Star Gazing

ARIZONA

HEAVENLY SKIES ALLOW FRANK ZULLO nights

STELLAR VIEWS

Arizona’s night sky holds many treasures. Some hang in plain view, like scenes of the moon and planets in a colorful twilight sky. Others, like constellations, eclipses and meteor showers, take more effort to see, requiring a little knowledge and possibly a short trip away from city lights. The most hidden delights may require the optical aid of binoculars or a telescope — or the ultimate light-gathering power of time-exposure photography.

I am captivated by the latter. I like exploring heavenly phenomena by capturing them on film as integral parts of nighttime landscapes. I have found Arizona to be the perfect place for my particular brand of photography. Clear skies abound in the high country, where despite the inevitably increasing glow from growing cities, many dark viewing locations remain. Desert nights offer comfortable shirt-sleeve weather for delightful sky-watching this month, too. The enigmatic night-blooming cacti are the big draw. Watching their flowers unfold in time with the slowly turning starry sky remains one of my favorite pastimes.

June traditionally rates as the clearest month over the entire state. It's no accident that the annual Grand Canyon Star Party (see story, page 34) is held during the darkest, moonless period of June.

No matter what the season or where you are in the state, Arizona nights offer something to be discovered.