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Arizona

Grand Canyon Star Party: Astronomy at the Edge of the Universe

Program No. 16157RJ

Turn down the lights and get ready to party! At the Grand Canyon Star Party, you’ll meet astronomers, have access to more than 40 high-powered telescopes and explore Meteor Crater.

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Festivals, Misc.National Parks Science & Technology Nature & Environment

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6 days

5 nights

13 meals

5B 3L 5D

Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Flagstaff, AZ

Universe Origins, Lowell Observatory, Humans in Space

Flagstaff, AZ

Meteor Crater, Amateur Scopes, The Night Sky this Week

Flagstaff, AZ

Wupatki Natl Monument, Desert View Watchtower, Star Party

Grand Canyon Village (S Rim)

Grand Canyon History Walk, Star Party

Grand Canyon Village (S Rim)

Return to Flagstaff, Program Concludes

Flagstaff, AZ

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At a Glance

Glance down and you will see some of the oldest exposed rocks from our planet. Glance up and you will behold the origin of our universe. Welcome to the Grand Canyon Star Party! Enjoy two nights of sky watching at one of Arizona's greatest astronomical events of the year as more than 40 telescopes are pointed at the skies above to behold the wonders of clear June skies.

Activity Level

On Your Feet

Walking up to one mile over varied terrain. Elevations up to 7,000 feet.

Best of all, you’ll…

In Flagstaff, a center for astronomical study since the late 1800s, meet astronomers and discuss planetary geology, the origin of the universe, NASA projects and other current topics.
Visit Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered, and Meteor Crater, the world's best-preserved meteorite impact site, that was used as a training ground for the Apollo astronauts.
At the Grand Canyon, learn about the geology of this world wonder and national treasure while enjoying walks to its most spectacular viewpoints.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Bryan Bates

Bryan Bates is an ex-officio member of the governing board for the International Society for Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture. Under a NASA grant, he created a course manual for archaeoastronomy and published research on a solar calendar at Wupatki and an equinox site near Stoneman Lake. He is involved in a research project on archaeoastronomy at Mesa Verde National Park and teaches archaeoastronomy, as well as biology, environmental science, natural history and chemistry.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Bryan Bates View biography

David Cole View biography

David Cole has been on faculty at Northern Arizona University since 1996 and is a past recipient of the LOUIE Award for outstanding professor. Formerly assistant director of the NASA Space Grant on campus, he left that post to assume a Principal lecturer position that allows him to focus more on teaching physics and astronomy. He has three children, but none of them has expressed an interest to be an astronaut — yet.

Greg Webb View biography

Greg Webb has been a public educator and program manager for the last 20 years. In his academic career, he acquired degrees in geography, sociology, and a master’s in "Sustainable Communities". He has held positions as a National Park Ranger at Sequoia National Park as well as Montezuma Castle National Monument. Currently, Greg is working as an exploration leader primarily in Grand Canyon and is excited to be part of the Road Scholar program.

Christopher Eaves View biography

Christopher Eaves has called the Southwest home for the past two decades, exploring the wild lands and rivers of the region. After teaching middle school math and science for 15 years, he joined Road Scholar to continue his ongoing passion for promoting learning. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Western University of Colorado and a master’s in Education from Northern Arizona University. Chris's hobbies include mountain biking, hiking, and traveling the globe with his spouse and children.

Joel Kane View biography

Joel Kane grew up roaming Appalachian Pennsylvania but has called the Southwest home for many years. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he earned a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Joel began working as an interpretive park ranger for the National Park Service at several parks across the west; he also pursued graduate studies in geology at Northern Arizona University, where has been working full-time as a program coordinator and group leader for Road Scholar programs since 2022.

Suggested Reading List (8 books)

Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop

You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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Grand Canyon Star Party: Astronomy at the Edge of the Universe

Program Number: 16157

Foundations of Astronomy

by Seeds, Michael A

New edition of a colorful textbook for introductory astronomy courses. It presents astronomy as a unified system of understanding that relates the student's personal experience to the basic processes in the universe. This edition includes new discoveries and hypotheses as well as the more gradual changes in understanding among astronomers concerning such things as black holes, dark matter, and the geology of Venus. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) 736pp Biography: Mike Seeds is Professor, Emeritus of Astronomy at Franklin and Marshall College, where he has taught since 1970. His research interests have focused on peculiar variable stars and the automation of astronomical telescopes. He extended his research by serving as the principal astronomer in charge of the Phoenix 10, the first fully robotic telescope, located in southern Arizona.

