Mars
Saturn
Jupiter
The Moon
Milky Way
Next:
[02]
Saturn
[01] This winter's planet night
Mars
Guided telescope tours from Nightglass Star Tours's backyard observatory, 7,050 feet up and twenty minutes east of Flagstaff.
Next tour:
Tonight at dusk. Tours run nightly, all year.
Duration:
About two hours, under the dome and the open sky.
Group size:
Sixteen guests at most, four telescopes.
From:
$89 per adult, $59 for kids 6 to 15.
Mars
Saturn
Jupiter
The Moon
Milky Way
Next:
[03]
Jupiter
[02] Planet night, August to November
Saturn
Season:
August to November, best in the first hours after dusk.
You'll see:
The rings, the gap inside them, and Titan beside the planet.
Distance:
About 800 million miles from our lawn.
From:
$109 per adult, $69 for kids.
Mars
Saturn
Jupiter
The Moon
Milky Way
Next:
[04]
The Moon
[03] Planet night, October to February
Jupiter
Season:
October to February, best after 8pm.
You'll see:
Cloud bands, four moons in a line, the Great Red Spot.
Distance:
Roughly 400 million miles from our lawn.
From:
$109 per adult, $69 for kids.
Mars
Saturn
Jupiter
The Moon
Milky Way
Next:
[05]
Milky Way
[04] Every month, around first quarter
Moon
Season:
Every month, the week around first quarter.
You'll see:
Craters on the shadow line, mountains casting shadows.
Distance:
About 239,000 miles, close enough to fill the eyepiece.
From:
$89 per adult, $59 for kids.
Mars
Saturn
Jupiter
The Moon
Milky Way
Next:
[06]
Your night
[05] Milky Way core, April to September
Galaxy
Season:
April to September, on moonless nights.
You'll see:
The core rising in the south, bright enough to cast shadows.
Distance:
About 26,000 light-years to the center.
From:
$109; the photo workshop is $195.
[06] How a night works
Your night
Two hours, four telescopes and a guide who knows the sky by heart. Here is how it goes, from the first text to the last look at Saturn.
01
Book a night
Pick a tour online, or call or text (928) 555-0147. You get a confirmation with directions and what to wear.
02
We watch the sky
By 3pm on tour day, Arizona time, we check the forecast. If clouds win, we text you: rebook free or take a full refund.
03
Arrive at dusk
Park by the red lights. Red headlamps, blankets and hot cocoa are on us. It runs about 30 degrees colder than Phoenix, so bring a layer.
04
Two hours at the eyepiece
The sky by eye with a guide and a laser pointer first, then the telescopes: the 20-inch under the roll-off roof and three on the lawn.
Tours & prices
Every tour starts at dusk, so start times move with the seasons: about 6pm in December, about 8:15pm in June.
Book a tour
Night-sky tour
$89
The sky by eye, then four telescopes. Kids 6 to 15 are $59, under 6 free.
2 hours, nightly at dusk, up to 16 guests
Planet nights
$109
One planet or object as the star of the night: Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, the Moon or the Milky Way core, in season. Kids $69.
2.5 hours, in season, up to 12 guests
Private tour
from $480
Your own guide and the whole observatory for up to six; $65 for each guest after that, up to twelve. Proposals and birthdays welcome.
2 hours, any night, up to 12 guests
Astrophotography workshop
$195
Bring a camera with a manual mode and a tripod; we bring the tracking mounts. Go home with your first real Milky Way shot.
4 hours, moonless nights, up to 8 guests
School groups
$22/student
A 15-student minimum, chaperones free. Weeknights during the school year, with a take-home star chart.
2 hours, weeknights, up to 40 students
Corporate & large groups
from $1,200
A private date for up to 40 guests, with a cocoa bar and every telescope on the lawn.
2.5 hours, by arrangement, up to 40 guests
Twelve years of clear nights
12
seasons under these skies, since 2014
38,000
guests at the eyepiece
7,050
feet above sea level, above most of the haze
4.9
stars from 1,280 reviews
Mars at its closest
Saturn's rings
Jupiter's moons
The Orion Nebula
Andromeda
The Pleiades
Craters of the Moon
The Milky Way core
Double stars
Clouds happen. You never pay for them.
We decide:
By 3pm on tour day, Arizona time, and we text you right away.
You choose:
A free rebooking on any night, or a full refund.
Partly cloudy:
Under 30 minutes at the telescopes? Your next tour is on us.
Not sure?
Call or text (928) 555-0147 after 3pm.
What guests saw
Rated 4.9 from 1,280 reviews
Our kids still talk about seeing Saturn's rings with their own eyes. Lucía made it feel like the sky was putting on a show just for us.
Danielle
Arcadia, Phoenix
Clouded out on our first try, rebooked with one text, and the second night was perfect. Bring the extra layer they tell you to.
Marcus
Sam Hughes, Tucson
The workshop got me my first real Milky Way photo. Martin is patient, and the mounts do the hard part.
Priya
West Sedona
Questions
Anything else? A real person answers calls and texts every day from 10am to 6pm.
Call or text (928) 555-0147
What should we wear?
Layers, closed-toe shoes and a hat. At 7,050 feet it runs about 30 degrees colder than Phoenix, and it drops fast after sunset, even in July. We have blankets, but bring the jacket.
Are tours good for kids?
Yes, from about age 6. Kids 6 to 15 are $59 on the night-sky tour, and under 6 come free. Every telescope has a step stool, and the guides are used to small hands and big questions.
What if it's cloudy?
We decide by 3pm on tour day, Arizona time, and text you. You choose a free rebooking on any night or a full refund. If we get under 30 minutes at the telescopes once a tour starts, your next tour is on us.
Is the observatory wheelchair accessible?
Yes. A paved path runs from the parking lot to the lawn, and a ramp leads up to the 20-inch's eyepiece. Tell us when you book and we'll save a spot by the path.
Why red lights only?
White light resets your night vision, and it takes about twenty minutes to come back. We hand out red headlamps at check-in; please keep phone screens dimmed and away once we start.
Can I bring my own telescope or camera?
Cameras, yes; the workshop is built for them. For your own telescope, book a private tour and a guide will help you set it up and find your way around the sky.
Gift card
Any amount from $50
Give someone Saturn
Gift cards in any amount from $50, emailed the same day you buy them. Good for any tour, in any season, and they never expire.
Buy a gift card
Call or text
Book a night
Tell us the tour, the night and how many are coming. We confirm by text within the day, with directions and what to wear.
Call or text (928) 555-0147
Tours:
Nightly at dusk, all year.
Where:
7390 N Townsend Winona Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Weather:
Clouded out? Rebook free or get a refund.
Request your night
Request my night