Glacier

Astronomy Programs

A banner with Glacier National Park Astronomy Week, September 3-6, 2024 in large text with a background photo of a starry night.

Astronomy Week 2024

Join Glacier National Park for its first ever Astronomy Week September 3 through 6, 2024. Events during the week will be hosted throughout the park and include both daytime and nighttime activities. There will be solar viewing, night sky programs, a 3D Mars panorama, Dusty Star Observatory Tours, astrophotography workshops, an interactive art project, and evening talks.

The park is excited to welcome a team of NASA scientists from the James Webb Telescope and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center during Astronomy Week. Join them to learn about the wonders of deep space on Wednesday, September 4 and Thursday, September 5 at the St. Mary Visitor Center Auditorium at 7 pm. Visitors can also interact with the NASA team at the St. Mary Visitor Center during the day.

The last Logan Pass Star Party of the season will be on Friday, September 6, as the final celebration of Astronomy Week 2024. Please note that the Logan Pass Star Party is a ticketed event. Tickets are $5 per vehicle and will go on sale Thursday, September 5 at both the St. Mary and Apgar Visitor Centers. Additional details will be provided with ticket purchase.

The 2024 Astronomy Week schedule of programs can be found on the calendar below.

 

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Visitors gather to watch a short introduction under the night sky in front of a visitor center building.
Visitors gather to watch a short introduction before the Logan Pass Star Party. Due to parking limitations, tickets are required.

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Logan Pass Star Parties

Join Park Rangers and members of the Big Sky Astronomy Club as they take advantage of Glacier's unusually dark skies, gazing through telescopes exploring the depths of the universe.

Glacier National Park plans to offer three Logan Pass Star Parties for the 2024 season: July 26, August 9, and September 6.

Tickets are required for Logan Pass Star Parties and go on sale the day before the event at the Apgar and St. Mary Visitor Center Bookstores. Tickets cost $5 per vehicle. Participants must arrive by 9:30 pm and stay until midnight. Additional details will be provided with ticket purchase.

 
Visitor looking through a telescope at Jupiter
A visitor looks through a large telescope at Jupiter.

NPS

Nightly Astronomy Program


Half the park happens after dark! Glacier is a great place to observe the night sky and you can get the most out of that experience by joining our astronomers for one of our nightly astronomy programs. These programs are only offered during the summer and tickets and reservations are not required. Please see the Ranger-led Activity Schedule for specific days and times. However, programs are usually offered during July and August and begin at dusk and last until midnight.

Nightly astronomy programs take place in Apgar, on the west side of the park, and in St. Mary, on the east side. In St. Mary, astronomers use the park's Dusty Star Observatory at the St. Mary Visitor Center to help explore the cosmos. This observatory features a 20-inch telescope and astronomy camera to share views of the night sky with visitors watching on exterior television monitors. Traditional telescope viewing is available at both locations.

If you plan on attending an astronomy program it is important to come prepared. Wear warm clothing and come prepared for wind in St. Mary. Bring a headlamp or flashlight so you can safely move around in the dark. Seating is not provided at the Dusty Star Observatory so bring a chair for a more comfortable viewing experience.

Last updated: August 30, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

PO Box 128
West Glacier, MT 59936

Phone:

406-888-7800

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