Frequently Asked Questions
Below you can skim through a list of our most commonly-asked questions that cannot be easily answered elsewhere on our website. Additionally you are welcome to use the contact form immediately below to submit your own question. We will not only answer it ASAP, but we also may paraphrase it and add to the list below if seems like it might help others.
Which experience is better, Small Private or Public Telescope tours?
Our private observatory does house the largest of our BIG telescopes, the awesome TPV, but our public observatory has the rest of our BIG telescopes and the best audio-visual equipment.
Some worry that differing levels of astronomy literacy might cause them to slow down or be slowed down by the rest of a public tour. Even in the extreme this is unlikely. If you are a PhD Astrophysicist we are going to show you the original pink-brown combo of photons from Pluto, and other things you've only seen as data or pictures, just as well in either format. Dumb questions? Of course they exist! But you can't utter one at the Dark Ranger Observatory, because we answer every questions as if it were the smartest one asked each night.
It depends on how specific your astronomy needs are. Private tours are designed to cater to astrophotographers, telescope-test-drivers, and/or astronomy buffs seeking the maximum intellectual/educational immersion experience. Nevertheless some simply prefer to privately celebrate the unique experience of our amazing night sky.
In contrast, our goal with public tours is to make these as social of gatherings as possible. To that end we strive for universal appeal by striking a balance between education and entertainment.
Some worry that differing levels of astronomy literacy might cause them to slow down or be slowed down by the rest of a public tour. Even in the extreme this is unlikely. If you are a PhD Astrophysicist we are going to show you the original pink-brown combo of photons from Pluto, and other things you've only seen as data or pictures, just as well in either format. Dumb questions? Of course they exist! But you can't utter one at the Dark Ranger Observatory, because we answer every questions as if it were the smartest one asked each night.
It depends on how specific your astronomy needs are. Private tours are designed to cater to astrophotographers, telescope-test-drivers, and/or astronomy buffs seeking the maximum intellectual/educational immersion experience. Nevertheless some simply prefer to privately celebrate the unique experience of our amazing night sky.
In contrast, our goal with public tours is to make these as social of gatherings as possible. To that end we strive for universal appeal by striking a balance between education and entertainment.
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TLDR!?
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Booking our Private Observatory with a Small Private Telescope Tour is like booking an entire restaurant for just one table. Of course it's expensive. And the food will probably still taste about the same... But maybe you mostly dine out for quality time with friends and family, instead of just the nourishment?
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Yeah, but which do the Dark Rangers prefer?
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Hey! Thanks for asking! Though we are the most knowledgeable astronomers and telescope techs you can hire for a night, we are first and foremost entertainers. Entertainers always prefer a 'big room.' So, if you want to see us at our best, because WE are having the most fun, book a public telescope tour.
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Wait! Wouldn't Large Private Telescope Tours be the best of both worlds?
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Yes!
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Is the $10 Zero Gravity Lounge Chair add-on worth it?
It depends. On full Moon nights, probably not? On darker nights (5 days past the full Moon to 7 days before the full Moon) they DEFINITELY are! Regardless of how much of the Milky Way you can see on any given night, the Zero Gravity Loungers are always more comfortable. By comparison our regular and free amphitheater chairs are comfortable enough for watching the 30 to 45-min multimedia presentation component of the evening, however they are uncomfortable for stargazing -- no neck support. Because we setup 1 telescope per 5-7 guests, there's so little "down time" that you have to make a conscious decision to take a break from the telescopes so you can spend quality stargazing time in your Zero Gravity chair. Parents like to use their chairs as a cozy place where their kids can sleep wrapped up in blanket so that they the adults, can have some quality time at the telescopes as a couple.
How far are you from Zion, because that's where we are staying?
2 hours.
Why in the world would you stay down there? It's more crowded, more expensive, and inconveniently located on the fringe of the Colorado Plateau. Bryce Canyon aka "Center of our Universe" also happens to be in the center of Colorado Plateau. From here you can make long or short day-trips to all the lessor places: Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon... oh! and of course Zion. I almost forgot about that one.
