There’s no place quite like Bryce Canyon by day, and no time like a new moon in June to enjoy it by night. Astronomy festivals feature family-friendly daytime activities and special evening programs, telescope viewing, and constellation tours.
See below for our schedule of events. As always, attending the festival is free with park admission. Some events require advance sign-up. Evening programs have tickets available same-day at 8 a.m. the Visitor Center. There is no advance sign-up. Other programs, such as this year's new astrophotography workshop, can be signed up for in advance. Most other programs, including nightly telescope viewing, are open to the public.
Visit our Ranger Program page for more information on our regularly-offered ranger programs.
2024
Schedule of Events
Our 2024 festival is scheduled from Wednesday, June 5 through Saturday, June 8.
Evening Programs
Star Stories
8:30 p.m. 45 minutes
Planetarium Educator Dr. Amy Sayle takes you on a trip through the constellations and the eternal legends they tell. Help act out one of the greatest star stories ever told.
Dr. Amy Sayle is a longtime planetarium educator, storyteller, coordinator of large public skywatching events, coordinator of North Carolina's annual Statewide Star Party, and member of the Chapel Hill and Raleigh astronomy clubs.
NOTE: Location given at sign-up. This program requires reservations, which can be made same-day at the Visitor Center beginning at 8 a.m. until capacity is reached. Tickets limited to 6 per group.
Just 42!
9:00 p.m. 45 minutes
Astronomy math is VERY hard, but the science itself is pretty simple when compared to biology, geology, etc. Once you exclude Earth, there's only 42 things left to learn about before you can understand the rest of the known Universe. Join Kevin "The Dark Ranger" Poe to get a semester's worth of astronomy from this single show.
NOTE: Location given at sign-up. This program requires reservations, which can be made same-day at the Visitor Center beginning at 8 a.m. until capacity is reached. Tickets limited to 6 per group.
Stargazing
10:00 p.m. - Midnight
Aditional Parking lot across from Visitor Center Shuttle hours will be extended for the festival. As parking at the Visitor Center and evening program locations will be limited, we advise parking at the Shuttle Station or boarding from your campground in the park. Shuttles will run until 12:15 a.m.
Volunteers point their telescopes at some of the night sky's most spectacular sights. White-light flashlights are prohibited due to their negative impact on night vision.
Free Astrophotography Workshop
9:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
High Plateaus Institute and Bryce Amphitheater area See detailed information and sign up below.
Daytime Activities
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Solar telescopes (weather and staffing dependent) and a special NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and University of Utah booth.
Evening Programs
Cosmology: Uncovering Time and Space
8:30 p.m. 45 minutes
Hear about the history and future of the universe! I'll talk about how cosmology started, how it's going, and where it could take us. Some of the newest research from JWST and DESI have helped refine our views of the early universe and give us new insight into dark energy. Unsurprisingly, there has been some dramatic claims about this research, so come find out what all the hubbub may actually be telling us.
NOTE: Location given at sign-up. This program requires reservations, which can be made same-day at the Visitor Center beginning at 8 a.m. until capacity is reached. Tickets limited to 6 per group.
Paul Ricketts is an Interpretive Specialist and director of WEO and SPO observatories at the University of Utah Department of physics and astronomy. Lead for the "AstronomUr" outreach group who travel the state providing astronomy and physics outreach for K-12 and public education groups. He is currently part of the local International Dark Sky Association and has helped over a dozen IDA Dark Sky parks and towns in Utah reach designated Dark Sky status.
Tour of the Universe: You Are Here
9:00 p.m. 45 minutes
Rocket through space and sail among billions of stars and galaxies. Utilizing some amazing simulation software Astronomer Dean Regas will guide you through the mind-boggling scale of the universe. Along the way you’ll stop at the Moon and individual planets. Then you’ll make the jump to lightspeed and head to interstellar space and see all the galaxies in the universe.
NOTE: Location given at sign-up. This program requires reservations, which can be made same-day at the Visitor Center beginning at 8 a.m. until capacity is reached. Tickets limited to 6 per group.
About Dean Regas: Dean Regas is a renowned public speaker, author, educator, national popularizer of astronomy and an expert in observational astronomy.He served as the astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory from 2000-2023. He is the author of six books including "100 Things to See in the Night Sky" and “How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto”. From 2010-2019 Dean was the co-host of the PBS program Star Gazers.Dean has contributed to Astronomy Magazine, Sky and Telescope Magazine, Farmer's Almanac, USAToday, Science Friday and Here & Now. He is also the host of a popular astronomy podcast called "Looking Up with Dean Regas"Dean brings the complicated field of astronomy down to Earth for people of all ages.
Stargazing
10:00 p.m. - Midnight
Aditional Parking lot across from Visitor Center Shuttle hours will be extended for the festival. As parking at the Visitor Center and evening program locations will be limited, we advise parking at the Shuttle Station or boarding from your campground in the park. Shuttles will run until 12:15 a.m.
Volunteers point their telescopes at some of the night sky's most spectacular sights. White-light flashlights are prohibited due to their negative impact on night vision.
