Join Tonto National Monument to celebrate the festive season at the Luminary Event on Saturday, December 10 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Hike the Lower Cliff Dwelling Trail with glimmering luminaries to light your way. The trail will close to uphill hiking at 8:00 p.m. Bring water, a flashlight or headlamp, warm clothing, and closed-toed shoes. This event is free and open to the public.
No camping is available at Tonto National Monument. The nearest camping is available at Windy Hill Campground in Tonto National Forest. For more information on camping visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/tonto/
SAN ANTONIO — Join San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and Las Misiones for two nights of stars at Mission San Juan to explore and be inspired by the night sky through telescopes, learn about celestial navigation, become a Junior Ranger Night Explorer, and more at this free family event. Before the sun sets, explore different tables with family-friendly activities provided by local partnering organizations. As the sun sets, the attention will shift to the night sky with educational talks, telescope viewing, and more.
Educational programming by astronomy rangers is thanks to our collaboration with Arches National Park, an International Dark Sky Park. Telescope viewing and guidance is made possible by The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Misión de las Estrellas will take place Friday Oct. 21, 2022 and Saturday Oct. 22, 2022 from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Mission San Juan, 9101 Graf Road, San Antonio, TX 78214.
WILLCOX, AZ — Celebrate the wonders of our night sky at Chiricahua National Monument on Saturday, October 22, 2022, from 6-9 pm. Staff at this International Dark Sky Certified Park in partnership with members from the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (TAAA) will be hosting a two-part special event.
Jim O’Connor from TAAA will begin the evening festivities with the program, “Indigenous Universe” from 6:00-6:45 pm at the Bonita Canyon Campground Amphitheater. He will discuss how several local Native American cultures interpret elements of the night sky and the lessons held there.
The talk will be followed with telescope viewing at the Echo Canyon trailhead parking lot from 7-9 pm. Participants should expect to see the planets, Jupiter and Saturn, along with galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, and many more deep sky wonders. Shuttle service will be provided from the campground to and from the Echo Canyon parking lot. People are invited to attend both programs or choose either one.
Registration is required. Call the visitor center staff at 520-824-3560 x9302 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, daily. Participants should dress warmly, bring drinks, snacks, a portable chair or blanket to sit upon, and a flashlight with a red filter, if possible. The Western National Parks Association will have a variety of night sky themed items and snacks available for purchase.
Stargazers on LBJ Ranch Airstrip (NPS)
STONEWALL, TEXAS – Make plans to view the wonders of the night sky at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park on Saturday, October 22. Beginning at 6:30 pm at the LBJ Ranch near Stonewall, the National Park Service will host programs highlighting the marvels of the night sky and the importance of preserving dark skies.
The event will begin with a program at 6:30 pm in the Hangar visitor center. Russ Glenn, a NASA Solar System Ambassador, will highlight current NASA missions including the James Webb space telescope and the Artemis mission. A space education professional with a Master of Science in Space Studies, Russ has been bringing experiential learning into his classrooms for over 25 years. The evening’s interactive program will take a closer look at current and future space exploration.
After the presentation concludes at 7:30 pm, the Hill Country Astronomers (HCA) will set up telescopes and offer a stargazing experience from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. Visitors can view stars, globular star clusters, and even distant galaxies.
The event is free of charge; however, attendance is limited to 70 participants.