NOTE: Capitol Reef is the best of all these National Parks, but only share that privileged information with your very best friends. Not everybody deserves to know about Capitol Reef.
Why in the world would you stay down there? It's more crowded, more expensive, and inconveniently located on the fringe of the Colorado Plateau. Bryce Canyon aka "Center of our Universe" also happens to be in the center of Colorado Plateau. From here you can make long or short day-trips to all the lessor places: Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon... oh! and of course Zion. I almost forgot about that one.
NOTE: Capitol Reef is the best of all these National Parks, but only share that privileged information with your very best friends. Not everybody deserves to know about Capitol Reef.
Is your observatory wheelchair accessible?
Yes. Our accessible parking gets mobility impaired guests within 150 feet (50m) of everything: our telescopes, amphitheater/auditorium, and accessible portapotty.
Are pets allowed at the Dark Ranger Observatory?
To put it simply, probably not. Your pet(s) are CERTAINLY welcome to remain in your car, in our parking lot (after having a brief bio-break in the brushy outskirts of our parking lot). They are discouraged at the facility itself.
Unless your pet:
a) is a Service Animal and specifically dog or a miniature horse functioning in accordance with ADA rules and guidelines.
b) is an obviously well trained and well behaved 'emotional support animal.' NOTE: this class of animal, aka "bullshit service animal" has no protection under the law. Nevertheless they will be welcomed providing the animal:
- stays on a < 2-meter leash. Longer leashes don't express freedom, but admit to a lack of control.
- is a "purse dogs" AND also on a leash. If a purse isn't too confining, neither is a 6-foot or shorter leash.
- is not a negative or positive distraction. Our observatory's purpose is astronomy, not to be a petting zoo.
- has a compliant handler who will not need to be told twice when it's time to take the pet back to the car.
c) is part of a private tour who have alerted us that you will be bringing your well-behaved dog/cat. With prior approval we might also be interested in meeting your more exotic animal(s) as long as your horse, falcon, parrot, ferret, otter, bear, bison, rhino, orangutan, camel named Clyde, etc. is unlikely to 'mark', climb on, or rub-up-against our telescopes. And because nobody wants your pet or be harmed or eaten by our wild coyotes, owls, or badgers, leashes/leads are still required. Clyde can have 7-ft long one, because he is very tall.
True, we wish to be courteous to our other paying guests who may have unknown but potential allergies or pet-phobias. But mainly, we strive to provide the ultimate Earth-based astronomy experience. For most this will be their first premium telescope and night sky experience. For some it might even be a transformational moment. Obviously we don't want anything like barking dogs, whistling parrots, owners calling into the darkness after indifferent cats, leashes wrapped around human and/or telescope legs, and countless other distractions and detractions that you might not be able to imagine, but we nevertheless have experienced. Not wanting to risk such disruptions is the main reason why we don't even allow our own dogs to be in the amphitheater or among the telescopes.
Our two Great Danes have the run of the place, because they help with security and literally keep the coyotes at bay. They are trained to patrol the perimeter. So, unless you specifically request to meet them and you are willing to hang around while we are closing for the night, it's very unlikely you will see or even hear them when the observatory is "in show."
Unless your pet:
a) is a Service Animal and specifically dog or a miniature horse functioning in accordance with ADA rules and guidelines.
b) is an obviously well trained and well behaved 'emotional support animal.' NOTE: this class of animal, aka "bullshit service animal" has no protection under the law. Nevertheless they will be welcomed providing the animal:
- stays on a < 2-meter leash. Longer leashes don't express freedom, but admit to a lack of control.
- is a "purse dogs" AND also on a leash. If a purse isn't too confining, neither is a 6-foot or shorter leash.
- is not a negative or positive distraction. Our observatory's purpose is astronomy, not to be a petting zoo.