Free Astrophotography Workshop
9:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
High Plateaus Institute and Bryce Amphitheater area See detailed information and sign up below.
Daytime Activities
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Solar telescopes (weather and staffing dependent) and a special NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and University of Utah booth.
Evening Program
Star Stories
8:30 p.m. 45 minutes
Planetarium Educator Dr. Amy Sayle takes you on a trip through the constellations and the eternal legends they tell. Help act out one of the greatest star stories ever told.
Dr. Amy Sayle is a longtime planetarium educator, storyteller, coordinator of large public skywatching events, coordinator of North Carolina's annual Statewide Star Party, and member of the Chapel Hill and Raleigh astronomy clubs.
NOTE: Location given at sign-up. This program requires reservations, which can be made same-day at the Visitor Center beginning at 8 a.m. until capacity is reached. Tickets limited to 6 per group.
Dear ET: A history and discussion about humanity's attempts to contact ET life
North Campground Outdoor Theater 9:00 p.m. 45 minutes
Join Astrobiologist, Julia DeMarines, as we discuss three big questions with BIG implications. What would you say to an alien if given the chance? Should we be sending messages to aliens, exposing our location in the cosmos? Who speaks for Earth? Julia will discuss the history of METI (Messaging ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) and the ethical issues invoIved in sending these powerful messages out there. If you've watched or read The Three Body Problem, this talk is for you! Audience participation is encouraged!
Julia DeMarines is an Astrobiologist, National Geographic Explorer, a graduate student in UC Berkeley’s Earth and Planetary Science Department, and a researcher with the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. Her research involves detecting life in the Universe through biosignatures (signs of biology) and technosignatures (signs of technology) and the ethics of sending powerful, intentional messages into space to contact aliens. She holds a Master’s degree in Space Studies from the International Space University and a Bachelor's in Astronomy from the University of Colorado. Outside of academia Julia is a passionate STEM educator with the Ad Astra Academy and science communicator. In 2013 she created Space in Your Face! which aims to communicate complex space concepts in fun and engaging ways because everyone deserves to understand the Universe we belong to.
NOTE: If there is inclement weather this program will be moved to the Lodge Auditorium, where tickets will be required. These can be picked up same-day at the Visitor Center beginning at 8 a.m. until capacity is reached. Tickets limited to 6 per group.
Stargazing
10:00 p.m. - Midnight
Aditional Parking lot across from Visitor Center Shuttle hours will be extended for the festival. As parking at the Visitor Center and evening program locations will be limited, we advise parking at the Shuttle Station or boarding from your campground in the park. Shuttles will run until 12:15 a.m.
Volunteers point their telescopes at some of the night sky's most spectacular sights. White-light flashlights are prohibited due to their negative impact on night vision.
Free Astrophotography Workshop
9:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
High Plateaus Institute and Bryce Amphitheater area See detailed information and sign up below.
Daytime Activities
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Solar telescopes (weather and staffing dependent) and a special NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and University of Utah booth.
Keynote Program
Science Behind NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
North Campground Outdoor Theater 9:00 p.m. 45 minutes
Hear from NASA scientist, Dr. Julie McEnery, about the next NASA flagship telescope, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Scheduled to launch before May 2027, Roman is designed to settle essential questions in the areas of dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics. NOTE: If there is inclement weather this program will be moved to the Lodge Auditorium, where tickets will be required. These can be picked up same-day at the Visitor Center beginning at 8 a.m. until capacity is reached. Tickets limited to 6 per group.
About Dr. Julie McEnery: Dr. Julie McEnery is an accomplished scientist with over two decades of experience in space research. As the Senior Project Scientist for the Roman Space Telescope, she is responsible for leading the scientific goals of the mission and ensuring that they are achieved.
McEnery received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manchester and went on to earn her PhD in Physics from University College Dublin. After completing her education, she began her career focusing on studying high-energy astrophysics and gamma-ray bursts.
In 2002, McEnery joined NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center as a research astrophysicist. During her time at Goddard, she worked on several missions, including the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, where she served as the Project Scientist. Her work on Fermi contributed significantly to our understanding of high-energy astrophysics, including the discovery of the first counterpart to a gravitational wave source in 2017.
In 2020, McEnery was appointed as the Senior Project Scientist for the Roman Space Telescope, a NASA observatory set to launch in the mid-2020s. As the lead scientist for the mission, she is responsible for ensuring that the telescope meets its scientific objectives, which include studying dark energy, dark matter, and the formation of galaxies.
McEnery is an active member of the scientific community and has received numerous awards for her contributions to the field of astrophysics. In 2012, she was awarded the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for her work on the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. She is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society. In 2015, McEnery was awarded an honorary doctorate from University College Dublin. The Julie McEnery Medal at University College Dublin is awarded in her honor.
In addition to her research, McEnery is a dedicated mentor and educator. She has mentored many students and early-career scientists and is committed to increasing diversity in the STEM fields. She has also taught classes and given talks on astrophysics and space science at universities and conferences around the world. She is co-Director of the Joint Space Science Institute between Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland and at the George Washington University.
