Staring up at the night sky can be thrilling, awe inspiring, and a religious experience. While ranger led stargazing programs haven’t started back up quite yet at Dinosaur National Monument, they are talking stars in their new social media series that they are calling #CelestialSunday. Every Sunday on the Monument’s Facebook page, they will post stargazing tips, as well as weekly updates of what can be observed in the night skies in and around Dinosaur. Their first stargazing tip was to turn off the lights! It takes human eyes 30 minutes to fully adjust to dark conditions and any light, from a flashlight to a smartphone, restarts the process. A redlight (or an un-inflated red balloon stretched over the lens of your flashlight) helps to preserve your eyes’ night vision.
