Grand Canyon Star Party 2024, June 1-8

The white Milky Way over a red lit parking lot with people and telescopes.
Grand Canyon National Park is one of the best places in the world to enjoy pristine night skies.
 
 

Not able to attend Grand Canyon Star Party? No worries! We offer astronomy programs year-round! Check out our Upcoming Night Sky Events page.

 

Things to Know about the 2024 Star Party

  • Attend this free, open to the general public, event. The park entrance fee, is good on both South and North rims for 7 days. No additional tickets or sign-up is required.

  • The event begins at sunset, although the best viewing is after 9 pm and many telescopes come down after 11 pm; however, on nights with clear, calm skies, some astronomers continue sharing their telescopes into the night.

  • Campground or lodging reservations are recommended.
  • Dress warmly. Temperatures drop quickly after sunset—even during summer months.
  • View an assortment of planets, double stars, star clusters, nebulae and distant galaxies by night, and perhaps the Sun or Venus by day.
  • Skies will be starry and dark until the moon rises the first night. It rises progressively later throughout the week of the Star Party.

Bring a Red Flashlight

Make your way safely: use a red flashlight; white flashlights and cell phone lights are discouraged on the telescope lot. Make a red flashlight by:

  • Covering any flashlight with red cellophane, a limited supply of cellophane and rubber bands are available prior to the evening presentations at the Grand Canyon Visitor center)

  • Painting the flashlight lens with red nail polish or a red magic marker.
  • For more on why red flashlights are helpful, and how the human eye works after dark, click here.
 
a starry night. a family is gathered around a large telescope as an astronomer is talking. Everyone is bathed in red light.

South Rim Star Party 2024

Events include nightly evening programs from special guest speakers at 8:00 pm in the Visitor Center's Theater. The speakers and program topics are listed below, To get a good seat arrive early —seating is limited. Theatre doors open at 7:40 pm.

The evening programs are followed by telescope viewing in the large lot behind the Visitor Center. Follow the red rope lights to the telescope lot.

Park rangers offer constellation tours at 9:00, 9:30, and 10:00 pm. The evening program, constellation tours, and at least one telescope are wheelchair accessible.

Plan on driving and parking in Visitor Center lots 1 through 4, since the last Village (Blue) Route shuttle is at 8:30 pm. Lot 4 provides the nearest accessible parking.

The South Rim Star Party is sponsored by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association.

Amateur astronomers from across the country volunteer their expertise and offer free nightly astronomy programs and telescope viewing during this special annual event.

 

Star Party Evening Programs (South Rim)

South Rim Visitor Center. Doors open at 7:40 pm. Presentations start at 8 pm. (Limited-capacity seating)

Saturday, June 1

The Amazing Nuwuvi Universe

Soar into space with an indigenous astronomer and learn about the cultural connection that the Southern Paiute have with the dark sky.

Autumn Gillard - Southern Paiute Astronomer

Sunday, June 2

The Hubble Space Telescope: Decades of Discovery

Explore the Hubble spacecraft, discuss some of its many discoveries and current science ranging from planets to cosmology, and learn about its future.

NASA’s Dr. Jennifer Wiseman - Senior Project Scientist
NASA's Dr. James Jeletic - Hubble Space Telescope Deputy Project Manager

Monday, June 3

Tour of the Universe: You Are Here

Rocket through space and sail among billions of stars and galaxies as you contemplate the mind-blowing scale of the universe.

Dean Regas - Outreach Astronomer, Host of “Looking Up” Podcast

Tuesday, June 4

Leading Astronomy Outreach Efforts in Southern Arizona

Become familiar with the amazing Astronomy Outreach happening in Southern Arizona!

Vannessa Gressieux - Program Coordinator, University of Arizona Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter

Wednesday, June 5

Exploring the Hopi Cosmos

Discover the Hopi peoples’ cultural connections to the cosmos through artwork.

Gerald Dawavendewa - Hopi Artist

Thursday, June 6

How to Make a Planet (and why it shouldn’t work)

Explore the process of planet formation and discover what happens when physics tells you one thing...and reality tells you the opposite.