- has a compliant handler who will not need to be told twice when it's time to take the pet back to the car.
c) is part of a private tour who have alerted us that you will be bringing your well-behaved dog/cat. With prior approval we might also be interested in meeting your more exotic animal(s) as long as your horse, falcon, parrot, ferret, otter, bear, bison, rhino, orangutan, camel named Clyde, etc. is unlikely to 'mark', climb on, or rub-up-against our telescopes. And because nobody wants your pet or be harmed or eaten by our wild coyotes, owls, or badgers, leashes/leads are still required. Clyde can have 7-ft long one, because he is very tall.
True, we wish to be courteous to our other paying guests who may have unknown but potential allergies or pet-phobias. But mainly, we strive to provide the ultimate Earth-based astronomy experience. For most this will be their first premium telescope and night sky experience. For some it might even be a transformational moment. Obviously we don't want anything like barking dogs, whistling parrots, owners calling into the darkness after indifferent cats, leashes wrapped around human and/or telescope legs, and countless other distractions and detractions that you might not be able to imagine, but we nevertheless have experienced. Not wanting to risk such disruptions is the main reason why we don't even allow our own dogs to be in the amphitheater or among the telescopes.
Our two Great Danes have the run of the place, because they help with security and literally keep the coyotes at bay. They are trained to patrol the perimeter. So, unless you specifically request to meet them and you are willing to hang around while we are closing for the night, it's very unlikely you will see or even hear them when the observatory is "in show."
Is it true that you offer free hot drinks every night?
Yes, every night it's not too cloudy to open up. We offer, help-yourself, hot-chocolate, cider, coffee, and what we Americans call "tea." Cold water is also available. For obvious reasons, neither children nor adults are allowed to have beverages in the immediate vicinity of the telescopes .
Refills are also free while hot water lasts, but you should reuse the same cup. So as to encourage a conservation ethic, extra cups cost $10,000 and full payment must be made via Paypal. That way we can easily donate your extra cup payment to theoceancleanup.com
Refills are also free while hot water lasts, but you should reuse the same cup. So as to encourage a conservation ethic, extra cups cost $10,000 and full payment must be made via Paypal. That way we can easily donate your extra cup payment to theoceancleanup.com
Is food available at the Dark Ranger Observatory?
No. Indeed you are only allowed to consume your own food in your car, in our parking lot. In addition to protecting our telescopes from salty, sticky, or greasy hands, we have to keep the facility food-free. Because our observatory is located on the prairie-forest habitat interface, we can't risk crumbs or even food-odors attracting wild animals .
Is smoking allowed at the Dark Ranger Observatory?
Absolutely not! All smoking is restricted to our parking lot. Even when it can be confirmed that smoking may not offend a single guest (say in the example of a private tour) we still prohibit it anywhere near our telescopes. Smoke readily damages the sensitive optics beyond the ability of even a professional cleaning to restore.
Can we consume alcohol at the Dark Ranger Observatory?
No, at this time we do not have even have a beer/wine liquor license. This means we do not serve alcohol AND you cannot even BYOB of your own alcohol on the premises including our parking lot, even if it is well disguised and discretely consumed. It is not widely known, but easy to confirm, that Utah breweries, wineries, and even distilleries exist, all producing truly excellent alcoholic products (we are happy to recommend our favorites). Ironically, the consumption of those products is strictly regulated everywhere in Utah - even on private property. Sorry to disappoint, but "we" Utahans aren't apparently as 'freedom-loving' as we pretend to be.
Exception: With prior approval and when consistent with Utah law pertaining to private events, those who book a private tour may supply their own alcohol at our private observatory, for a private event where there is an established guest list. Examples might include a business party, or a wedding.
Exception: With prior approval and when consistent with Utah law pertaining to private events, those who book a private tour may supply their own alcohol at our private observatory, for a private event where there is an established guest list. Examples might include a business party, or a wedding.
Wait! You do weddings? Can we be married by a Dark Ranger?
