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Dark Sky 2026
Death Valley offers some of the best stargazing in America. DarkSky International has designated Death Valley National Park a Gold Tier Dark Sky Park, which is the highest rating of darkness.
During our annual spring Dark Sky Festival, visitors are invited to come explore the night sky and the unique park landscapes which can help us better understand wonders beyond our world. This event is a collaboration between Death Valley National Park, our non-profit partner Death Valley Natural History Association, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Ames Research Center, The Las Vegas Astronomical Society, SETI Institute and California Institute of Technology.
Just some of the activities include:
Auditorium Talks:
The Search for Life Beyond Earth - How It Works, Where It Stands, and Why It Matters
Bill Diamond (SETI Institute)
With the discovery of the ubiquity of exoplanets, the search for life beyond Earth has transitioned from a niche science to the most important and fundamental research question in all of astronomy and astrophysics. These three words: “Are we alone?” constitute the very essence NASA science and space exploration and they represent the core mission of the SETI Institute. But how do we answer the question - are we alone, and is there life and intelligence beyond Earth?
SETI Institute President and CEO, Bill Diamond will describe science and technology behind the search for life and intelligence elsewhere in the Universe, share what we have learned thus far, and offer his perspectives on why this endeavor is so important - to everyone!
Are we alone? Come and find out for yourself!
Friday, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Furnace Creek Visitor Center Auditorium
Tickets required; pick up at Visitor Center the day before.
Tickets are required for the Keynote talks. Pick up your free ticket on a first come first serve basis starting the day before at Furnace Creek Visitor Center.
The Most Important Star in The Universe
Becca Robinson & Simon Steel (SETI Institute)
Our Milky Way galaxy is a cosmic city of 300 billion stars. Of all these stars, hot and cool, giant and dwarf, young and old, only one has definitively nurtured a planet that is teeming with life. So just how special is our Sun? What makes it different, or similar, to its vast stellar family? And what should we be looking for as we search for a second Sun, and a second Earth? This stellar presentation will take a tour through the Milky Way to check out the amazing variety of stars that make up our home galaxy, before taking a deep dive into our very own star, the Sun.
Saturday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM, Furnace Creek Visitor Center Auditorium
Booths:
Explore the booths at the Exploration Fair to talk with scientists and participate in hands on activities. The SETI Institute will be there!
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Furnace Creek Visitor Center Courtyard
Dark Sky Field Talks:
Mars-like Places on Earth: A Journey around the Ubehebe Crater
Rosalba Bonaccorsi (NASA Ames Research Center)
Places in Death Valley appear similar to places on the Red Planet. Come learn how research in Death Valley can help guide us in our understanding of Earth's neighbor.
Format: Moderate Walk around the Ubehebe Crater
Saturday, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Ubehebe Crater Moderately strenous walk to around Ubehebe Crater with some deep gravel and a steep incline
Support the
SETI Institute
Scientists are getting closer in their search for life beyond earth. But with limited federal funding for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, supporters are the reason cutting-edge scientists can keep their eyes on the sky.
