Astronomy

Sequoias and the Stars Headline the Dark Sky Fest

The nature-amazing event returns in September for three starry nights of mooning over the Milky Way (and more).

Bonnie Nordling

PICKING OUT THE PERFECT FRAME? It all depends upon the photograph you're pairing it with, of course. If you've got a graduation picture, you might choose a frame that is more collegiate in design, one with a school's name written around the edges. That family reunion snapshot, the one taken at the beach? You're probably going to want to frame it with an array of glued-on seashells. But how does one best frame the Milky Way, when there are no bright lights in the vicinity, only a spread of stars that seems simultaneously deep and dazzling? The best frame may be no frame at all, at least not the sort of photo-holding item we usually buy in a store. What if you could frame the Milky Way with...

ACTUAL SEQUOIAS, tall trees that would line your line of sight as you gaze up and out into the universe? That's just what several astronomy aficionados will experience when the Dark Sky Festival returns to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks from Sept. 11-13, 2020. Past festivals have included a host of after-sundown activities, "... including tours, stargazing, guest speakers, movies, musical performances, and more." A good idea? Plan your trip in advance, as well as where you'll stay in or near the park, given the later hours of the festival's into-the-night schedule.

OF COURSE, the "frame" that the giant and ancient trees make around the Milky Way above, and other stars, isn't a frame you can take home and put on a shelf. But will you keep it in your memory, for always? The spirit-elevating opportunity to behold the pointy spires of the sequoias reaching up for the stars? It's a picture and frame that can sit on the shelf inside your mind, and perhaps more importantly your nature-loving heart, for always. Follow the Sequoia Parks Conservancy for more details on the 2020 event in September.

Contact Us