Celebrate Flagstaff’s Dark Skies with the  Flagstaff Star Party

Jupiter, Venus, and Cygnus the Swan flying south through the Milky Way are among the stars expected to shine at the annual Flagstaff Star Party, a three-night event, 6 – 10 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30 through Saturday, Oct. 2, at Buffalo Park! Professional and amateur telescope hosts from around the region will guide residents and visitors through the universe in the free outdoor event hosted by the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition. Guests are encouraged to bring their binoculars for the Binocular Circle occurring in the early evening each night. 

Before the stars come out, Lowell Asteroid Discoverer Brian Skiff will take guests on an insightful Sunset Tour as day fades to twilight at 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday evenings, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. At 6:45 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30, USGS Astrogeologist Ryan Anderson will share the latest from Mars, along with the most spectacular views as we catch up on rovers Curiosity and Perseverance. At 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 1, retired NAU Astronomy Professor David Koerner will offer Music of the Spheres – The Role of Harmony in Western Cultural Astronomy. And at 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2, the Dark Sky String Quartet will perform works under the evening sky inspired by the night.

The Flagstaff Star Party is the world’s most accessible and dark star party. It is occurring during Celebration of the Night, a season of activities from September through mid-October that includes NightVisons Satellite exhibits in downtown galleries, workshops, a socially distanced open-air Dark Skies Walk and more! 

Debuting at 5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 26, is Luminous – a documentary that tells the story of the first astronomer in history to publicly predict the near-future explosion of a star. Visit FlagstaffDarkSkies.org for the link.

New this year – Arabian Nights – a live, remote telescope viewing event from Lowell Observatory’s GODO Deck, features Lowell’s Danielle Adams and retired NAU Astronomy Professor David Koerner at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 28. Visit FlagstaffDarkSkies.org for the link.

The Night Sky Photography Workshop, Wednesday, Sept. 29, is hosted by professional photographer Stan Honda for those seeking to capture great night images. The Telescope Workshop for those ready to dust off their telescopes or figure out why they aren’t working is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 30. Both require reservations and are located at Moonshot at NACET.

The Flagstaff Star Party and Celebration of the Night are supported by Creative Flagstaff, City of Flagstaff BBB Revenues, Lowell Observatory, Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff, KAFF Country and Great Circle Media, Northern Arizona University, Babbitt Brothers Foundation, KNAU, APS, Flagstaff Business News, Sonesta ES Suites Flagstaff, Arizona Rangers and Coconino Astronomical Society.

Most events are free and all live star viewing activities are dependent on clear night skies. For public safety, the Coalition is encouraging masks for all those who are not vaccinated. For more information, visit FlagstaffDarkSkies.org