Dr. Taylor Kutra - Astronomer - Lowell Observatory

Friday, June 7

In Old Sky

Explore the importance of natural darkness and the stars through the pen of an award-winning poet. Learn about her unique experience as Grand Canyon’s Astronomer in Residence.

Lauren Camp - Poet Laureate of New Mexico, author

Saturday, June 8

Star Light, Star Bright: Protecting our Dark Sky Heritage

Discover why DarkSky International fights to save the night.

Michael Rymer - Program Associate, DarkSky International
 

Night Sky Photography Workshops (South Rim)

Saturday, June 8th--9:30 pm

Description: Join night sky photographer and DarkSky International's Bettymaya Foott for a tutorial on how to shoot night sky photography with a DSLR or mirrorless camera. Please bring your own equipment.

Time: 9:30 pm (allow 2 hours)

Location: South Rim--Grand Canyon Visitor Center Theater

Constellation Talks (South Rim)

Constellation talks happen every night of the event: 9, 9:30 and 10 pm

 
Twilight; lluminated by red light, a group of people are looking through telescopes on the veranda of a rustic lodge.
Telescope viewing on the veranda of Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim

Photo courtesy of Christian Schroll

North Rim Star Party 2024


Telescopes are set up on the porch of the Grand Canyon Lodge every evening. An astronomy related evening program will be presented at 7:30 pm in the auditorium of Grand Canyon Lodge. Check park bulletin boards for the evening program schedule.

Constellation talks are also given throughout the evening.

By day, look for solar telescopes set up at various locations.

The North Rim Star Party is sponsored by the Saguaro Astronomy Club of Phoenix, Arizona.

 

Star Party Evening Programs (North Rim)

North Rim Lodge Auditorium
Presentations start at 7:30 pm. (Limited-capacity seating)

Saturday, June 1

Astronaut Training at Grand Canyon

Kevin Schindler

Sunday, June 2

The Universe, What Our Telescopes Can See

Tim Curry

Monday, June 3

Leviathan of Paronstown - Ireland’s Greatest Telescope

Mike Poppre

Tuesday, June 4

Tour of the Universe: You are here

Dean Regas

Wednesday, June 5

100 Things to See in the Night Sky

Dean Regas

Thursday, June 6

Amateur Astronomy on a Shoestring Budget

Micki Killoran

Friday, June 7

A Tale of Two Eclipses

Tim Straub

Saturday, June 8

Basic Milky Way Photography

Jason Hoover
 

Become a Volunteer in 2024

All amateur astronomers interested in sharing the skies with visitors are invited to participate. Whether you can volunteer for a few days or the whole event, you can help to enrich the lives of people from all over the world.

Find volunteer opportunities for day and night telescopic outreach, visual and imaging, laser guided constellation tours, demonstration toolkits and auditorium presentations. Register through the astronomy clubs sponsoring the event, links provided.

 

Questions? E-mail

Rader Lane - Dark Skies Program Manager
Grand Canyon National Park
(928) 638-7641

 

Future Star Party Dates

2025: June 21 - 28
2026: June 6 - 13
2027: May 29 - June 5
2028: June 17 - 24
2029: June 2 - 9
2030: June 22 - 29
2031: June 14 -21
2032: June 5 -12
2033: June 18 - 25
2034: June 10 -17
2035: June 2 - 9

 
 
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Duration:
4 minutes, 33 seconds

The 2022 Star Party will take place June 18-25 on both North and South Rims of the park. Here is some basic information about this event.

 
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Duration:
1 minute, 40 seconds

Amateur astronomers from across the country volunteer their expertise and offer free nightly astronomy programs and telescope viewing.

 
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Duration:
10 minutes, 4 seconds

Experience the mystery and wonder of Grand Canyon National Park's night sky with Astronomer Tyler Nordgren and Park Ranger Rader Lane. Explore the beauty of the night sky and learn what you can do to help preserve it.

 

Last updated: May 30, 2024

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

PO Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

Phone:

928-638-7888

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