Attention all astrophiles, Great Basin National Park in Nevada is celebrating its 23rd annual Great Basin Astronomy Festival from Thursday, September 10th through Saturday, September 12th. All events are free but some may require pre-registration.
Visitors are invited to join rangers, volunteers, and amateur and professional astronomers for three days and nights of incredible astronomy activities for all ages.
Great Basin is an International Dark Sky Park, as certified by DarkSky International, and features some of the darkest night skies in America. During the daytime, visitors may safely view the sun through solar telescopes, enjoy ranger programs, and participate in kids’ programs, while each evening features different events followed by hours of telescope observing staffed by astronomy volunteers. Neat!
The festival begins Thursday with solar viewing during the day, followed by the Art in the Dark program that evening. On Friday evening, guest speaker Dr. Cameron Hummels, a research scientist and director of astrophysics outreach at Caltech, will discuss his research into how galaxies like the Milky Way evolve over billions of years.
Saturday evening, Dr. Charles Jui of the University of Utah will discuss local astronomical research at the Telescope Array Project in Utah.
Be Prepared
The Astronomy Festival is one of the most exciting and busy events and weekends at Great Basin National Park. Planning ahead of time will ensure you have the best experience during your visit. Check back at this page regularly for updates if event schedules change.
Tips for a successful Astronomy Festival visit:
- Campgrounds will fill up quickly. Most park campgrounds are reservable up to 30 days in advance; Baker Creek Campground is bookable only one day ahead of arrival. Please visit the Lehman Caves Visitor Center or Great Basin Visitor Center for information on dispersed camping on public land outside of Great Basin National Park.
- Fit into one car if possible. Parking is limited at astronomy events and you will be turned away if parking lots fill.
- Bring red lights. White flashlights are not allowed at festival events in order to preserve everybody’s night vision.
- Bring plenty of layers. Telescope viewing can go well into the evening and nights get cold. Check weather forecasts as the festival approaches.
- All events are free, but reservations may be required. Check the list below or the park’s events calendar for information on specific events and if reservations are required.
- Interested in volunteering? Our festival star parties are almost entirely volunteer run and registration is required to volunteer. Find more information at this link or further below.
Telescope Viewing & Star Parties
Each night, amateur astronomers gather their telescopes near the Astronomy Amphitheater to showcase the night sky and dazzle with a peek through their eyepieces. Look at colorful star-forming nebulas, ancient star clusters, far off galaxies millions of light years distant, or the planets which dot our night sky.
Telescope viewing is driven almost entirely by volunteers donating their time and the use of their delicate equipment to the park. Treat volunteers and their telescopes with the care & respect they deserve.
Interested in being a star party volunteer at the astronomy festival? All that’s required is a telescope and a passion to share with the general public. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact the Astronomy Rangers via email by clicking here. Pre-registration is required, and those who show up without registering ahead of time will be turned away. If registration is full, you may still contact us to be on the interest check for the following year.
Great Basin Observatory Tours
Tours of the Great Basin Observatory will be on a walk-up, first come-first served basis. All park program participants must check in at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center the day of the program. Limited to 15 people per tour.
Join a ranger to see the Great Basin Observatory the only research grade observatory in a National Park. Home to a 27-inch telescope, this observatory is used for research and education purposes. This program requires a 1-mile round trip hike on a gravel trail and paved road and standing for an hour. The Great Basin Observatory Tour is not wheelchair accessible.
Recommended equipment
- Good walking shoes
- Sun protection
- Hat
Caltech Presents: Astronomy on Tap
Pub trivia, astronomy talks, food & drinks can all be found at Astronomy on Tap hosted by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) at in the town of Baker. All ages are welcome and no sign-ups are required. Arrive early to get a seat!
Join presenters on Saturday night at the Stargazer Inn & Bristlecone General Store right on Hwy 487 in Baker, just a short drive from events in the park. This event is outdoors on the back patio. Admission is free.
Recommended equipment
- Blankets
- Warm clothing
- Space trivia smarts
Art in the Dark
Join Astronomy Rangers for an art project that experiments with how our eyes see color. This accessible and kid-friendly program will challenge artists to create and paint in low light conditions, under the guidance of the Astronomy Rangers. All needed art supplies will be provided.
Together, all will create a dazzling art piece in the Astronomy Amphitheater. These pieces will then be displayed for the remainder of the festival at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center for all to see and share in.
Recommended equipment
- Blankets
- Warm clothing
Photo Workshops
Join an experienced astrophotographer and longtime Great Basin volunteer Don Riddle to learn the basics of night photography. Throughout the festival, Don will host events on photo editing, milky way photography, and nightly workshops to introduce astrophotography to all those interested.
These workshops are intended for beginner photographers looking to start exploring how to take nighttime pictures. Learn the advantages of various camera formats, exposure times, composition, and much more to enhance your ability to take beautiful night sky images. Registration is required – reserve your spot online with the Great Basin National Park Foundation.
Equipment needed for evening workshops:
- Camera (DSLR or Mirrorless)
- Wide angle lens (stock lenses are ok. f stop lower than 3.2 is preferred)
- Tripod
- Remote shutter control (Recommended)
- Red light headlamp
- Warm clothes
- Camp chair (Recommended)
- Extra memory card
- Extra camera batteries
- Thumb drive
Constellation Talk
Join a ranger and volunteers for a night under the stars. This accessible program will guide visitors through the constellations, stars, and possibly galaxies visible to the unaided eye in the Great Basin night skies. Learn how to stargaze on your own for when you head back home.
Recommended equipment
- Blankets
- Warm clothing
- Binoculars
Solar Telescopes and Crafts
Behind the Lehman Caves Visitor Center, rangers will have a solar telescope set up, allowing anybody to come and view our planet’s closest star safely. View sunspots and prominences, filaments and ejections through our specialized telescope and see the sun as you never have before.
Next to the telescope, join in creating small, take-home crafts. Build a constellation using pipe cleaner and UV sensitive beads which change color under sunlight and glow in the dark. Perfect for all ages! No registration required, just drop by.
Note: If weather is poor, solar scope will be set up but the sun may not be visible.
Ranger Programs
Join park rangers as they present their astronomy programs in the dark of the Lehman Caves Visitor Center. Topics vary, but our dark sky rangers will guide you through the night sky, our relationships with the stars, and the protected dark of Great Basin.
Programs are free and require no advance registration, but the theater is limited in space. Some standing room is available.
Want to see some of these programs beyond the festival? Attend one of our many astronomy programs throughout the summer to see what our rangers have to share in addition to telescope viewing. Learn more here!
