something in space and couldn't find an answer online - you can ask me! My day job is to do research into how supermassive black holes can affect the galaxies that they live in. In particular, I look at whether the energy output from the disk of material orbiting around a growing supermassive black hole can stop a galaxy from forming stars.
drbecky.uk.com
What is about Joshua Tree national park that makes it so good for stargazing? Because go to any National Park or remote wilderness location away from the glow of light pollution of cities and you’re going to see an incredible view of the night sky and the Milky Way, so why is it that astrotourism is booming here in Joshua Tree with every other airbnb around here now having a “stargazing dome” gimmick? Well first of all, the desert is a great place for astronomy - the drier the air the better because there’s no big fat water molecules getting in the way of the starlight’s journey through the atmosphere. That means less scattered light around, so the sky is darker and the stars are brighter, but also the stars are crisper and clearer in the sky. It also helps that Joshua Tree is at higher altitude, from around 700-1500m, where the air is thinner, so again less molecules to scatter away faint star light. The mountains of Joshua Tree also help block the light from low lying big cities nearby on the coast. All of these properties mean it’s been designated an International Dark Sky Park, where the darkness of the night sky is now protected under law, which means any human habitations with lights on the outside have to pass strict codes to keep the light that makes it up to the sky at a minimum. All of this is a perfect recipe for a gorgeously dark night sky with a Milky Way that you can see even with your naked eye, but that’s also true of other desert national parks like Zion, Bryce Canyon or Arches to name a few. So what is it about Joshua Tree that gets so much attention? Location location location. While it is remote, it is only a 3 hour drive from both Los Angeles and San Diego, making it an accessible destination for millions of city dwellers to experience a truly dark sky.
#nationalpark #joshuatree #hikingadventures
Video filmed on a Sony ⍺7 IV
Video edited and produced by Dr Becky Smethurst
---
📚 My book, "A Brief History of Black Holes", out NOW in hardback, paperback, e-book and audiobook (which I narrated myself!): lnk.to/DrBecky
---
👕 My merch, including JWST designs, are available here (with worldwide shipping!): dr-becky.teemill.com
---
🎧 Royal Astronomical Society Podcast that I co-host: podfollow.com/supermassive
---
🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and click the little bell icon to be notified when I post a new video!
---
👩🏽💻 I'm Dr. Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford. I love making videos about science with an unnatural level of enthusiasm. I like to focus on how we know things, not just what we know. And especially, the things we still don't know. If you've ever wondered about something in space and couldn't find an answer online - you can ask me! My day job is to do research into how supermassive black holes can affect the galaxies that they live in. In particular, I look at whether the energy output from the disk of material orbiting around a growing supermassive black hole can stop a galaxy from forming stars.
drbecky.uk.com
