Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory

Great evening and night of tour and gazing. Met us at Iron Door parking lot with vans up the (closed in winter) road. All significant moves were by van, except walk from education building to sunset viewpoint. The hosts pulled out a Dobsonian to look at the Large Binocular Telescope across the valley shortly after mountain top arrival, which was a little bonus; also clear in binoculars. Toured the dome where we'd be later and viewed a star visible in broad daylight, something you don't see much! "Chalk talk" indoors with sandwiches, chips and cookies gave a warm up opportunity before sunset. Gift shop with blankets, hand warmers...and great photos available. Nice view of sunset with Kitt Peak in view. Rather windy at this viewpoint so truly bring all your warmest clothes! Returned to indoor space for a few minutes and headed back to telescope dome. It is cold, as the dome is open, but not too much wind as the dome is open just on one side, of course. There is a warm room and toilet in the dome. The lights will be out, so expect to operate in the dark or with low red light (protecting night vision), in the dome. The sky tour included six or so stops ranging from planets (including Great Red Spot on Jupiter, on our visit) to galaxies. Very nice views with good descriptions of what we viewed and the classes of objects viewed. We also watched the International Space Station fly over. Lots of lucky coincidences. They drill into your pre-arrival that it's cold. DO NOT IGNORE THIS WARNING. I don't care where you're from or how sturdy you think you are. You need ear, head, neck, foot, and full body coverage with as much insulation as you have. Thermal long sleeve top, thermal bottom or pants plus sweats or other second layer is best, WOOL socks. Your heaviest coat will be wanted. I run warm and can be fine in shorts and tee at 50F, but wore all of the above to be comfortable (and had another layer just in case). It's better to wear slightly too much than not enough when stargazing! Hosts were very good!

We attended the SkyNights Stargazing experience which is a 5 hour pre-booked event. The guides clearly love what they do and were fantastic at answering questions and making everyone feel welcome. We got a tour of the observatories during the daytime hours, attended a PowerPoint info session about the telescopes (in a heated building), ate dinner (sandwich, chips and cookies), watched the sunset at 9,120 feet (saw the green flash). We then gazed at stars, planets and saw a nebula in Orion's Belt! Tips: Give yourself extra time to get up the mountain so you can stop for the amazing views & bring a water bottle to prevent altitude sickness. It was an experience I'll never forget!

What an amazing night of star gazing. Will, Andrew and Alex, our knowledgeable and entertaining astronomers, were excellent guides and presenters of the Night Sky. Of course what stars are viewable depends on the cloud cover. We were dazzled with views of Jupiter, Saturn, Double Cluster, Orion’s Belt and Sword, the Seven Sisters and the Moon using a 32 inch telescope. After a short presentation and light sandwich dinner we experienced an awesome sunset before entering the observatory where our star gazing experience began. Highly recommend !

We did the Mt. Lemmon Observatory night program and somehow the best part was something we never expected — we got to see a rocket launch with our own eyes!!! It was absolutely surreal. We literally told them that night when we finish the tour: this was the best experience we have ever had in our whole life. If I could give 10 stars out of 5, I would. The whole program was super fun, super well-run, and never felt boring for even a second, even it is super cold . And the guides — Jeronimo and Aaron — were seriously amazing. They know an unbelievable amount, but what makes them special is how they explain everything in this super humorous, easy-to-understand way. We learned so much without it ever feeling like a class. It felt like hanging out with two hilarious, passionate experts who genuinely want you to be excited about the sky too. They also made everyone feel included. We saw a person in a wheelchair in our group, and they went out of their way to accommodate everything so he could fully enjoy the program. It was handled so smoothly and kindly, and it really showed how much they care.we also saw there was also someone in our group who was super enthusiastic about studying astronomy, and Jeronimo and Aaron were so supportive — they took time to share extra info and point them toward more resources. Between the incredible sky, the telescope viewing, the hilarious/knowledgeable guiding, and then seeing a rocket launch by eye on top of it all… this was a once-in-a-lifetime night. If you’re anywhere near Tucson, don’t even think twice — GO. But reserve ticket in advance!

