SPECIAL EVENT TELESCOPE TOURS:

Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival:
The Deluxe Alternative
9:00pm -Midnight
 Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sat.
May 31 - June 4 
We Offer the Same and more...

- Same extended weekend of Astronomy AND with extra night Tuesday, May 31st.

- BIG telescopes AND with attendance capped at 42 you'll spend MORE time viewing and less time queuing.

- Helpful scope operators AND we don't just show we also tell, so you'll learn all about what you're seeing.

- User-friendly telescopes AND since we are hands-on YOU not only  get to adjust the focus for YOUR eyes, we will ALSO let you "drive" most of our scopes.

- Educational shows AND more amusing, more hi-tech and with better audio/visual technology.

- Super dark sky AND we are located at the end of a private lane so ZERO disruptions from the headlights of passing cars. 

- Friendly hospitality AND we also provide FREE hot drinks: Starbucks Coffee, Tea, Cider, Hot Chocolate

- Free Parking BUT no need to ride shuttle buses.  Everything, is just steps away from your car at the Dark Ranger Observatory.


These value-added EXTRAS are what makes US the Deluxe Alternative to the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival!

The Dark Ranger Observatory
550 West 550 North
Tropic, Utah 84776
435-590-9498
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Actual human eye view (after adjusting from 2hrs in the darkness) of Milky Way towering over the Dark Ranger Observatory.

Why not Bryce Canyon's Event?

We strongly encourage attending the daytime events sponsored by our colleagues from University of Utah at the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival 

 Then join us for a more intimate, entertaining, and hands-on, exploration of the night sky.
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We are the Dark Rangers (TM). Led by the original Dark Ranger, Kevin Poe we are an extended family of telescope experts and astronomy entertainers.
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We skillfully maintain all of our own telescopes so that we can confidently extend to our guests the rare treat of getting hands-on operational experience with research-grade astronomy equipment. More than just adjusting the focus, we'll actually let you "drive" most of our scopes!
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We start you off with the rare treat of BIG telescope views of Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn in the twilight. Most astronomers don't know that planets look better against a blue sky than a black one.
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Then while we wait for the sky to get dark enough to show you galaxies, clusters, star-birth and star-death, nebulae, etc., you'll learn about astronomy while sitting in comfortable lawn chairs during one of our entertaining and hi-tech presentations.
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Legendary NASA astronaut and honorary Dark Ranger, Story Musgrave (his least impressive credential) congratulates UofU physics and engineering students on their robotics at daytime demonstrations during Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival.

Model Rockets?

Unfortunately Bryce Canyon National Park doesn't  offer model rocket building and launching workshops anymore as part of their astronomy festival...  :-( 

But we do!
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Launching 4 BIG rockets simultaneously!
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All our model rockets kits can be built and launched in less than 90 minutes.
But what if it'S cloudy?