Stargazing
10:00 p.m. - Midnight
Aditional Parking lot across from Visitor Center Shuttle hours will be extended for the festival. As parking at the Visitor Center and evening program locations will be limited, we advise parking at the Shuttle Station or boarding from your campground in the park. Shuttles will run until 12:15 a.m.
Volunteers point their telescopes at some of the night sky's most spectacular sights. White-light flashlights are prohibited due to their negative impact on night vision.
Free Astrophotography Workshop
9:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
High Plateaus Institute and Bryce Amphitheater area See detailed information and sign up below.
New!
Free Astrophotography Workshop
Join astrophotographer Don Riddle and Dr. Michael Kelzenberg from CalTech for a special astrophotography workshop. The workshop is open to all levels of experience, but is geared toward beginners. Workshops are free, but limited to 15 people per night. Classes begin at 9 p.m. with 90 minutes of instruction at the High Plateaus Institute near Sunrise Point, followed by astrophotography among the hoodoos of the Bryce Amphitheater. Open to ages 8 and older.
NOTE: We are currently at capacity for all four nights. E-mail below to join the waiting list!
Review the information below, then sign up by e-mailing brca_information@nps.gov or clicking this link.
Camera with ISO up to 6400 (DSLR or Mirrorless)
Wide angle lens 50mm or less (stock lenses 18- 55 mm can work. f stop lower than 3.2 recommended)
Sturdy Tripod
Red light headlamp
Warm Clothes
Memory Card
Thumb Drive
Extra Batteries (Recommended)
Camp Chair (Recommended)
Remote shutter control (Recommended)
9 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Classroom instruction on principles of astrophotography and getting your camera set up for the night.
10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. (or as late as you like)
Astrophotography among the hoodoos of the Bryce Amphitheater near Sunrise Point. Experiment with composition and other special effects with Don and Dr. Kelzenberg.
(Optional) Next Day: 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Learn in-depth how to edit the photos you took the night before with guidance from Don and Dr. Kelzenberg.
Map of Festival Activities
Learn more about where to go for the 2023 Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival by visiting the activity map. The 2024 map will be very similar, and is coming soon.
Daytime Activities
Daytime activities include activity tents, solar telescopes, and other opportunities open to the public at the Visitor Center between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day of the festival.
Evening Programs
Evening Programs are the only festival events that require a free ticket. Pick up a ticket the day of the program at the Visitor Center Information Desk. Programs are held at 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night, and the location is shared when you pick up your ticket. See Schedule of Events above for program details.
Telescope Stargazing Site
This year's telescope site will be located within the park across the street from the Visitor Center. It will be open each night of the festival from 10 p.m. to midnight and is open to the public. We are excited to share the night sky with our visitors, and thank our partners at the Salt Lake Astronomical Society and University of Utah for their participation, expertise, and generosity with their telescopes.
Weather Cancellations
In the event that weather requires cancelling telescope viewing, we will post an update no later than 10 p.m. to our Current Conditions page and our Twitter page. No account is needed to view the page.
Transportation
Parking at the Visitor Center will be very limited, so we strongly recommend parking at the Shuttle Station and riding the Star Shuttle into the park. If you're staying at a park campground or the Lodge, you can pick the shuttle up there. The last shuttle bus leaving the Visitor Center will depart each night around 12:15 a.m. and we'll ensure everyone gets where they need to go.
Handicap Parking
Disabled parking spaces are available at the Visitor Center and the Telescope site. Star shuttles are also fully accessible. If Visitor Center spaces are full, a ranger can direct you to disabled parking spaces at the turn for North Campground (first left past Visitor Center).
What to Bring
Overnight temperatures are typically in the 40s Fahrenheit. A light jacket is a good idea if you plan to be outside for awhile after dark. While red light flashlights are okay, we ask that no white light flashlights be used due to their negative effect on night vision. After using a white light, it can take well over thirty minutes for your eyes to begin to readjust to the profound darkness of Bryce Canyon.
Amenities
Portapotties will be available at the Telescope Site. No other amenities will be available.
Star Shuttle
Each night of the festival, shuttle service will continue to limited locations between 8 p.m. and 12:15 a.m. Parking will be limited at Evening Program and Telescope locations, so we strongly recommend parking at the Shuttle Station in Bryce Canyon City (2 miles north of park entrance) and riding the Star Shuttle into the park. Shuttles arrive at each stop every 15 minutes. Use of the Star Shuttle is free with park admission.
Star Shuttle Stops
Shuttle Station
Ruby's Inn Campground
Visitor Center (Telescope Viewing Site)
Sunset Campground
Bryce Lodge
North Campground Outdoor Theater
NPS/Keith Moore
Last updated: June 6, 2024
Park footer
Contact Info
Mailing Address:
P.O Box 640201
Bryce,
UT
84764
Phone:
435 834-5322
Phones are answered and messages returned as soon as possible as staffing allows.
