The Milky Way appears over the summit of Mount Rainier in Washington’s Mount Rainier National Park. The streaks of light on the Mount Rainier: those are climbers getting an alpine start and heading towards the summit. Photo by Stephen Byrne. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 6/27/15.
On a clear, moonless night, visitors to Great Basin National Park in Nevada can see thousands of stars, five of our solar system’s eight planets, star clusters, meteors, man-made satellites, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Milky Way – all with the naked eye. The area boasts some of the darkest night skies left in the United States. The black sky, the purple landscape … beauty. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/17/15.
Balanced Rock at Arches National Park in Utah beneath the amazing Milky Way and night sky. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. This red rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its mesmerizing night skies. Photo courtesy of Mike Mezeul II. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 5/24/15.