June 2, 2009, 3:10 pm
June is prime time for stargazing in the Southwest—with night sky festivals and events at Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon and Tuzigoot National Monument!
Far away from urban centers, the Colorado Plateau boasts some of the darkest night skies in the country and offers unmatched skywatching opportunities. Take advantage of the renowned night skies of the American Southwest by attending a stargazing festival or program this June.
At Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah they’re gearing up for the 9th Annual Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival, taking place June 17-19. The festival will feature stargazing sessions using the huge telescope of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society, constellation tours with the park’s famed “Dark Rangers,” rocket building workshops and talks by leading astronomers, including keynote speaker John Stoke of the National Science Foundation.
If you can’t make it to Bryce for the astronomy festival, don’t fret! Bryce’s Dark Rangers also lead a variety of astronomy programs throughout the year.
The Star Party at Grand Canyon National Park runs June 13-20, with free star programs and plenty of telescopes for viewing planets, star clusters, galaxies and nebulae by night, and the sun by day. Events will take place on both the north and south rim of the canyon.
Finally, Tuzigoot National Monument, near Clarkdale, Arizona, will be open for a special, free evening astronomy program on June 12. Explore the night skies of the Verde Valley as the ancient Sinagua people did and enjoy a traditional native flute performance from local musician David Wolfs Robe. Gates open at 7 p.m., and the Dark Skies Over Tuzigoot program will begin at 7:30 p.m.
