Hosted telescope viewing of the beautiful night sky through high power telescopes from 7 to 10 pm.
Night Sky Orientation / Constellation Tour
Nightly: every half-hour from 7:30-9:00 pm
Night’s Window opens…
Every evening as twilight deepens a local astronomer and night-sky enthusiast will introduce you to the star-filled night sky, pointing out the North Star, constellations, the Milky Way, planets, and other less-known objects such as star clusters and “dark clouds” visible to your unaided eyes!
Sunset Talk
Thursday and Friday: 6:00 – 6:30 pm Sunset Shadows and Circles
Thursday and Friday evenings Brian Skiff of Lowell Observatory will have a “sunset” talk from 6-6:30 p.m. Weather permitting, he will describe the subtle transition from sunset into twilight, including the Earth-shadow and Belt of Venus in the east, as well as layered pastel colors over the Sun in the west. Join Brian and watch the tree shadows stretch to the eastern horizon!
From Earth to Sky
Nightly: 8:00 & 9:00 pm Binocular Circle
A Kid friendly Activity! Every evening Rich Krueger, Astronomy Teacher and NASA SOFIA Ambassador will lead a journey from Earth to Sky. Weather permitting, he will guide you using binoculars in piercing the mysteries of the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies – from Jupiter and Saturn to double stars, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. Binoculars, reclining chairs, blankets and a safe place to lay down and look up at the stars are provided. You are invited to bring your own binoculars, blankets and pillows if you like.
A take home guide is provided about the constellations and celestial objects covered during the tour
SPACE WILL BE LIMITED to the first 25 arrivals – first come basis. (You will have to hand-carry your chair from your car to the viewing area – a minimum of 400 feet from the Buffalo Park lot.)
NEW for 2019!
Music under the Stars –
Melissa Cripps and David Koerner at Grand Canyon
Saturday (only): 6:15-7:00 pm
In the premier performance of the Dark Skies String Quartet, violinists David Koerner and Marty Cook, violist Cindy Binkley, and cellist Melissa Cripps will accompany the emergence of stars and planets in the darkening sky after sunset, including new arrangements of “Sunset” from Grofé‘s Grand Canyon Suite, and “Jupiter” from Holst’s The Planets. Audience members are invited to sit back and watch the universe unfold. In between musical selections, violinist/astronomer David Koerner will point out bright planets and stars as they come into view. The concert will be followed by an introduction to Native American constellations complemented by a modern western understanding of stars, planets, and features in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Workshops
Telescope Workshop
Thursday, September 26, 2018, 5:00 – 7:30 pm, NACET Accelerator parking lot
You have that telescope at home – but it never seems to get out of the closet… If you have been struggling with using your own telescope, dust it off and bring it to this useful workshop! Coconino Astronomical Society members will coach you through setting it up, how to align it and find astronomical objects, what eyepieces work best for what objects, and all the rest to demystify your telescope and help you open the beauty of deep space to yourself and your family.
Workshop participants must bring their own complete telescope, including stand or mount and eyepieces. Please don’t bring broken or incomplete equipment.
SPACE WILL BE LIMITED so requires registration and a nominal $5 fee. Register HERE.
Night Sky Photography Workshop with Stan Honda
Friday, October 5, 2018, 5:00 – 8:30 pm, NACET Incubator and Buffalo Park
Stan Honda Workshop – FSP 2015
SPACE IS LIMITED so requires registration and a $25 fee. Register HERE.
This extraordinary opportunity will allow participants to learn how to photograph the night sky with a master. New York-based Stan Honda was a photojournalist for 34 years, most recently for Agence France-Presse (AFP). Although he has photographed a wide array of subjects over the years, he has a special passion for starry skies and night landscapes, combining his interests in astronomy and photography. He has worked as an artist-in-residence at five national parks, and his photography of Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico and Wupatki National Monument were used in reports that led to them both being designated as International Dark Sky Parks. Honda will conduct a three-part workshop introducing basic techniques to capture beautiful night sky photos with modern digital cameras. The three-hour session will include learning about your camera and a short slideshow of Honda’s work.
Workshop participants must bring the following to the workshop:
Milky Way over Elden Mtn: Stan Honda workshop – FSP 2015. Photo (c) Gary O’Brien 2015.
A DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) or mirrorless compact system or micro four thirds camera that allows manual adjustment including the following:
Manually adjustable shutter speed allowing exposure times up to at least 20 seconds duration – OR – or a “bulb” or “B” setting for the shutter speed and a remote cable shutter release
Manually settable aperture or F-stop
Manually settable ISO sensitivity, with ISO value of at least 1600 or 3200
Manually adjustable focus
A tripod
A small flashlight, preferably red LED or filtered with red cellophane
We recommend that you read your camera’s owner manual about using manual settings before the workshop.
Twilight Talks
Thursday, September 26, 2019 , 6:45 – 7:15 pm, Buffalo Park pavilion
Dr. Hall will explore the broad impacts of a dark sky, on everything from astronomy to human health. He will cover the basic components of dark sky protection, and provide some tips on implementing dark sky friendly lighting at your home. Come learn about how Flagstaff preserves its long-standing dark sky tradition, and how you can help bring dark skies to your home wherever you live!
Friday, September 27, 2019, 6:45 – 7:15 pm, Buffalo Park pavilion
Astronomers now know of thousands of worlds orbiting other stars in our Galaxy. These so-called “exoplanets” are surprisingly diverse, spanning giant planets with super-heated atmospheres to small rocky worlds with rock vapor in their air. These findings are all leading up to the discovery everyone is waiting for – another planet like our own!
This page was last updated 4th January, 2020, 6:40 AM
