'Star Life' | Joshua Tree National Park

'Star Life' | Joshua Tree National Park

Cholla Cactus at night where the stars are bright. A cuctus luminated by the presence of a flashlight. Background is a clear night sky.

A Joshua tree under moonlight.

"The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. 

We are a way for the universe to know itself." 

—Carl Sagan, American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator (1934-1996)

"The most common elements, like carbon and nitrogen, are created in the cores of most stars, fused from lighter elements like hydrogen and helium. The heaviest elements, like iron, however, are only formed in the massive stars which end their lives in supernova explosions. Still other elements are born in the extreme conditions of the explosion itself. Without supernovae, life would not be possible. Our blood has iron in the hemoglobin which is vital to our ability to breath. We need oxygen in our atmosphere to breathe. Nitrogen enriches our planet's soil. Earth itself would be a very different place without the elements created in stars and supernova explosions." (Source: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center)

Joshua Tree National Park is a United States National Park located in southeastern California, straddling north-central Riverside County and part of southern San Bernardino County. Named after the endemic Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), found in the park and surrounding areas, Joshua Tree is situated some 130 miles (211 km) east of the city of Los Angeles and roughly 78 mi (125 km) east of the city of San Bernardino. Among some of the closest cities to the park are Indio, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs. Originally declared a national monument in 1936, Joshua Tree was redesignated as a national park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act.

Encompassing a total area of 795,156 acres (1,242.4 sq mi; 3,217.9 km2)—slightly larger than the U.S. state of Rhode Island—the park features 429,690 acres (671.4 sq mi; 1,738.9 km2) of designated wilderness. The park features portions of two deserts, each a unique ecosystem with characteristics determined primarily by elevation—the higher Mojave Desert and the lower-lying Colorado Desert. The Little San Bernardino Mountains line the park's southwest edge.

Image#1 Description: Cholla Cactus at night where the stars are bright. A cuctus luminated by the presence of a flashlight. Background is a clear night sky.

Image#2 Description: A Joshua tree under moonlight.

Image Credit: National Park Service (NPS)/Robert Zuniga

Image#1 Details: Canon EOS R7 RF16mm F2.8 STM

Image#2 Details: Canon EOS R7, RF-S18-150mm F3.5-6.3 IS

Image#1 Date: June 3, 2025

Image#2 Date: Nov. 9, 2024

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