View allAll Photos Tagged Deepskystacker
Celestron Nexstar 130 Slt
Canon Eos 10D
DeepSkyStacker
Photoshop
54 Frames
Iso 3200 1600
10 Darks
30sec exposures
Total exposure 26min 59sec.
Shotdate: 2-2-2014
Camera: Nikon D3x
Optics: Celestron 9.25" EdgeHD
Mount: SkyWatcher NEQ6 Pro
Guiding: LVI SmartGuider2 on a F500mm f90mm APO
Exposure: 56 x 300 seconds
ISO-speed: 1600
Filters: None
Stacked in DeepSkyStacker 3.3.4 with 108 bias, 32 dark and 50 flat frames.
Post-processing in PixInsight 1.8.0.1071
Unfortunately my focus was of a bit.
Nothing fancy here, just a simple stack of three unguided images without calibration frames. There was a lot of cloud at Lake St. Peter that evening, so I didn't bother setting up my SkyTracker and just took a few wide angled shots with my camera mounted on a tripod. Each image was shot at ISO 3200, f/1.4 @ 5 seconds on a Canon 70D and a Sigma 100mm ART lens. Images stacked with DeepSkyStacker.
Some quick test images taken from my backyard.
It's nearly that time again for the webinar: Astrophotography 101: Getting Started Without Getting Soaked
AND the in-the-field Astro 201 sessions (San Francisco Bay Area). Real soon now will be the "Processing Your Astrophotography Data" webinar, too!
Data:
20 x 45 second exposures, ISO 800
Orion ED80 Refractor (600mm f/7.5)
Canon 50D, prime focus
Mount:
Orion Sirius GoTo
Unguided.
Processing:
DeepSkyStacker
©Copyright 2012 Steven Christenson
StarCircleAcademy.com (or the BLOG)
All Rights Reserved!
What does "All Rights Reserved" mean? It means that without written permission from me you may not: copy, transmit, modify, use, print or display this image in any context other than as it appears in Flickr. Any other use is copyright theft. You don't want to go there!
Canon EOS 450D prime focus Skywatcher 150 Explorer Newtonian. EQ3-2 mount. 24 lights (30s ISO1600), 10 darks, 20 flats, 20 bias. DeepSkyStacker > PixInsight > Photoshop CS5. Reprocessed including the DarkStructureEnhance script in PixInsight to bring out more of the dust lane structures.
Imaged on 11-03-20
Explore Scientific ED102/ASI 533 MC Pro camera with Optolong L-eNhance filter, and Stellarview FF/0.80FR.
180 second exposures at gain 104/offset 50
Total integration of 5 hours with a 91% illuminated moon.
Processed in DeepSkyStacker and Photoshop.
This is a restacking of the previous image processed on just a portion of the overall image so that I could use the 3x Drizzle setting in Deep Sky Stacker to try and improve the resolution of the nebula.
Also tried a couple new tools in The Gimp for cleaning up noise, setting the black point etc.
The photo consists of 30x 20 second exposures at ISO1600 on a Canon T1i DSLR at prime focus on a 10 inch SN-10AT telescope using a light pollution filter. 10 minutes total exposure time.
Another of my wide-field images from last weekend.
11 x 3-minute exposures at ISO 1600, f/4.
Registered and stacked using DeepSkyStacker software.
Unmodified EOS 40D with Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens, piggybacked on a Celestron C8 telescope. Unguided.
This is the same stack of photos from my last star trails effort. 40 pics, this time the stars are aligned so the foreground seems to 'move', the tree branches as a result are blurred. Next time I'll try it without the foreground.
Nikon d5100
18mm
Stack of 40 20sec exposures
ISO 640
f5
Stacked using the freeware DeepSkyStacker.