The Theory of Everything

by Hawking, Stephen

Hawking takes readers on a fascinating journey through the telescopic lens of modern physics to gain a new glimpse of the universe--the nature of black holes, the space-time continuum, and new information about the origin of the universe. 132pp

The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

by Greene, Brian

A new edition of the New York Times bestseller—now a three-part Nova special: a fascinating and thought-provoking journey through the mysteries of space, time, and matter. 464pp

The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet

by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

From Pluto's 1930 discovery to the emotional reaction worldwide to its demotion from planetary status, astrophysicist, science popularizer and Hayden Planetarium director deGrasse Tyson (Death by Black Hole) offers a lighthearted look at the planet. Astronomical calculations predicted the presence of a "mysterious and distant Planet X" decades before Clyde Tombaugh spotted it in 1930. DeGrasse Tyson speculates on why straw polls show Pluto to be the favorite planet of American elementary school students (for one, "Pluto sounds the most like a punch line to a hilarious joke"). But Pluto's rock and ice composition, backward rotation and problematic orbit raised suspicions. As the question of Pluto's nature was definitively relegated Pluto to the icy realm of Kuiper Belt Objects (cold, distant leftovers from the solar system's being debated by scientists, the newly constructed Rose Center for Earth and Space at the Hayden Planetarium quietly but formation), raising a firestorm. Astronomers discussed and argued and finally created an official definition of what makes a planet. This account, if a bit Tyson-centric, presents the medicine of hard science with a sugarcoating of lightness and humor. 35 color and 10 b&w illus. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 194pp

A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes

by Hawking, Stephen

Hawking's discovery that black holes emit particles caused great excitement among astronomers. In this succinct overview of current theories of the cosmos, the Cambridge University physicist modestly weaves in his own notable contributions while giving due credit to his colleagues. He explains why relativity implies that a "big bang'' occurred and examines string theory, which posits a universe of 10 or 26 dimensions. His understanding of time's flow leads him to conclude that intelligent beings can only exist during the expansion phase of our increasingly chaotic universe. New research on black holes and subatomic particles holds implications for scientists who, like Hawking, are attempting to devise a unified theory linking Einstein to quantum mechanics. The merit of this book is Hawking's ability to make these ideas graspable by the lay reader. Publisher's Weekly (April) 224pp

Islands in the Sky: Bold New Ideas for Colonizing Space

by Schmidt, Stanley

"Let the meek inherit the earth—the rest of us are going to the stars! Here's how it's going to be done." — Robert Zubrin "These articles are not 'just science fiction.' They are things we can do—and with any luck at all, and vision and determination, we will." — Stanley Schmidt Take off on a thrilling journey of space exploration and speculation—to the realm where science fiction becomes science fact—as leading writers, researchers, and astronautic engineers describe a not-too-distant future of interstellar travel and colonization. From cable cars that ride "skyhooks" into space to rockets that can refuel out of Martian air, from "terraforming" planets (a process that makes them habitable for human life) to faster-than-light propulsion systems, Islands in the Sky offers an astonishing collection of challenging—and plausible—ideas and proposals from the pages of Analog magazine. Brilliant and provocative, here is fun-filled reading for everyone interested in science, technology, and the future. 276pp Biography: STANLEY SCHMIDT, Ph.D., is the Editor of Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact magazine, for which he has received 16 Hugo Award nominations. He is the author of four novels, including Lifeboat Earth and Newton and the Quasi-Apple, and is a member of the Board of Advisors of the National Space Society.

Grand Canyon: A History of a Natural Wonder and National Park

by Don Lago

The Grand Canyon has long inspired deep emotions and responses. For the Native Americans who lived there, the canyon was home, full of sacred meanings. For the first European settlers to see it, the canyon drove them to great exploration adventures. Yet the canyon held an even deeper importance for America's pioneer conservationists such as Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, and Aldo Leopold, and it played a central role in the emerging environmental movement. Many vivid characters shaped the canyon's past. It's largest story is one of cultural history and changing American visions of the land. This book is a mixture of great story-telling, unlikely characters, and important ideas. It will appeal to anyone interested in gaining a broader understanding of the canyon.

Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandries

by Tyson, Neil DeGrasse

What would it feel like if your spaceship were to venture too close to the black hole lurking at the center of the Milky Way? According to astrophysicist Tyson, director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium, size does matter when it comes to black holes, although the chances of your surviving the encounter aren't good in any case. Tyson takes readers on an exciting journey from Earth's hot springs, where extremophiles flourish in hellish conditions, to the frozen, desolate stretches of the Oort Cloud and the universe's farthest reaches, in both space and time. Tyson doesn't restrict his musings to astrophysics, but wanders into related fields like relativity and particle physics, which he explains just as clearly as he does Lagrangian points, where we someday may park interplanetary filling stations. He tackles popular myths (is the sun yellow?) and takes movie directors most notably James Cameron to task for spectacular goofs. In the last section the author gives his take on the hot subject of intelligent design. Readers of Natural History magazine will be familiar with many of the 42 essays collected here, while newcomers will profit from Tyson's witty and entertaining description of being pulled apart atom by atom into a black hole, and other, closer-to-earth, and cheerier, topics. 9 illus. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. 384pp

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Grand Canyon Star Party: Astronomy at the Edge of the Universe

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At a Glance

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