BUCKEYE, Ariz. – At Joe Foss Shooting Complex in Buckeye, trap shooting takes on a different look after dark.

Under ultraviolet blacklights, neon-orange clay targets glow as participants take aim at targets launched into the night sky.

The city of Buckeye introduced cosmic trap shooting on Oct. 24, offering a new nighttime recreation program at its public shooting facility.

Traditional trap shooting involves a machine launching clay targets into the air for participants to shoot. cosmic trap shooting follows the same format, but ultraviolet lighting makes the targets fluoresce, creating a different visual experience.

“By incorporating UV lighting, we were able to introduce an exciting nighttime activity using much of our existing equipment,” said Adam Melle, recreation superintendent for the city of Buckeye.

The program required some adjustments to the facility. Because the shooting ranges are not equipped for nighttime operations, the city purchased 1,000-watt ultraviolet blacklights and installed them at the trap and skeet range specifically for cosmic trap shooting.

Participants shoot clay targets during the first cosmic trap shooting program at Joe Foss Shooting Complex in Buckeye, Arizona on Oct. 24, 2026.

Cronkite News/Jovana Simonovic

For participants accustomed to shooting during the day, the nighttime setting changes how they approach the range. With the targets illuminated against the dark sky, shooters have to follow the glowing targets as they move through the air. The contrast between the dark surroundings and bright targets also gives the program a different atmosphere from a typical visit to the range.

“Since I’m still pretty new to shooting, it was interesting to try something new like this for my first experience. The glowing targets definitely made it more exciting,” said Nelson Medellin, who was participating in his first cosmic trap shooting program and is relatively new to the sport.

Joe Foss Shooting Complex offers several recreational shooting activities, including rifle and pistol shooting, trap and skeet shooting, and archery. The facility is normally open to the public 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, making cosmic trap shooting a different way for visitors to experience the range.

Participants were required to bring their own shotguns and ammunition, and hearing and eye protection were mandatory. The first cosmic trap shooting program reached its maximum capacity of 16 participants.

Melle said the city was pleased with the turnout and the response to the first program. With plans to offer cosmic trap shooting again, the city hopes to continue providing visitors with a recreational experience that makes use of the facility in a new way.

Shooting range coordinators Matthew Schwartzkopf and Jesse Mulnix speak with participants during the facility’s first cosmic trap shooting program.

Cronkite News/Jovana Simonovic

This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.