20*30sec exposure Iso1600
No Dark/Flat
Taken with Canon 1100D 200mm
Tracked with Celestron Nexstar 130Slt mount
DeepSkyStacker, Photoshop
Canon EOS T3i (600D)
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens
82 x 8sec subs, ISO 3200, f/1.8
15 dark frames
Stacked in DeepSkyStacker
Finished in Lightroom
Canon 450d Full Spectrum
CGEM-DX C-11 prime 2800mm FL f/10
no filters
32 X 30 sec = 16 minutes
iso 1600
no darks, no bias, no flats
deepskystacker 3.3.2
60x 15 exposures combined using DeepSkyStacker, showing Comet Lovejoy on 24 Jan 2015. The comet wasn't visible to the naked eye (at least, not mine), so I attached the camera (+100mm) lens to the side of the telescope.
Shotdate 21-02-2011
Camera: Nikon D3x
Optics: Celestron 9.25" Edge HD
Guiding: LVI AutoGuider 2
Mount: Sky-Watcher HEQ6 Pro
1:1 crop (cut for Flickr)
-----------------------------------------------
11 frames of 300 seconds (ISO: 800) - total exposure: 55 mn 4 s
RGB Channels Background Calibration: Yes
Per Channel Background Calibration: No
Method: Kappa-Sigma (Kappa = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Offset: 120 frames exposure: 1/8000 s
Method: Kappa-Sigma (Kappa = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Dark: 8 frames exposure: 5 mn
Method: Kappa-Sigma (Kappa = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Flat: 40 frames exposure: 1/2 s
Method: Kappa-Sigma (Kappa = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Staking: DeepSkyStacker 3.3.2
-----------------------------------------------
Postprocessing: PixInsight 1.6
DynamicBackgroundExtraction
HistogramTransformation
HDRWaveletTransform
ACDNR
Saved the image with preforming five times a HistogramTransformation and saving each transformation in 32-bit TIF for making HDR composite
HDRComposite function
ChannelExtraction L (For a lightness mask)
HistogramTransformation on L
Applied the mask L
CurvesTransformation
HistogramTransformation
Shotdate 07-03-2011
Camera: Nikon D3x
Optics: Celestron 9.25" Edge HD
Guiding: LVI AutoGuider 2
Mount: Sky-Watcher HEQ6 Pro
Previous version: www.flickr.com/photos/14721988@N02/5523953604/in/set-7215...
--------------------------------------------------------
Stacked in DeepSkyStacker 3.3.2
19 frames 300 seconds (ISO: 800) - total exposure: 1 hr 20 mn 11 s
RGB Channels Background Calibration: Yes
Per Channel Background Calibration: No
Method: Kappa-Sigma (K = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Offset: 120 frames exposure: 1/8000 s
Method: Kappa-Sigma (K = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Dark: 10 frames exposure: 5 mn 7 s
Method: Kappa-Sigma (K = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Flat: 40 frames exposure: 1/4 s
Method: Kappa-Sigma (K = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
--------------------------------------------------------
Processed in PixInsight 1.7
ScreenTransferFunction
DynamicCrop
DynamicBackgroundExtraction
ChannelExtraction
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
CloneStamp: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
ChannelExtraction
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: Autosave002_DBE_L
HistogramTransformation: Masking from swap files L
HistogramTransformation
CurvesTransformation
ACDNR
Mask's either inverted or normal.
i used the software DeepSkyStacker to combine all the comet images into one; it lines up the stars, but that means the comet comes out as a streak.
First attempt at photographing things like nebulae. This was done with a K-1 with astrotracer on, 8 frames of 20-40 seconds with the lowly pentax-M 200mm/4 at 5.6. Processed in deepskystacker and rawtherapee
On some parts of the frame something seems to have gone wrong with the alignment.
Constellation: Sculptor...........Distance: 11 million l.y. away
Taken at Blackheath NSW on 12/09/2009
Modified Canon EOS 400D, Orion ED80 (FL600mm) at prime focus.