My husband and I had the most amazing time at the SkyNights Stargazing program last night. Geronimo and Aaron were perfect guides. My (50-something year old) husband is an armchair astronomy buff and it was the happiest day of his life (outside our wedding and the birth of our son, lol). We got to see Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Andromeda galaxy, some other cluster galaxies and 50+ satellites! We learned so much! Suggestions for a visit: if going in the winter DRESS warmly (wool socks, insulated layers). Bring warm hat, gloves and a blanket. We were envious of the attendee who brought their battery operated heated clothing. You will enjoy more if you don’t feel cold. If you have dietary restrictions, pack your own food. If you’re not interested in astronomy, the 5 hour event will be hard to get through. But if you have interest, it will feel like not enough time. Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with high quality equipment.

One of the most memorable drives up a mountain ever, going through the different life/eco zones, seeing thousands of Saguaro cactuses at the bottom to the fir trees and snow on the top, wow!! Once at the summit it was cold. They said it twice in the prep email because it’s true… I’m Canadian and it was cold. But, they were prepared with warming rooms hot coco and coffee and they kept everyone happy. If you enjoy observational Astronomy then you need to go here. Looking through “The Schulman telescope” a 32 inch Ritchey-Chrétien reflector located at 9157 feet and seeing some of your favorite celestial targets can never be compared to anything. Highly recommend!! Big thanks to Michael, Jeronimo and William for making the experience spectacular!!

⭐ Sky Center Observatory – An Unforgettable Night! ⭐ Our evening at the Sky Center Observatory was absolutely incredible. Guided by Will, Chase, Jeranimo, and Andrew, we explored the night sky like never before. Their passion, knowledge, and sense of wonder made the experience truly special — from spotting Saturn’s rings to marveling at distant galaxies. Each guide brought their own spark, turning stargazing into something deeply inspiring. A breathtaking night under the stars — 5/5 stars, without a doubt! 🌌✨ BTW, it will be colder than you think (wind-chill). Take an extra layer you don't believe you will need. If you're visiting from out of town, grab the extra blanket from the room in your hotel. You will not regret it. We are already ready to go back with a few friends to do the overnight option.

An unforgettable night at the Mt. Lemmon Observatory! Amy and Rob made the experience fun and educational, and the 32” telescope was mind-blowing. Huge thanks to Amy for helping us get stunning star photos outside — she truly went the extra mile!

Signed up for the astronomical sky tour using the 32" telescope for observations. Because I taught Astronomy to college students way back in the 80's, I was excited to be able to look through a telescope larger than the 16" scope I have. Luckily the sky mostly cleared before we started our observation session. Of all the things we looked at, Jupiter was the best looking thing we observed. We lucked out because the Great Red Spot was visible and I really wish I'd had more time at the eyepiece. Our instructor was great. She was very animated and excited about her subject. All in all a very enjoyable evening. Worth the price of admission.

Definitely worth doing if you can! Got to see Jupiter and 4 moons! Star clusters, constellations, supernovae, and shooting stars. Pretty epic. 4 stars because there weren't many vegetarian options for food (all sandwiches had meat in them. If ur veggie or picky bring your own packed lunch)

My friend from NYC came to town to visit. At first, the price per person makes your eyes go wide ($65 per person), but after the entire night, it is WORTH 5Xs as much as the price! It was magnificent! We saw the sunset and the green flash, the International Space Center, galaxies and stars and planets and OH MY! It was so educational and interesting. It is SO cold (about 30 degrees) so I was glad I brought a lot of layers! They do sell sweatshirts in the gift shop, that my friend bought. We had two instructors and they were so knowledgeable and answered every question. It is an AMAZING experience that I'll always remember! LOVED!!! MUST DO!!!

It was great. Very informative, we were able to see many stars and planets through the telescope

Great educational experience and a lot of fun too! For a couple hours in the evening, Adam, our tour guide, did a great job teaching and engaging us in astronomy and the constellations. A light dinner was also served. We got to view the sky with 32 inch telescope and see in amazing detail the craters on our moon, the planet Jupiter with its 4 moons, some nebulas, a dying star, galaxies, and many other fascinating objects in our sky. We also spent quite a bit of time outside identifying stars and constellations outside with our naked eyes and with binoculars, as well as viewing the setting sun. Completely worth the trip up to Mt. Lemmon, although it gets very cold up there - make sure to bring a winter jacket, gloves, and a warm hat! It is so easy to see that this educational outreach program is a labor of love for Adam, and he makes astronomy so fun and easy to understand for people with all different backgrounds and levels of knowledge in astronomy. Because Tucson is such an ideal place to view the skies, everyone should take the opportunity to visit this place and take a peek inside the telescopes - it's an opportunity not very many people can say they have done, but it's been a privilege and a wonderful experience for me that I hope more people can get to experience the night program as well.