Grand Canyon Star Party, June 18-25, 2022

[Skylook123]

Hello All,

Family health and other life events got in the way for a few years, but I must come out of my cave to get this great news out.

The 32nd annual Grand Canyon Star Party (GCSP) will return to an in-person event, to be held June 18 through 25, 2022, in northern Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park. GCSP is an annual collaboration between the National Park Service and astronomers from around North America and often the world to bring astronomy outreach to Park visitors.  The Moon will be at third quarter for the week, giving us dark skies for the usual nightly duration of the event. 

Amateur astronomers with a telescope or binoculars and love of the sky to share, as well as the interested public of all ages, are invited to experience the beautiful Arizona nights in an exploration of the heavenly Grand Canyon skies. Not an astronomer? Drop in for an unforgettable and fabulous vacation for families, singles, and seniors.

GCSP will be held concurrently on both the North and South Rims.  Volunteers may attend 1 night, all 8 nights, or any number in between.  At the South Rim, visitors to the park are welcome to come to the observing site behind the Main Visitor Center at their leisure at no cost other than Park entrance fee and observe through any or all of the many telescopes available.  Reservations are not required for visitors.  North Rim activity information may also be found below including further North Rim site information.

At the South Rim component, daytime outreach has grown over the years, with hands-on demonstrations on astronomical topics at the Main Visitor Center and occasionally in the Bright Angel area, as well as solar, lunar, and planetary observing during the day around the park.  Also at the South Rim, although the theater is expected to be closed for this year’s event, in front of the Visitor Center we plan to have a variety of nightly presentations by a great group of speakers as the twilight deepens.  For the South Rim, we have space available for larger instruments, and an area reserved for live video setups, that may be left in place for the duration.

Volunteer astronomers are required to pre-register with the coordinator for the Rim they wish to join, although the North Rim Grand Canyon Lodge Veranda is usually filled early in the year.  Astronomers are responsible for securing their own lodging.

For more information including registration for volunteers, web sites and contact information are shown below. Please contact Steve for the North Rim, or me for the South Rim, if you are interested in attending or for questions you might have.

North Rim:

2022 Grand Canyon Star Party – Saguaro Astronomy Club

Steve Dodder
Coordinator, North Rim, Grand Canyon Star Party
53750 W. Prickley Pear Rd.

Maricopa, AZ 85239

E-mail: fester00 [at] hotmail.com

Phone: 1-602-390-0118

South Rim

http://tucsonastronomy.org/upcoming-events/grand-canyon-star-party/

Jim O’Connor
Coordinator, South Rim, Grand Canyon Star Party
P.O. Box 41254

Tucson, Arizona 85717

E-mail:

General Information:   gcsp [at] tucsonastronomy.org

 

Jim O’Connor

“Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science” - Edwin Hubble

 

[Sp@ce_d]

Great to see this back on. Coincidentally it’ll be 32 years this year since I last hiked the canyon, yet the memory of those amazing skies never left me. So many stars I struggled to pick out familiar constellations. This’ll be a fantastic star party.