{looking back} joshua tree

Two years ago we visited Joshua Tree for the first time and, a surprise to both of us, absolutely fell in love with the desert. The complete silence, the expansive views and the incredibly clear night sky was a balm for our city-dwelling souls. We spent hours sitting outside watching the sun set, followed by a razor thin waxing crescent moon. We watched as the blue-orange gradient of the sky deepened and thousands of stars came out, including my old friend the Milky Way. Our first year in September 2020 we saw Jupiter and Saturn in close conjunction, shooting stars, satellites, the International Space Station, and the Andromeda Galaxy. The next year our Airbnb, The Moon Cabin, had binoculars which we used to track roaming satellites and to view Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and two of its moons, and distant star clusters.

The desert emits something that touches both of us in the same way. There's something about sitting outside looking into the vast distance, hearing nothing but the wind and the odd passing car, watching the one street light change from green to yellow to red to green from seven miles away. Since our first trip we've vowed to visit once a year. These images are from our second trip in July 2021 and we are headed back again this September with my star-loving dad, a gift to him so he can see the night sky from the desert for the first time!