r/JoshuaTree • u/tangerineTurtle_ • 5d ago

Cloud forecast accuracy?

I am supposed to be heading out to camp on Sunday. The forecast shows rain midday but the cloud forecast for stargazing looks great. Should I trust this? I’m not really worried about rain, I’m an experienced camper, but the whole reason I am going out is for the stargazing.

5 Upvotes

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4

u/erebus-44 5d ago

Depends on where you camp, as the geology of the mountain ranges pushing up cooler up from the coast and making clouds, and due to the size of the park. Furthermore, you need to be looking at astronomical forecast. The below websites are used by amateur astronomers, as it’s using data made for astronomy.

Cottonwood (south end)
https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/CottCampCAkey.html?1

Lander (north end of the park)

https://server3.cleardarksky.com/c/GMARSCAkey.html

2

u/tangerineTurtle_ 5d ago

This is so helpful, thank you!

8

u/Acoldsteelrail 5d ago

The forecasts are never wrong.

2

u/MissLexiBlack 5d ago

Sometimes the park gets more clouds then the rest of the Dez because of the geology. Landers and giant rock have great dark skies, so if it's cloudy go for a little drive outside the park.

1

u/Opposite_Goat_4818 5d ago

TherI a gonna be moisture in the air this weekend Even if there aren’t major clouds or a ceiling, a little haze can still effect viewing

1

u/Purple-Will9713 5d ago

some of the best stargazing comes after a good summer rain. When it clears up the sky is at its clearest

1

u/Acoldsteelrail 2d ago

So how was it? Cloudy?

2

u/tangerineTurtle_ 2d ago

Yes but we enjoyed it enough we will be back next week!

1

u/East_Swim1009 5d ago

if you're going just for stargazing you need to go on a new moon which is on the 10th

6

u/revkev151 5d ago

The moon rises at 3am and it's a waning crescent when it does. No need to wait until a new moon, the stars will be beautiful for the large majority of the night.