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Home/Canyon Column/2017 Archives/Coming in June: Star Gazing on a Grand Scale

Coming in June: Star Gazing on a Grand Scale

Star Party telescopes | NPS Photo by Mike Quinn
Star Party telescopes | NPS Photo by Mike Quinn

If you think the big views at Grand Canyon disappear when the sun goes down, you’re missing half the show. With its lack of humidity, infrequent nocturnal cloud cover, and famously limited light pollution, northern Arizona has long been considered one of the greatest places in this hemisphere to view the night sky—and Grand Canyon National Park with its breathtaking backdrop, is arguably the best in class.

Each June, astronomers descend on the Grand Canyon to train their telescopes on the stars, planets, and galaxies in the dazzling celestial canopy. These same astronomers invite park visitors to peer through the eyepiece of the high-powered astronomical instruments and enjoy distant wonders firsthand. It’s a memorable experience for people of all ages. And best of all, it’s free with park admission.

The Star Party will be conducted June 17-24, and the viewing will take place on both the South and North Rims. Follow this link for more information: 2017 Grand Canyon Star Party

The National Park Service is proud of its commitment to preserving dark skies at Grand Canyon. At last year’s event, the International Dark-Sky Association awarded Grand Canyon National Park with Provisional Dark Sky Park status. For information on how you can support these efforts visit Protecting the Night Sky.

Published on: June 1, 2017

Categories: 2017 Archives, Canyon ColumnTags: International Dark Association, North Rim, Provisional Dark Sky Park status, South Rim, star party

About Mike Buchheit

Mike Buchheit was the director of the Grand Canyon Conservancy Field Institute for over 25 years, a professional landscape photographer and instructor, a freelance travel writer, and a popular lecturer on a wide variety of Grand Canyon-related topics. As a long-time resident, 3,000-mile hiker, and frequent river runner, the Iowa native has gained an intimate knowledge of the park that he called home.

As a long-time resident, 3,000-mile hiker, and frequent river runner, the Iowa native has gained an intimate knowledge of the park that he calls home. You can see some of his beautiful work on his Grand Canyon Prints website.

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