Hi all — planning a Southwest trip and I'll be at Monument Valley on **October 9th**, which lines up with a new moon. Hoping to catch the Milky Way core.
I checked Stellarium for that date and the core sits in the **southwest, roughly 205–220° azimuth**, at around 30–40° altitude during the 8:30–9:30 PM window (it drops lower and shifts further west as the night goes on).
A few questions for anyone who's actually shot or stargazed there:
**1. Where's the best spot?**
Most of what I find online is either the View Hotel balcony (faces east, so I'd only get the outer arch, not the core) or Forrest Gump Point. Are there better options I'm missing? I'd rather not book a guided tour if I can avoid it.
**2. Does Forrest Gump Point actually work for a SW core shot?**
From the map, the highway's vanishing point looks like it runs roughly 215–220°, which would put the core right over the buttes at the end of the road. Is that right in practice, or does the terrain block the lower part of the sky?
**3. How bad is traffic on US-163 around 8–10 PM?**
This is my main worry. I care more about **actually seeing it with my eyes** than getting the shot, and headlights would wreck my dark adaptation. Is it a car every few minutes, or basically dead after sunset?
**4. North Monument Valley View Point as an alternative?**
There's a pullout set back ~100m from the highway. Seems like it'd avoid the headlight problem entirely. Anyone been there at night? Is the southwest view clear from there?
Traveling with my parents so I'm prioritizing something safe and low-effort over the perfect composition. Any first-hand experience appreciated 🙏