Deep Sky Object (DSO) - Joshua Tree, Cottonwood

We will revisit the Cottonwood Visitor Center in Joshua Tree National Park. This is an ideal location as there is less light pollution and plenty of room to spread out. Both parking and restroom (with running water and light) are only a few steps away from our shooting spot, which makes it very convenient to get to.

Meet Up Location:

• December 16, 2023, @ 4:00 PM
• We will gather at the Cottonwood Visitor Center parking lot around 4:00 – 4:30 PM.
• Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/CBXYgcCDKEq6Ea7D7
• GPS: 33.748594, -115.824168
• NOTE: There are restrooms at the Visitor Center

Equipment Preparation:
You will shoot in Manual Mode and operate the Live View mode setting for manual focusing. If your camera does not have an internal intervalometer, it is suggested to have an external intervalometer as you will be taking many photos through the night. An equatorial mount or star tracker is much preferred for Deep Sky Objects. This DSO night photography process is much more technical than wide-field astrophotography. If you like to try something more technical, challenging, fun, and rewarding, join us.

Travel Preparation:
Please make sure you have enough warm clothes and plenty of fuel for your car. Bring food, snacks and hot drink. There may be weak or no cell signal in certain areas. I highly recommend using Google Maps and its Offline Maps feature. You can set an area to download the map to your phone before entering any area with no cell signal.

YouTube video of Google Maps Offline Maps Feature: https://youtu.be/olOBiwyLefw

Another option is Organic Maps, which uses crowd-sourced OpenStreetMap data and allows you to download offline maps: https://organicmaps.app/

Times:
Sunset: 4:36 PM
Nighttime: 6:05 PM
Moonset: 8:47 PM
Astronomical Twilight: 5:13 AM Sunday

Weather:
The weather around Joshua Tree National Park in December is typically 60-65F during the day and 35-40F at night. I will provide a more accurate weather forecast a few days before.

Recommend Items to Bring:

• Headlamp with red light (White light could disrupt other people’s vision at night. Please be considerate).
• DSLR/mirrorless camera
• Tripod (required)
• Equatorial mount/star tracker
• Extra Camera Batteries/Portable battery
• Extra Memory Cards
• Blower
• Remote Shutter Release
• Water/Snacks
• Extra Clothing
• Trail Shoes/Hiking Boots
• Camping Chair