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Contact: Grand Canyon Office of Communication, 928-638-7779
The thirty-fifth annual Grand Canyon Star Party will be held from Saturday, June 21 through Saturday, June 28, 2025, on the South and North Rims of Grand Canyon National Park. National parks such as Grand Canyon are protective havens for some of the last remaining dark skies in the United States.
The event is sponsored by the National Park Service, Grand Canyon Conservancy, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (South Rim), and the Saguaro Astronomy Club of Phoenix (North Rim). Amateur astronomers from around the world will volunteer their telescopes and expertise for the enjoyment of park visitors. Dozens of telescopes will offer views of planets, double stars, star clusters, nebulae, and distant galaxies. By day, keep an eye out for solar telescopes pointed at the sun. Weather permitting, expect spectacular views of the universe!
On the South Rim, events include a nightly slide show from a special guest speaker at 8 pm in the Canyon Visitor Center Plaza. The list of speakers can be found on the park's Star Party website. The talks are followed by free telescope viewing behind the building. Green-laser Constellation Tours will be offered nightly at 9, 9:30 & 10 p.m.
Parking is available in Lots 1 through 4 or arrive by the free Village Route shuttle bus. The last Village Route Bus leaves the Grand Canyon Visitor Center at 9:30 p.m. To get a good seat for the speaker presentation, arrive early. Telescope viewing is best after 9 p.m. and continues well into the night; visitors may arrive any time after dark. A light source is recommended for the walk to the viewing area, but white lights are not permitted on the Telescope Lot. Give your eyes time to dark-adapt, or use a red flashlight, easily made by covering any flashlight with red cellophane.
On the North Rim, telescopes will be set up on the terrace of the Grand Canyon Lodge every evening. Astronomers will also use green lasers to point out constellations. By day, look for solar telescopes on the terrace and elsewhere. Check the Visitor Center and park bulletin boards for program topics and additional details.
Nighttime temperatures on both rims can be quite cool, even in summer. Those attending the star party are encouraged to bring warm layers of clothing. When traveling in the park on the South Rim, it is best to find a parking space and use the free shuttle bus system to access points of interest in the Grand Canyon Village area. For shuttle bus information, visit http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/shuttle-buses.htm.
For additional information on the Grand Canyon Star Party visit:
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/grand-canyon-star-party.htm
In June 2019, Grand Canyon National Park achieved International Dark-Sky Park status through DarkSky International. The park continues to retrofit its light fixtures in the park to be dark-sky-compliant, having surpassed 90% compliance in 2024. The park has until June of 2029 to achieve 100% compliance.
-NPS-
Last updated: June 2, 2025