Coconuts or cactus?

Paradise usually brings to mind coconuts, not cactus. But dry desert skies can offer a paradise for stargazers. That’s why I’m using the tailgate of an old pickup truck as a desk right now. My telescope and I are staying in a tent for the week. This puts me within 60 miles of Palm Springs, Calif.

Incidentally, a nearby stretch of desert, Joshua Tree National Park, hosts over 2 million visitors per year. That figure reflects substantial growth over the past couple of years. To put that in perspective, the CNMI tallied 479,649 visitors in fiscal year 2015, and fiscal year 2016 will be roughly the same (it ends in September).

So, yes, even this dry and craggy desert, where it easily gets over 115 degrees in the summer, is, for visitors, a paradise of sorts. I’ve seen quite a few international visitors. The stark and natural beauty is the big draw. Many are also attracted by the Old West flavor and the pioneering history of the area.

I’ve been visiting this area for many years, and I’ve noticed a virtuous cycle for tourism. As tourism has increased, a more interesting array of restaurants, cafes, and shops has resulted, which, in turn, has created more of a draw for tourists.

Unlike the CNMI’s stable climate, the desert is a land of extremes. It’s no news that summers are scorching hot, but the winters can be surprisingly cold with nights that are often below freezing.

The area is a mecca for amateur astronomers. The local desert offers some areas that are reasonably free from urban light pollution, though the halos from Palm Springs and even Las Vegas are in evidence. The dry air often offers good conditions for astronomy, and my scope sits in a field that’s about 3,000 feet above sea level. Some famous observatories are within a few hours’ drive, such as the Palomar Observatory and the Mt. Wilson Observatory. Places like Caltech and the co-located Jet Propulsion Laboratory are also within striking distance. There is, then, a large and well-established astronomy culture in the region, a culture that encompasses professionals, academics, and amateurs.

Many of the amateurs have small but sophisticated observatories for astrophotography. This is a realm where the technology boom has really asserted itself. The telescopes are guided by computers, and their camera elements have special coolers to pull the temperatures down by 20 degrees C below ambient, thus reducing the amount of visual “noise” in the images. Well, that’s what I overhear, at least. I don’t understand any of it. I’m hopeless with even a simple camera, so astrophotography is way out of my league.

The big buzz in mainland astronomy is the upcoming Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse. For reasons of cosmic geometry this event will be visible in portions of several states strung along a band that runs from Oregon to South Carolina. If it’s going to be visible outside of the mainland, I haven’t heard any details. Anyway, although the event is almost one year away, some mainland hotel rooms are reportedly filling up. I know several people who have already put in for vacation time, reserved rooms, and are planning excursions.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon gets between the earth and the sun and the moon completely covers the sun. It doesn’t become as dark as night, but it still dims things down a lot. Well, that’s what I’ve been told. I’ve never seen one. Some enthusiasts take photos of such events, and there’s much discussion about using the right techniques to capture the action. People travel across the world to do this stuff.

One of my pals, recently retired, is using the total eclipse as an excuse to spend a year doing wandering astronomy. He is buying a new van which he’ll convert into a camper. Then he’ll drive across the country basically goofing off and looking at the heavens.

As for my tent, I’m up most of the night, but the daytime is too hot to really allow for a long stretch of sleep. This is, for sure, a coffee-fueled mission. I’ve heard nothing of the outside world’s affairs, events, or worries, and that’s just fine with me; I sure could get used to this sort of peace and quiet, and tent dwelling has much to recommend it.

I haven’t seen anything particularly novel in my telescope during this trip, but I have, instead, been getting reacquainted with some familiar sights.

Anyway, with 2 million visitors in the area annually, it can be called popular, if not paradise. There’s room in life for coconuts as well as cactus, and, thankfully, we don’t have to just choose one or the other.