Starry, Starry Nights
Southern Arizona's clear skies and the absence of lights in the surrounding desert make the night sky here as brilliant as anywhere on earth. This fact has not gone unnoticed by the world's astronomers -- southern Arizona has come to be known as the Astronomy Capital of the World.
Many observatories are open to the public, but you'll need to make tour reservations well in advance. In addition to the ones listed below, the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium in Tucson offers public viewings. In Flagstaff, there are public viewing programs at the Lowell Observatory.
The Smithsonian Institution Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (tel. 520/670-5707; www.cfa.harvard.edu/flwo/visitcenter.html), located atop 8,550-foot Mount Hopkins, is the largest observatory operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Six-hour tours of the observatory are offered mid-March through November Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and cost $7 for adults, $2.50 for children 6 to 12; no children under 6 allowed. Reservations are required and should be made 4 to 6 weeks in advance. No food is available here, so bring a picnic lunch. The observatory's visitor center (Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm; closed federal holidays) is located on Mount Hopkins Road, near Amado (take Exit 56 off I-19, drive south 3 miles, and turn left on Elephant Head Road and then right on Mount Hopkins Road).
Located in the Quinlan Mountains atop 6,875-foot Kitt Peak, Kitt Peak National Observatory (tel. 520/318-8726; www.noao.edu/kpno) is the largest and most famous astronomical observatory in the region. This is the area's only major observatory to offer public nighttime viewing. Day visitors, however, must be content with a visitor center (daily 9am-3:45pm), museum, and guided tour. Tours are held at 10am, 11:30am, and 1:30pm. Admission is by $2 per person suggested donation, and tours are $3.50 for adults and $2 for children ages 6 to 12. The observatory is 56 miles southwest of Tucson off Arizona 86. Nighttime stargazing (reservations required; call 4-8 weeks in advance) costs $39 adults; $34 students, seniors, and children under 18. The visitor center is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
The Mount Graham International Observatory near the town of Safford offers 7-hour tours that include lunch but do not include viewing through the observatory's telescopes. Tours are arranged through Eastern Arizona College's Discovery Park Campus, 1651 W. Discovery Park Blvd., Safford (tel. 928/428-6260; www.discoverypark.com). The tours are held on Saturdays between early May and mid-November, and cost $40 (reservations required).
Situated on the grounds of the privately owned Vega-Bray Observatory, an amateur observatory with six telescopes and a planetarium, the Astronomer's Inn, 1311 S. Astronomer's Rd., Benson, AZ 85602 (tel. 520/586-7906; www.astronomersinn.com), is one of the most unusual lodgings in the state. The inn provides guests with not only a bed for the night, but a chance to observe the night sky and the sun through the observatory's telescopes. Viewing programs range from $59 to $130 per night. The inn is located 4 miles outside Benson; call for directions. Rates are $85 to $129 double.
