Following the Stars

Great Chamber in Kane County | Marcin Zając

An award-winning photographer turns his lens on Utah's spectacular dark skies.

For our ancestors, the observable universe beyond our atmosphere was of the utmost significance. The starry night sky once served as the sole reference for when to plant crops and inspired myths that remain culturally relevant today. Now with so much of the world in perpetual twilight, many never see a naturally dark night sky. Utah however, part of The Great Western Starry Way of the Intermountain West, is lucky to boast the highest concentration of internationally-certified dark sky locations in the world.

Marcin Zając, an internationally acclaimed photographer, has perfected the craft of exposing what is usually invisible to the naked eye. Here he sets out on a quest to capture the brilliance of Southern Utah's dark skies. Using advanced techniques combined with a keen eye for composition, Zając shows us the magnitude of our universe that's visible from Utah's spectacular landscapes.

Valley of the Gods is located in the southeastern corner of the state. While similar to the geography found at Monument Valley to the south, this Bureau of Land Management area sees much less traffic, thereby adding solitude to its many virtues.

Heading north from Valley of the Gods on U.S. Route 191, you'll find Arches National Park. Arches park rangers have led regular astronomy programs and special events since at least 2012. They regularly work with staff from nearby dark sky parks to offer Moab-area visitors an opportunity to explore the night sky.

Southwest of Arches, lies Capitol Reef National Park. It’s remote Cathedral district has some of the most stunning views around, including the iconic monolith, Temple of the Sun.

As the sun rises in Capitol Reef country, the stars dissipate but the stunning landscape takes hold.

It's not unusual to hear the landscape near Capitol Reef described as lunar. This spire is accessible from a dirt road just seven miles west of Hanksville, Utah.

"If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore ... But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile."

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Southwest of Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon National Park has one of the nation’s oldest astronomy programs.

Bryce Canyon is known for its crimson-colored “hoodoos,” which are spire-shaped rock formations. The park’s main road leads past the expansive Bryce Amphitheater, a hoodoo-filled depression lying below the Rim Trail hiking path.

Continuing to the southwest corner of the state, Zion National Park falls under a dark sky of endless stars. Many visitors may gaze into Zion’s dark skies to find more stars than they’ve ever seen before. When you enter the park, you leave the ambient light of every-day life, making every detail of the night sky more visible.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in the south-central region of the state is home to The Toadstools. The balanced rock formations here look like mushrooms and offer awe-inspiring views that enchant. The toadstools are easy to access along an easy to moderate 1.5-mile round-trip hike.

Just east of Grand Staircase lies the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. This Milky Way vantage point at Reflection Canyon is like no other, but its lengthy out-and-back hike requires endurance and preparation.

"I find it fascinating that my camera can capture more than my eyes can see – the color and the detail in the night sky you can record with modern cameras are astonishing ... First and foremost, I look for an interesting composition where there is a balance between the landscape in the foreground and the sky."

– Marcin Zając

About the Photographer – Marcin Zając

Marcin Zając is a landscape photographer from Poland based in Northern California. When he's not chasing light with his camera, he works as a software engineer. His work has been recognized by several photography competitions. He was shortlisted for Astronomy Photographer of the Year, organized by the Royal Museum Greenwich, in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, and won the People's Choice award in 2021. He was awarded NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day in 2020 and placed among the world's top 101 photographs in the International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021 competition, the world's most prestigious landscape photography contest. Instagram: @mrcnzajac