A Field Guide to Stars

Illuminating the night sky

Field Guide Vol. 234

In the US, daylight savings left us this weekend, meaning shorter days and longer nights lie ahead of us. And while early sunsets may have their disadvantages, the extended darkness leaves more time for stargazing. For as long as humans have looked at the sky, the stars have inspired a sense of possibility and grandeur. Journey through the stars with us as we explore stargazing sites across the globe, beginning with Robyn Ross’s reflections on the movement to save Texas’s dark skies filled with celestial bodies.

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(Texas Hill Country Night Sky) Adam Baker, Flickr

The Edge of Night

By Robyn Ross

When we set out to climb Enchanted Rock, the setting sun turns the 425-foot granite dome a blushing pink. I follow park interpreter Jessica DeBoer up the Summit Trail, a misnomer for the steep, virtually unmarked route we take up the bare face of the rock. Our labored breathing is punctuated by sounds that float up from the campground below: the inquisitive whoo of a barred owl, the fussy chirp of a mockingbird, a few human voices. At the top, we face the western horizon, where the distant hills form a crisp outline against the orange sky. Below us, vultures ride the thermals rising from the rock as it cools. A few bats flutter overhead, clicking and chirping.