EQ5 mount autoguided by 3"WO refractor;Philips webcam & PhD
ISO800 2 x 10min subs stacked in DeepSkyStacker with darks.
Heavily cropped
Taken on September 12-13, 2010 at Henry Coe State Park.
Pentax K10D camera - 800 ISO, Noise Reduction turned off.
Stellarvue SV4 telescope with flattener at prime focus
Baader Moon and Skyglow filter
Guiding with Stellarvue ED70 with Orion Starshoot Autoguider.
A stack of 12 light frames at 10 minutes 800 ISO done by DSS as a 2002 pixel square crop via a custom frame to remove the annoying amp glow at the edges of the frame. The only PP was done via an auto stretch in AIP4WIN. I'm sure that I could do more processing, but I'm happy enough with this result. I will need to do some more reading on what I can do with the software before going back to it.
Something to note: Using PhotoMe software, I can see that the camera temperature ranged from 18C to 25C over the course of the session. I'm still not sure what to do about darks, as it seems the amp glow is always present, even after DSS is finished.
I have made a different image from this data with a custom rectangle on the nebula. See it here.
Localisation : CastresmallObservatory (Castres, Tarn - France)
Acquisition Date : 2017-07-11
Auteur/Author : ROUGÉ Pierre
Mouture/mount : Orion Atlas EQ-G
Tube/Scope : Newton Orion 200/1000 (f/5) + MPCC Baader
Autoguiding : Skywatcher Synguider (v1.1) & Meade ETX 70/350 mm
Camera : Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel Xti) refiltré Astrodon in Side (modded Astrodon in Side)
+ EOS CLIP CLS Astronomik
Exposure : 62 minutes [31 subexposures of 120 sec each (selected from 31)] @ ISO 400
Calibration : Dark & Bias : 10/0 @ ISO 400 - Flat & Dark-Flat : 0/0 @ ISO 400
Temps/Weather : Bonne transparence. Vent nul. T=22°C. Humidité faible. Moon/Lune
Constellation : Herculum / Hercule
Software Used : Astro Photograph Tool (v3.20), DeepSkyStacker 3.3.6, Pixinsight LE, PhotoShop 7, xnview, Noiseware Community Edition
Shotdate: 4-3-2013
Camera: Nikon D3x
Optics: 105mm f2.8 Micro Nikkor set a f4
Mount: AstroTrac
DeepSkyStacker settings:
95 frames (ISO: 1600) - total exposure: 1 hr 38 mn 10 s
RGB Channels Background Calibration: Yes
Per Channel Background Calibration: No
Method: Kappa-Sigma (Kappa = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Offset: 108 frames exposure: 1/8000 s
Method: Kappa-Sigma (Kappa = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Dark: 16 frames exposure: 1 mn 1 s
Method: Kappa-Sigma (Kappa = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Flat: 24 frames exposure: 1/15 s
Method: Kappa-Sigma (Kappa = 2.00, Iterations = 5)
Post-processing in PixInsight Core 01.07.06.0793 Starbuck (x86_64)
DynamicCrop
DynamicBackgroundExtraction
8 times:
ChannelExtraction
ATrousWaveletTransform: Processing view: L
HistogramTransformation: Processing view: Autosave_DBE
L: Masking from swap files...
HistogramTransformation for getting a better background
---Photo details----
Stacks : 25 frames
Exposure Time : 25x242sec (~1h 40 min total) @ ISO 200 (+10 flats)
Stack program : DeepSkyStacker
Stack mode : Entropy Weighted Average
Post processing : CS6 for : curves adjustments, contrast, saturation and unsharp mask filter
Crop: 7.6MP out of 24MP
---Photo scope---
Camera : Sony SLT-A77
Tube : Skywatcher Explorer 150P
Type : Newton
Focal length : 750 mm
Aperture : F/5
---Guide scope---
Camera : Starlight Xpress Lodestar
Tube : Skywatcher StarTravel-102
Type : Refractor
Focal length : 500 mm
Aperture : F/4.9
---Mount---
Mount : Skywatcher EQ-6
---Image details---
M81 and M82 are two galaxies that interact gravitationally. This interaction has triggered a star burst activity in M82 and NGC 3077.
