An Arizona observatory is offering unparalleled views of the night sky as part of a thousand-dollar package that gives guests the full astronomer experience.
The National Science Foundation's NOIRLAb, a federally funded research center, has been welcoming overnight visitors for nearly three decades.
The customized program – which starts at $945 on Eventbrite and can total $1,350 including fees – designates four guests to be “visiting astronomers” at one of four designated telescopes.
“Visual observation and imaging of amazing deep-sky objects are both possible,” the listing reads. “If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an astronomer, this program is for you.”
Making the trek to Kitt Peak National Observatory, 60 miles outside of Tucson, visitors will get acquainted with the terrain before settling in until dark, when the real fun begins.
Kitt Peak National Observatory is located just over 50 miles outside of Tucson, Arizona, and is home to several telescopes
The observatory, operated by the National Science Foundation's NOIRLAb, invites overnight guests to explore the night sky. Pictured: the Visitor Center's Roll Off Roof Observatory
The 20-hour experience, which carries a price tag of $1,000, includes dinner, a dorm room and the assistance of a professional scientist
A visit runs from 3:00 PM to 11:00 AM the next day. Upon arrival at the visitor center, guests will be introduced to their telescope operator, who will lead them to their dormitories in a rustic 1950s motel-style building.
After dinner in the cafeteria, and as soon as a telescope becomes available, visitors are let loose on the night sky.
The telescope operator will help them use the powerful scientific instruments and locate certain deep sky objects.
This professional can compile an observation list, or leave this to the guests. Celestial bodies such as Jupiter, Mars and Pluto can all be visible in one night, depending on conditions.
The NOIRLAb encourages potential visitors to inquire in advance whether certain objects will be visible during their trip, because “parts of the sky will not be above the horizon on any given night and some objects will be too faint to see.”
“However, no prior experience in astronomy is necessary to participate.”
No prior experience is necessary to use any of the four designed telescopes on campus. In the photo: the 0.5-meter telescope of the visitor center
The NOIRLAB asks guests to email in advance if they want to see certain celestial objects, because “parts of the sky will not be above the horizon on any given night and some objects will be too faint to see”
Kitt Peak has been welcoming guests since about 1998 and its overnight program has proven to be one of its most popular offerings. In the photo: the visitors center after the renovation in 1978
Kitt Peak reopened its doors after closures due to the pandemic and a devastating wildfire. In the photo: the 0.4-meter telescope at the Levine Visitor Center
Kitt Peak was previously closed due to the pandemic and the 2022 Contreras Fire, which charred trees and scorched the road to the observatory.
The flames knocked out power and caused interior damage that took months to assess. It also caused the loss of a dormitory, a hut on the southwest ridge and a barn behind the fire shed.
The NOIRLAb facilities reopened to the public in June 2023, including locations in Hawaii and Chile.
The Kitt Peak overnight program, which started around 1998, has proven particularly popular; all dates are currently sold out until the end of the year.
The facilities are located a whopping 2,096 feet up the mountain, on land belonging to the Tohono O'odham Nation.
Guests can use the Levine 0.4-meter telescope and the 0.5-meter telescope, both enclosed in domes, and a retractable roof observatory that offers stunning views of the Milky Way.
The road leading to the observatory was closed after the 2022 Contreras Fire. Pictured: A landslide that occurred in the aftermath of the wildfire
The facilities are located no less than 2096 meters up the mountain and offer breathtaking views of the Milky Way. In the photo: the 0.5-meter telescope of the visitor center
Guests are accompanied by a telescope operator, who will assist them in using the instruments and can compile an observation list upon request. In the photo: the 0.4-meter telescope in the Roll Off Roof Observatory
The NOIRLAb facilities reopened to the public in June 2023, including locations in Hawaii and Chile
Bob Davis, former editor-in-chief at the Wall Street Journal, wrote a piece about his experiences.
He said the group was accompanied by Mike Murray, a retired rocket engineer, who led them on a campus tour and provided a meticulously detailed overview of how telescopes worked.
“Before we arrived, he had sent us a sort of 40-page menu, with pictures of the galaxies – huge spheres, spirals and clusters – that we could possibly see,” Davis said.
“But once we got there, in the middle of nowhere, we let him take the wheel and pick his favorite highlights.”
Davis and his friends began looking at the stars under a clear, moonless sky. While he enjoyed the experience, he noticed that the telescopes malfunctioned and in several cases stopped working.
However, he was sent a partial refund – “which I returned, explaining that I had no complaints,” he said.
Representatives say the outages are partly due to the observatory ramping up its visitor services so quickly after the pandemic shutdown.
The now defunct McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope was once the largest solar telescope in the world
Telescopes on site may experience outages, which representatives say is due to the rapid reopening in the wake of the pandemic. In that case, a refund will be offered
Overnight visits cost a starting rate of $945 on Eventbrite, which includes a campus tour
A full refund, minus Eventbrite fees, will be offered if the facility must cancel the program itself due to unpredictable weather or “other safety issues beyond our control.”
Other telescopes guests can see during their tour are among the most impressive in the world.
One of these, the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter telescope, is known for discovering methane ice on Pluto.
The massive 3.5-meter WIYN telescope, whose NEID instrument is designed to measure the motion of stars with extreme precision, is a state-of-the-art exoplanet hunter.
Although the McMath-Pierce solar telescope was decommissioned, it was the largest solar telescope in the world for decades.