With more than 20 telescopes and hosts from across the region, the free annual Flagstaff Star Party is offering three nights of stargazing into Northern Arizona’s starry autumn nights, along with rich presentations tapping into the global cultural wealth of our night sky heritage. The world’s most accessible star party in the first International Dark Sky City is scheduled for 6-10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 22-24, at Buffalo Park, occurring during Celebration of the Night – a six-week season of wonder, discovery and education.

“Astronomers from all over bring their knowledge and their telescopic instruments to examine the sacred dark skies of this region,” said Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition (FDSC) member William Seven. “This mesa has become the place where one meditates under the solemnity of the star-filled night sky and realizes these are the same skies our ancestors have been observing for millennia upon millennia.”

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Flagstaff Star Party

Guests will be introduced to stars of the night, including the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion and Sagittarius the Archer. “Just to the left of the stinger or Scorpius and between Sagittarius sits the center of our Milky Way Galaxy,” said Seven. “This is the hub of our spinning galaxy and is made up of a highly concentrated mass of stars.”

Volunteer astronomers operating their telescopes and pointing out constellations and planets say they enjoy the event as much as the guests, with whom they share the wonders of Flagstaff’s famous night sky. “From Buffalo Park, the view of the San Francisco Peaks a few miles away is spectacular and so is the one of Saturn, more than 800 million miles away, and galaxies a million trillion miles away,” said Drew Carhart, telescope host and FDSC executive board member, who brings his telescope to the Flagstaff Star Party each year from Chicago. “The Flagstaff Star Party provides a great chance for those of us who love to explore the cosmos with our eyes and share our views with everyone else.”

Viewing Camels in the Sky

Opening the 2022 Star Party is cultural astronomer Dr. Danielle Adams of Lowell Observatory with her Twilight Talk, “Two Mountains, One Dark Sky: Our Heritage of Indigenous Arabian Astronomy,” at 6:45 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 22, near the entrance of Buffalo Park. Guests can expect an inspiring journey to discover the astronomical knowledge of ancient Arabia and its enduring heritage in some of the star names we use today. Using the slow darkening of the twilight sky over Buffalo Park, Dr. Adams will showcase the importance of dark skies to the development of the rich cultural traditions that connect us to the stars.

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Sharing the Sunset

On Thursday and Friday during the three-day Star Party, asteroid discoverer Brian Skiff of Lowell Observatory will share what happens as day transitions to night. Guests can gather for his Sunset Talk at 6 p.m., Sept. 22 and 23, at Buffalo Park.

Venturing into the Egyptian Underworld

Starting at 5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 25, at Arizona Nordic Village, Flagstaff residents and visitors are invited to a special ticketed destination event featuring legendary Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass for Flagstaff Dark Skies: An Evening of Awareness, Appreciation & Awe, A Night Journey into Ancient Egypt’s Afterlife. Dr. Hawass will take guests on a dramatic voyage into the underworld, signaled by nightfall, where mythological gods, strange creatures and gatekeepers were believed to greet the deceased. This unique evening under Flagstaff’s extraordinary dark starry skies includes telescope viewing, music by the Dark Sky Quartet, heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Seating is limited. Tickets are $65 per person.

“I watched the starry sky disappear over my lifetime in the Midwest and I realize what an important, yet fragile thing it is,” said Carhart. “I cherish every minute that I spend under Flagstaff’s view of our Universe!”

The free Flagstaff Star Party and Celebration of the Night is hosted by the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition and made possible through support from the Arizona Office of Tourism, Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff, the City of Flagstaff, Creative Flagstaff, BBB Revenues, KAFF Radio, Findlay Toyota, Babbitt Brothers Foundation, Lowell Observatory, Arizona Nordic Village, Northern Arizona University, KNAU Arizona Public Radio, Coconino Astronomical Society, U.S. Geological Survey, Little America, Arizona Rangers, Flagstaff Business News, Meteor Crater, APS, Pepsi Nackard, Clear Aire Audio, Sonesta ES Suites and many private individuals.