Both M81 and M82 are spiral galaxies - although M82 was previously believed to be an irregular galaxy.
M81 is also known as Bode's galaxy and is situated 12 million light years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
M82 is known as the Cigar galaxy (due to obvious reasons) and situated at about the same distance from us as M81 in the Ursa Major constellation.
In this image we can see:
M81 / NGC 3031 : spiral galaxy (App Mag:6.94 \ App Size: 26.9' × 14.1')
M82 / NGC 3034 : spiral galaxy (App Mag:8.41 \ App Size: 11.2' × 4′.3')
--
App = Apparent
Mag = Magnitude
A nice night for catching stars in Kananaskis Country.
From the parking lot of Allen Bill by the Elbow River.
2017/08/18
nova.astrometry.net/user_images/1748862#annotated
Camera: Canon EOS 700D (unmod)
Lens: Sigma APO 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG MACRO @ 80 mm, f/5
Mount: SkyWatcher Star Adventurer (unguided)
Exposure: 2 min*19 frames, ISO1600, 16 dark frames
Process: DeepSkyStacker, Photoshop CS6
Location: Kunyang parking lot, Hehuan mountain, Taiwan
M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy
Canon 40D and
Bushnell 200mm F3.5 lens piggybacked on a Celestron C6S-GT telescope.
129x30sec
7x2min
Stacked in DeepskyStacker, processing in PixinsightLE and Photoshop.
---Photo details----
Stacks : 9 frames
Exposure Time : 9x302sec (45min total) @ ISO 200 (+15 flats)
Stack program : DeepSkyStacker
Stack mode : Auto Adaptive Weighted Average
Post processing : CS6 for : curves adjustments and unsharp mask filter, Lightroom 4 for local adjustments (contrast, exposure)
---Photo scope---
Camera : Sony SLT-A77
Tube : Skywatcher Explorer 150P
Type : Newton
Focal length : 750 mm
Aperture : F/5
---Guide scope---
Camera : Starlight Xpress Lodestar
Tube : Skywatcher StarTravel-102
Type : Refractor
Focal length : 500 mm
Aperture : F/4.9
---Mount---
Mount : Skywatcher EQ-6
---Image details---
Objects
----------
--
Source : dso-browser.com/
Altair Astro Starwave 102ED-R (2017), Altair Hypercam IMX178C, Altair 0.6X Reducer, UHC Filter, HEQ5 Pro, 5 x 2min Subs. Stacked in DeepSkyStacker. Finished in Photoshop.
The two largest asteroids, Ceres and Vesta, are heading for a close conjunction in mid July 2014. They are both too faint to see with the naked eye, but are easy targets in binoculars, near the fairly bright star Eta Virginis (which currently forms a nice triangle with Mars and Spica, as shown in this image). The asteroids will continue to move closer to each other over the next few weeks.
Incidentally, NASA's Dawn spacecraft is currently on route from Vesta to Ceres, where it will arrive in 2015!
For this image, I stacked 20 x 2.5 sec exposures (plus 10 corresponding dark frames) taken with my Canon 50D and EF35mm f/2 lens at f/2.8 and 1600 iso, using DeepSkyStacker.
Shotdate: 10-11-2013
Camera: Nikon D3x
ISO speed:1600
Exposure: 40 x 300 seconds
Optics: Celestron 9.25" Edge HD
Guiding: LVI SmartGuider 2 on F500mm D90mm APO
Calibration: 32 dark, 108 bias and 30 flat frames.
Stacking in DeepSkyStacker and PixInsight and post-processing in PixInsight 1.7
This is a mix of two images, one with the nebulosity and the other with the colors.
