Heavens above: Extraordinary view of Zodical Lights seen from Mount Washington

NORTH CONWAY, NH — At over 6,000 feet above sea level, New Hampshire’s Mount Washington is the closest one can get to the starry skies in the northeastern United States. The stars may seem even closer on days like Wednesday morning.

The Mount Washington Observatory shared photos of “zodiacal light” captured from atop the summit early Wednesday morning.

Appearing as a pyramid of light in the sky, zodiacal light is a rare phenomenon formed by sunlight reflecting off space dust between Mercury and Jupiter.

In a 2017 blog post for the Mount Washington Observatory, Ryan Knapp explains that zodiacal light is only viewable twice a year, at dawn in autumn and at dusk in the Northern Hemisphere’s springtime.

“Since it is autumn, this means it is visible during astronomical dawn and a bit into nautical dawn or in simpler terms, 90 to 180 minutes prior to sunrise,” said Knapp. “During most years, I typically get to see it a handful of nights in Sept/Oct before it is gone.”

For those sky watchers, Knapp provides a few tips and tricks for seeing the rare celestial feat:

“First, it needs to be clear skies to the east. A few high clouds are OK, but the clearer your skies, the better. Second, make sure there is little to no moonlight (hard to do now as the moon is nearly full; but it will be waning soon enough. Third, get away from any and all light pollution - the darker the skies around you the better. Fourth, go someplace with good views to the east - a rise in land, a cliff, a hill/mountain top (it doesn’t need to be Mt Washington, just one good with great extended views east), a lake/pond, or the ocean. If going near a body of water or someplace where fog can form, be mindful that this could dim or block things. Fifth, allow your eyes time to adjust. That typically means 5 to 20+ minutes of not looking at any light - that includes your cell phone!”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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