Index Washington
Dark Site
Index, WA is a small town nestled in the Cascades. It is the closest town to Monroe that is in a lower class Bortle zone. There are many places around Index to image. My two favorites are on a bank next to the Skykomish River, and from Heybrook Lookout fire tower.
Site Stats
| Location | Index, WA, USA |
| Latitude | 47° 49’ 12.7” N |
| Longitude | 121° 33’ 09.9” W |
| Elevation | 5,991’ (1826m) |
| Bortle | 3 - 4 |
These are all images I captured from that location.
Images
Panoramas aren't always horizontal. This vertical view starts on the banks of the North Skykomish River, continues over Heybrook Lookout and Mt. Index, then ascends to the heavens in the sky.
2023-07-15
The Milky Way from the banks of the Skykomish River
A capture of the Milky Way crossing behind a tree viewed from the banks of the North Skykomish River near Index, WA.
2023-07-15
I stacked a time lapse that ran watching slight south of directly up as I went about my astrophotography routine. This is the beautiful edge of our galaxy it captured.
2023-06-26
I set up a time lapse while my telescope was pointed at deep sky targets. A few times I walked over to check the camera. The long exposures captured my headlamp and my face as an ephemeral ghost.
2023-06-26
The moon was reflected in the waters of the river, so I snapped this photograph without realizing it also captured the reflection of stars in water.
2023-06-26
The rich colors of nebulae and stars shine against the backdrop of the Milky Way from Index, WA.
2022-08-30
Videos
Down by the River - Astrophotography on the Skykomish in Index, WA
I set out to test my equipment in a remote setup and chose the Bortle 3 banks of the Skyokomish River northeast of Index, WA. Time lapses of the big dipper and Milky Way, river photos and my experimental targets.
2023-06-26 00:00:00 +0000
Timelapse from a shoot of the Milky Way on the banks of the Skykomish River in Index, WA.
2023-07-16 00:00:00 +0000