The suburban skies of the Burlington, Ontario were cold, stable and reasonably dark on the evening of December 4th, 2018. The combination of good viewing conditions and a better-than-usual polar alignment on the tracker permitted me to capture and stack forty 30-second exposures of the Orion Nebula. I need to process this more, however I'm happy with the first cut.
Canon 70D with Astronomik CLS FIlter
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens
iOptron SKyTracker
40 light frames, 300 mm @ 30 sec f/5.6 ISO 6400, 40 darks, 20 flats and 20 bias stacked in DeepSkyTracker, processed with Lightroom.
Winner of Cloudy Nights Beginners DSO Challenge June 2013
June 17, 2013
17x 1 minute @ 400 ISO
15 Darks
15 Flats
15 Dark Flats
Orion XT8 (Undobbed)
Canon T3i
Guiding: QHY5L-II/Orion Mini/PHD
Capture Software: Backyard EOS
Processing: DeepSkyStacker/StarTools
Alrighty, here's another one from last night. The Pleiades star cluster. (M45). It's easily visible even to the naked eye, but imaging the object is usually required to bring out the whisp-like nebulosity.
01/28/12
Joshua Tree, CA
9 frames = 8 minute 55 second exposures ISO 6400
Images stacked in DeepSkyStacker, processed in Gimp 2
6" Meade Newtonian Reflector LXD75 EQ Mount
Canon Rebel T3 DSLR
The Rosette Nebula is a beautiful nebula shaped like a christmas wreath or donut by the stellar winds of the massive stars in the cluseter at its heart. The glowing pink is Hydrogen Alpha emissions from Ionized H2 gas.
It's a planetary nebula located about 1000 light years away in the constellation of Vulpecula. Like M57, it was created when a star similar to our own hit old age and puffed off it's outer layers.
Without a camera, just looking through the telescope, no colour is apparent. It just looks like a fuzzy patch faintly dumbell shaped, no sign of the outer shell.
The photo consists of 30x 20 second exposures at ISO1600 on a Canon T1i DSLR at prime focus on a 10 inch SN-10AT telescope using a light pollution filter. 10 minutes total exposure time. Photo stacked with Deep Sky Stacker. Cleaned up a little with Gimp.
I tried to take more care with this one, limiting the exposure length to try and keep the stars looking sort of like stars, although they are still kind of squiggly.
Stacked a series of 19 20 second images using deepsky stacker, Photoshop to stretch using levels adjustment and a removal of a gradient. Jupiter is the bright object, Antares is to the lower right. Images from Big Bend National Park August 2019.
Taken from Mt. Pinos. Fought my autoguider the whole time. Only 8 subs, 4 minutes each.
ZS66, LXD75, Nikon D60. Stacked with DeepSkyStacker, processed in GIMP.
Canon 50mm EF lens (MK I), at f/2.8, ISO 800. Five hand-tracked exposures (total exposure time 3m 15s), stacked in DeepSkyStacker and processed in Photoshop.
The colour gradient is caused by light pollution, which almost washes out this part of the sky from where I am.
Celestron Nexstar 130Slt
Canon Eos10D
DeepSkyStacker
Photoshop
80*20sec, iso400
6 dark, 6 flat
I didnt edit this much. In time I have to make more ouf of this.
This might be the last session before next season. Nights are getting too bright..
It's definitely globular cluster season, at least from the heavily obstructed skies of my back garden!
Manually guided off-axis for 8 x 15-minute exposures at f10, ISO 1600, taken over 4 nights.
Subs registered & stacked using DeepSkyStacker software.
