A star studded sky over Anzaa-Borrego Desert State Park, an officially recognized DarkSky Park in Southern California.
Donate

Join DarkSky San Diego County, the San Diego Astronomy Association (SDAA), and San Diego County Parks and Recreation to celebrate the moon with a telescope viewing star party at Oakoasis County Preserve in Lakeside. International Observe the Moon Night invites everyone on Earth to learn about lunar science and exploration, take part in celestial observations, and honor cultural and personal connections to the Moon. The moon will rise at 5:05 p.m. Pacific Time and be visible through most of the night, setting a few hours before sunrise.  It will be in a Waxing Gibbous phase with 88% illumination, so not quite a Full Moon.

Arrive early for twilight hike with Park Ranger Kyle to learn about nocturnal creatures, bats, and scorpions! The Park Ranger and SDAA volunteers orient people to the night sky by pointing out planets and constellations and teaching basic astronomy. Bring binoculars if you have them. DarkSky advocates will educate on light pollution, how our night vision works, and how to ‘Light Wisely’ to see more stars in the night sky!

•  About the event: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/about/overview/

•  Moon map: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/resources/moon-map/

•  Moon phases: https://www.moongiant.com/phase/9/14/2024/

WHEN: Saturday, September 14. Starts at dusk, approximately 7:00 p.m. (arrive early for twilight hike) until 11:00 p.m.

WHERE: Oakoasis County Preserve, 12620 Wildcat Canyon Rd, Lakeside, CA 92040-1515 (map)

International Dark Sky Week logo of silhouetted people pointing at the sky.

International Dark Sky Week is an annual celebration of our night sky! This year’s events took place from April 2nd through the 8th. San Diego County residents were able to enjoy a variety of events and activities to learn more about the dark sky movement, and to experience the beauty of our Milky Way Galaxy for themselves at one of the local star parties, such as the “Stars at Misssion Trails” hosted by the San Diego Astronomy Association (SDAA). “The Sky Tonight” planetarium shows were presented by the Fleet Science Center, as well as the Palomar College Planetarium, followed by telescope viewing opportunities.

This year’s celebration was scheduled to coincide with the 2024 total solar eclipse. While the sun was only in partial eclipse for the San Diego area, Eclipse viewing activities and viewing were provided by the San Diego Astronomy Associaiation, at Mission Trails, the Julian Dark Sky Network, the Fleet Science Center, and Dark Skies Valley Center.

Even if you missed the Dark Sky Week’s special events, there’s still lots of places to visit and activities to participate in, throughout San Diego County. Read on to find out more!

San Diego County is home to two certified International Dark Sky Communities and one International Dark Sky Park!

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park – Explore the local desert and camp overnight at Agua Caliente or Vallecito County Park to take in the wonders of the night sky and the soothing hot spring waters. Then head to the northern end of the park to explore Borrego Springs. Learn more about the park from the Anza Borrego Foundation web site.

Borrego Springs – Borrego Springs was designated an International Dark Sky Community in 2009, the second in the world! Come see the wildflowers and experience a truly dark night sky. Visit the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Museum for nature displays and information on local activities. Be sure to check out the dark sky display at the Borrego Springs County Library. Members of the Borrego Springs Dark Sky Coalition support dark sky education and outreach in the community.

Julian – Come up for some apple pie and stay for a star-filled night sky! Julian was designated as an International Dark Sky Community in May of 2021. Members of the Julian Dark Sky Network (JDSN) work tirelessly in the community to encourage residents, businesses, and government facilities to light responsibly to maintain their view of the cosmos.

Potrero County Park is a great place to camp under the stars and they have some terrific, educational dark sky signage. There’s really good hiking in the park, tent and RV camping sites, a few cabins, and it’s a lovely, scenic drive out to the park. The signs are easily accessible in an open area near some mature oak trees. Thanks goes out to Supervising Park Ranger, Danni Cardiff, who worked to have the signage installed following community interest in night sky programs. Rangers hope to develop a place where folks can give star viewing and talks.

Signage displayed in Potrero County Park, California, entitled "Written in the Stars".
Signage displayed in Potrero County Park, California, providing information on night sky programs.
Logo for the County of San Diego department of Parks & Recreation, featuring a bird of prey.

The Santa Ysabel Nature Center has a permanent Dark Skies exhibit with out-of-this-world information on natural darkness, light pollution, and its impact on back country wildlife as well as our ability to view the cosmos. Turn a dial and see what a star-filled sky above the San Diego skyline would look like if light pollution were reduced! Learn more about this award-winning 6,000-square-foot LEED Gold and Zero Net Energy facility and star-gazing hotspot at Santa Ysabel Nature Center (sdparks.org).

Extended hours starting April 1: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Friday – Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: 22135 Highway 79, Santa Ysabel, CA 92070

DIRECTIONS: From CA-78, head NORTH on CA-79 for approximately ¼ mile. Look for the sign/monument near guard rail, and enter through green gates. Drive up the hillside to the nature center building.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON LOCATION: The nature center building is NOT visible from the roadway! It was designed to blend into the environment, so please use the directions and map to help you find your way. GPS navigation may NOT be accurate.

Logo for "Lights Out San Diego", a campaign to protect migrating birds.

The “Losing the Dark” is a short planetarium show from DarkSky International introducing light pollution and three simple actions people can take to help mitigate it, available for streaming or download in 15 languages.

A beautifully animated story about light pollution and the night sky, for children.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfSMD9dpmXE

Can you pass the Kindergarten Astronomy Test? Engage family members and friends to learn and have fun testing your knowledge on planets, constellations, the sun and moon, even the International Space Station (ISS)! Is it true that one of Jupiter’s moons is bigger than Mercury? Take the quiz and find out! https://starwalk.space/en/games

The 2023 International Dark Sky Week celebration in San Diego County featured three essays from DarkSky advocates from San Diego, Julian, and Temecula in the local section of the San Diego Union Tribune print edition and online!
Note, dates reflect the 2023 International Dark Sky Week dates. 

Commit to protecting the night, every night, by taking a quick survey of your home lighting to see if it’s nature, neighbor, and night sky friendly. Simple changes like shielding or re-aiming a light or switching to a warmer color bulb are often all that’s needed. Proudly display your certificate during International Dark Sky Week!

Drawing contrasting proper home lighting vs wasteful practices

Contemplation of stars, planets, and galaxies have inspired religions, philosophies, myths, and stories and consideration of visual images of the sky over time provides a basis for protecting the Dark Sky.