Great Basin Astronomy Festival

Boasting one of the darkest, quietest skies in the Lower 48, Great Basin National Park is the perfect place for an astronomy festival. Unbelievable stargazing takes center stage over the course of three event-packed days (and nights), featuring everything from star parties and constellation talks to astrophotography workshops and Art in the Dark creations.

All Great Basin Astronomy Festival events are free, and volunteers set up telescopes near the Astronomy Amphitheater to show off Nevada’s dazzling night sky to anyone interested in seeing far-off galaxies, nearby planets, and an endless number of dark sky objects. Expert guest speakers discuss astrophysics and astronomy, and rangers help teach visitors how to identify constellations visible to the naked eye in the Great Basin night skies and beyond. Art in the Dark invites visitors of all ages to create and paint in low-light conditions, experimenting with how our eyes see color.