Unmodded EOS 40D & Celestron C8 telescope
12/23/2013
Winner of Dec 2013 Cloudy Nights Intermediate DSO Contest
Location: The George Observatory - Brazos Bend State Park, Texas
Scope: AstroTech 72ED
Mount: Celestron AVX
Camera: Canon Rebel XT (350D) w/Baader Mod
Guiding: QHY5L-II/Orion Mini 50mm/PHD
Capture: Backyard EOS
Processing: DeepSkyStacker/StarTools
35 x 4 min @ 400 ISO
Darks & Flats & Dark Flats
AstroTech 2" Field Flattener
Localisation :
CastresmallObservatory (Castres, Tarn - France)
Acquisition Date :
2016-10-03
Author :
Pierre Rougé
Scope :
Newton Orion 200/1000 (f/5) + MPCC Baader
Autoguiding :
Skywatcher Synguider (v1.1) & Meade ETX 70/350 mm
Camera :
Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel Xti) refiltré Astrodon in Side (modded Astrodon in Side)
+ EOS CLIP CLS Astronomik
Exposure :
75.0 minutes [15 subexposures of 300 sec each (selected from 15)] @ ISO 1600
Calibration :
Dark & bias : 9/11 @ ISO 1600 - Flat & Dark-Flat : 9 @ ISO 1600
Weather :
Bonne transparence. Vent nul. T=x18°C. Humidité nulle.
Constellation : Cassiopea / Cassiopée
Software Used :
Astro Photograph Tool (v3.13), DeepSkyStacker, PhotoShop CS
---Photo details----
Stacks : 14 frames
Exposure Time : 14x122sec (28min total) @ ISO 100 (+11 flats)
Stack program : DeepSkyStacker
Stack mode : Entropy Weighted Average + 2x Drizzle
Post processing : CS6 for : curves adjustments, contrast, saturation and unsharp mask filter, Lightroom 4 for local adjustments (contrast, exposure, noise reduction), global WB adjustments
Crop: 6.4MP out of 24MP
---Photo scope---
Camera : Sony SLT-A77
Tube : Skywatcher Explorer 150P
Type : Newton
Focal length : 750 mm
Aperture : F/5
---Guide scope---
Camera : Starlight Xpress Lodestar
Tube : Skywatcher StarTravel-102
Type : Refractor
Focal length : 500 mm
Aperture : F/4.9
---Mount---
Mount : Skywatcher EQ-6
---Image details---
Objects
----------
--
Source : dso-browser.com/
21 lights (8s f/5.6 ISO 1600 Canon EOS450D DSLR 18-55 lens @55mm (88mm 35mm equivalent)) Darks "in-camera", no flats or bias. Stacked in DeepSkyStacker; processed in PixInsight and Photoshop. Star Spikes Pro 2 used to emphasise the dolphin asterism.
Looks to be similar magnitude to 29 Vulpeculae ~4.8. Comparison magnitudes from AAVSO chart 12506UL
The M42 Orion Nebula and Running Man Nebula. 75x45 sec exposures on a SkyGuider Pro tracker with Nikon Z6 and Z 100-400mm S lens with Z TC-1.4x teleconverter @ 560mm, f/8 and ISO1600. Stacked in DeepSkyStacker and stretched in Photoshop. No processing other than stretching and curves.
Taken from underneath the Owachomo bridge.
Canon T2i, ISO 6400, 25 sec exposure, 18 mm, f/3.5
10 images stacked with DeepSkyStacker (beta), post-processed in PS (CS4)
New moon!
From the National Bridge website:
The beauty of the night sky, the lack of light pollution, and the National Park Service commitment to night skies as a natural resource, led the International Dark-Sky Association this spring to designate Natural Bridges National Monument as the world’s first International Dark Sky Park.
Natural Bridges is one of the darkest national parks in the country according to a comprehensive study of night sky quality conducted by the National Park Service.
Just how dark is it? “It’s the only Bortle class 2 sky they’ve documented,” said Chris Luginbuhl of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona., and a board member of the International Dark-Sky Association. “In plain English that means it’s the darkest or starriest sky they’ve seen while doing these reviews. The Bortle system is a 10-level scale with one and two being the darkest skies and 10 having the most light pollution.”