from behind Castleton Tower this evening.
Did ancient astronomers use the Six Shooter Peaks...
as natural pointers in order to track the changes in seasons? Here are a couple of potential “observatory” sites that the early residents of Indian Creek Canyon constructed along sight lines related to equinox and solstice sunrises and sunsets.
The so-called “Mushroom Ruins.”
The “Boulder House.” The summit of South Six Shooter Peak sure looks like a gunsight from this perspective.
Photographer’s Ephemeris software suggests that the Boulder House ruin is optimally located to catch the descending Sun in the notch of South Six Shooter Peak during the winter solstice. An early winter test of this hypothesis is in order if the weather permits.
Red pin is location of Boulder House. Yellow line marks the Sun’s position, blue line marks the Moon during winter solstice.
Sun’s position at 3:34 pm MST on 21 December 2026, during winter solstice. Note the sharp shadow cast by the spire pointing directly at the location of Boulder House.
But wait, there’s more: Boulder House ruin also has a direct sight line to the summit of North Six Shooter Peak, and during the summer solstice the setting Sun falls right above its summit! This is no accident but by design.
Boulder House ruin and the view toward North Six Shooter Peak.
Photographer’s Ephemeris shows that during the summer solstice the Sun passes over North Six Shooter Peak during sunset, as seen from Boulder House.
Filtered Moon shine...
continues to indicate the compromised air quality that persists at night due to suspended fire smoke throughout southeastern Utah.
Not Mars! Waning gibbous Moon captured shortly after midnight during “moderate” air quality.
Prepping for the solstice sunrise...
that occurs tomorrow morning when I aspire to photographically capture the “triple sunrise” behind Castleton Tower. Fire smoke in the air last year frustrated my efforts and I’ve been patiently waiting for 364 days to try again.
This morning, out on the bike, on the trail beneath the Tower. Helluva back yard.
My calculations indicate that the show starts around 6:45 am MDT tomorrow.
DISAPPOINTING UPDATE 21 June 2026: The summer solstice has arrived, as well as the fire smoke! A large range fire southwest of Provo has flooded the atmosphere with a smoky haze this morning. Dang. What a difference a day makes. I’ll have to try again next year.
Stars emerge above Balanced Rock...
in Arches National Park while a family enjoys a stroll at dusk.
The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter...
with the Gemini twins above Porcupine Rim shortly after sunset.
Drifting clouds slowly reveal, from lower left to upper right, Jupiter, Venus, Pollux and Castor.
The next Blue Moon occurs...
this coming Sunday, the second occurrence of a full lunar disc this month. Here it is tonight, looming high over the La Sal Mountains where only a few remaining snow cornices cling to the summit ridges.
The total lunar eclipse...
of March 3rd, from the entry into the deep penumbral phase through partial to totality, spanning about 2.5 hrs time. I get up in the middle of the night so you don’t have to. Enjoy.
Full Worm Moon rising...
above Adobe Mesa this evening. Just getting warmed up to photograph the total lunar eclipse early tomorrow morning, weather permitting.
A midday moonrise...
at noon today with the dimly illuminated first quarter waxing Moon posing next to Castleton Tower.
Jupiter rises next to the Tower...
at dusk and is presently at opposition, its closest approach to Earth in its orbit this year. The Gemini twins, Castor and Pollux, rise above The Rectory.
Supermoon rising next to Castleton Tower...
early this evening, the second of three this year.
Tomorrow’s full moon is variously referred to as the Frosty Moon, Hunter’s Moon or Full Beaver Moon. Take your pick.
Rising Hunter's Moon...
above Adobe Mesa this evening, this year’s first supermoon, appearing slightly larger and brighter than usual.
The Lance Hill Observatory...
is open for business this summer, and just in time for the next new Moon that occurs tomorrow.
The roll-off roof observatory houses a polar-aligned 10-inch Meade LX-200 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope mounted on a fixed pier.
Summer solstice triple sunrise...
as captured this morning from the east end of Buchanan Lane in Castle Valley. The sun rises (#1) and is eclipsed by Baby Carriage Rock, it rises (#2) again and is eclipsed by Castleton Tower, only to rise (#3) a final time to mark the longest day of the year. It’s gonna be hot, too.
Composite of three stacked images, captured between 6:52 am and 7:41 am MDT.
UPDATE: This image is highlighted in this week’s Castle Valley Comments.
Venus reaches greatest western elongation...
of 45.9 degrees from the Sun today, making it the best time to view the planet since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Here’s the so-called “morning star” rising above Adobe Mesa around 4:30 am MDT.
The shadow cast by Castleton Tower...
at sunset will slowly creep westward across the lower slopes of Adobe Mesa through the coming months, arriving at its prominent prow at the time of the summer solstice. It’s a slow motion countdown to the longest day of the year.
The Tower’s sharp shadow will translate towards the right in this image of the face of Adobe Mesa during the next two months..
The nearly full Worm Moon...
clears the prow of Adobe Mesa early this evening. In two days there will be a total lunar eclipse, but unfortunately the weather forecast predicts cloudy conditions in southeastern Utah this Friday evening.
The red planet will be closest to Earth...
this evening and its face is fully illuminated by the Sun, making it larger and brighter than any other time this year. Here Mars is rising above Castleton Tower shortly after sunset.
The Priest is howling...
at the rising Full Wolf Moon tonight, but one has to listen closely in the wind.
