Spooky Skies in San Diego

Twisted Spooky Trees and the Milky Way Stars Photograph by Anita Nicholson

This Halloween, after the trick-or-treating and downing a pound of candy, when the sun sets over the glistening ocean, take a minute to look up. Away from the bright lights of the city, you can see magic in the skies –and maybe even something spooky–as constellations come to life retelling ancient stories of monsters and heroes written in the stars. 

If you’re a fan of Greek or Roman mythology, you’ve come to the right place. My love for mythology brought me to the skies too. The Ancient Greeks, for example, told us of Orion, the powerful hunter who boasted he could kill any animal on Earth. So, the goddess Gaia, protective of the Earth’s creatures, sent the giant scorpion to kill him. What could be more Halloween"y” than a scorpion? Anyway, just like a kid who avoids a classmate who might’ve beaten him up or taken his lunch money, so, too, do the two constellations Orion and Scorpius never meet. They’re on opposite sides of the sky, forever avoiding each other, so they’re never visible at the same time. You’ll see Scorpius is chasing but never catches Orion –how ironic that Orion is considered the hunter. 

Sometimes San Diego’s city lights are not conducive to watching the skies so if you can, take a drive out to Borrego Springs, a certified Dark Sky Community, you’ll get to see the inspirational stories come to life. Spend a few nights there, camp, and sleep under the stars and watch and listen as the stories unfold.