DESERT NIGHTS, UFO LIGHTS: EXTRATERRESTRIAL ENTHUSIASM IS BOOMING IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY

As the sun slowly dipped behind the San Jacinto Mountains and a calm fell upon the desert, a long green alien lounged across a black truck in the packed parking lot. 

Inside the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort in Indian Wells, crystal sellers displayed their colorful wares while psychic mediums offered a glimpse towards the beyond. Attendees zealously discussed recent panels and speakers and shared their excitement for the movie night screening of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

Now in its 11th year, the annual Contact in the Desert festival draws thousands to listen to the most recent discoveries in ufology, astronomy and space-related technology. Hot topics in 2024 included government disclosures of UFOs/UAPs, AI and new space technologies, and stories from contactees (those who believe they have been contacted by alien life). But the gathering is just one event celebrating all things extraterrestrial in this part of the California desert, long a hub for UFO sightings and those interested in the supernatural.

The cosmic allure of dark skies

Tony Rathstone and his wife Molli are longtime residents of the Coachella Valley region and have been operating a stargazing and UFO tour in Joshua Tree since 2021. Rathstone’s love for the night sky began during his early years in the Air Force, where he learned to navigate using the stars. This experience sparked a continued interest in how civilizations worldwide studied the cosmos. With expertise in both astral navigation and the history of humanity’s understanding of the night sky, Rathstone began sharing his knowledge through his tours, which now draw people to this corner of the desert from all over the world. Limited to groups of four and costing $183 per person, the tours allow participants to see the sky in detail using military-grade night goggles.

Joshua Tree’s uniquely dark skies are ideal for educating visitors about how ancient civilizations tracked the stars, and to share some of the desert’s unusual stories that make such a great environment for UFO fanfare. But Rathstone insists that “UFO” doesn’t just mean aliens.

“We’re so disassociated from the night sky, which is why UFOs are focused on easily in the mainstream,” he said. “It doesn’t mean an alien craft. It’s an unidentified object.”

Due to cultural obsessions with alien folklore, which may at times overshadow factual and historical understandings of the night sky, it acts like a Rorschach test, reflecting our own imaginations.

“The desert aspect causes it to have an otherworldly feel,” he said.

The area in and around Joshua Tree National Park’s dark skies draws stargazing crowds throughout the year.

“Light pollution decreases the visibility of stars and other natural sky and space phenomena (meteors, nebulae, galaxies, the Milky Way, zodiacal light, etc), and is sometimes called ‘sky glow,’” Meg Rockwell, a spokesperson for the park, told SFGATE via email. 

This is why most of the best stargazing takes place in remote areas, far away from civilization and its electricity. 

Joshua Tree-area residents are dedicated to lowering light pollution and maintaining the mystic experience of the spectacle that is the night sky.

“The park and our surrounding communities promote night sky friendly lighting which typically saves energy, reduces glare, improves nighttime visibility, and thereby improves safety. The lights are a softer brightness and often pointed downwards to uphold dark sky principles,” Rockwell said.

Twentynine Palms, another town bordering the national park, has organized an upcoming book festival that will feature a “UFO Mysteries Unveiled” program, diving into the world of UFO literature near the Mojave Desert, a legendary hotspot for alien sightings.

“To be outside at night and see the stars, the constellations, and the Milky Way is profoundly powerful,” said Breanne Dusastre of Visit 29 Palms, an organization that promotes travel in the area. “It’s something that 80% of people across North America have lost due to light pollution. Stargazing is a big part of our tourism strategy, especially during the summer months.”

UFO tourism

During the COVID-19 pandemic, California followed a nationwide trend of experiencing a notable increase in UFO sightings, most likely due to lower levels of light pollution coupled with an increase in time spent outdoors and in nature. At a recent “Galactic Gathering” in Twentynine Palms in August, there were several UFO sightings reported. The event was so successful, the organizers are seeking more funding to make the event bigger next year, even celebrating a “new alien holiday.” 

The local events are even leading to a boost in area tourism. Sara Lyons, a local business owner who runs the gift shop Scorpion Lollipop and who is also the secretary of Rediscover 29, a local business organization, said that her sales doubled during the weekend of the Galactic Gathering. For the stargazing and sound bath at the 29 Palms Inn, she reported that there were “easily over 100” participants on the lawn for the event. 

Heather Basile, founder of the Mojave Moon Apothecary, confirmed that the weekend was great for local business owners: “Seeing the excitement and curiosity in our visitors was incredibly rewarding, especially since several people told us they drove several hours specifically to come see it.”

Extraterrestrial fascination that goes back decades 

Tourists to the area seeking something beyond ordinary human life are often drawn to Giant Rock, one of the largest freestanding boulders in the world that has become a focal point for both climbers and UFO enthusiasts. It was here that some of the first UFO conventions, known as the Interplanetary Spacecraft Conventions, were held in the 1950s, though it’s been mostly disproven that the rock has any extraterrestrial ties. 

After living for a time and running the Giant Rock as a tourist attraction, George Van Tassel, an aircraft engineer, developed the nearby “Integratron,” a 16-sided dome. Van Tassel claimed to have received telepathic instructions from aliens, guiding the Integratron’s design as an electrostatic generator aimed at rejuvenating human cells.

Although the Integratron never fulfilled its original purpose (in fact, Van Tassel died before his project could be “turned on”), it has become a popular destination for Instagram selfies and sound baths. The structure’s acoustics, attributed to its all-wood construction and parabolic shape, are believed to enhance the sound experience, providing visitors with a sense of peace and introspection.

In a world full of chaos, the desert sky offers a refuge — a place to believe in something greater, according to Rathstone. His tours aim to bring back some of the connection to the earth that he feels we have lost in our modern day life. It’s even an opportunity to highlight the rich astronomical traditions of Indigenous civilizations worldwide.

“The Incas, the Aztecs, the Mayans, the Toltecs, the Yup’ik, [other] Native Americans — the way they looked at the night sky is different than the way that we get from the Greeks today,” he said. 

He will admit that there is an aspect of confirmation bias in stargazing and UFO hunting, and that’s OK: “Looking at the night sky, you’re going to see whatever you want to see … but what everybody is ultimately trying to come to this area to do is to find something to believe in, something that gives them peace and solace in a crazy world.”

Lauren Colella is a journalist and copywriter working in travel, tech, and wellness.

2024-09-02T11:33:48Z dg43tfdfdgfd