Yes! We are not only happy to host receptions, Kevin "The Dark Ranger" Poe is licensed to officiate weddings in the State of Utah, and can be contracted to perform an inspirational, creative, but secular (non-religious) ceremony. Email or call for more information.
We booked a 9pm Telescope Tour. What time should we be there?
9:00pm.
Unless you anticipate that you will need extra time to put on your swim fins or ice skates (depending on the season), then you could arrive 15 minutes early.
Seriously folks, we don't know why many in the tourism industry have decide to publish both arrival and start times. Perhaps they feel the world has not yet achieved maximum etiquette saturation and burdensome complications. At the Dark Ranger Observatory the start time is the published start time (unless we have to delay up to 30 minutes for weather in which case you will be notified). Check your email confirmation. If you arrive late, just let us know, and we will graciously catch you up. We never want our guest to "rush" when driving on unfamiliar roads is a factor. On the other hand, if you arrive very early...
Unless you anticipate that you will need extra time to put on your swim fins or ice skates (depending on the season), then you could arrive 15 minutes early.
Seriously folks, we don't know why many in the tourism industry have decide to publish both arrival and start times. Perhaps they feel the world has not yet achieved maximum etiquette saturation and burdensome complications. At the Dark Ranger Observatory the start time is the published start time (unless we have to delay up to 30 minutes for weather in which case you will be notified). Check your email confirmation. If you arrive late, just let us know, and we will graciously catch you up. We never want our guest to "rush" when driving on unfamiliar roads is a factor. On the other hand, if you arrive very early...
Is it true that we will be yelled at if we show up too early?
Well... I wouldn't say " yelled"... and certainly not if less than 15-minutes early. But if 20+ minutes is your definition of "fashionably early" you might get snarky welcomes like:
"Hi! I see you didn't have any trouble finding the place."
"We'll check you in a few minutes... Telescopes come first. If we are not careful, early arrivals result in late starts..."
"Oh hello! Between you and me, the only reward for being this early is that you get to enjoy the cold a lot longer."
"Look at you1! XX minutes early! It's a good thing this isn't a dinner party..."
The good news is that our therapists are teaching us to imagine that disruptively early arrivals, ARE NOT stress-inducing trespasses, rushing us thru our complicated telescope preparatory procedures, thus hastening the difficult Dark Ranger transition from technophile to entertainer, before we are ready; but instead, merely a measure of enthusiasm on the part of our guests.
So, if you are worried about finding our observatory (and yet bizarrely insist on trying to do so with Waze maps whose business model appears to be "let's let people who don't already know how to get from Point A to Point B which is why they are using our service, make their own maps that we will recommend to others"), just know that if you arrive at our closed gate, you are at least 1-hr early, and that only 1-mile back the way you came (unless you used Waze), is the Pines Restaurant where they serve excellent pie. After we open the gate, we enthusiastically want you to know that our parking lot is the perfect place for you to catch up on your correspondence, do more vacation planning, or if all such pastimes are complete, re-read our verbose but nevertheless informative website... you know, at least until 15 minutes before showtime. :-)
"Hi! I see you didn't have any trouble finding the place."
"We'll check you in a few minutes... Telescopes come first. If we are not careful, early arrivals result in late starts..."
"Oh hello! Between you and me, the only reward for being this early is that you get to enjoy the cold a lot longer."
"Look at you1! XX minutes early! It's a good thing this isn't a dinner party..."
The good news is that our therapists are teaching us to imagine that disruptively early arrivals, ARE NOT stress-inducing trespasses, rushing us thru our complicated telescope preparatory procedures, thus hastening the difficult Dark Ranger transition from technophile to entertainer, before we are ready; but instead, merely a measure of enthusiasm on the part of our guests.
So, if you are worried about finding our observatory (and yet bizarrely insist on trying to do so with Waze maps whose business model appears to be "let's let people who don't already know how to get from Point A to Point B which is why they are using our service, make their own maps that we will recommend to others"), just know that if you arrive at our closed gate, you are at least 1-hr early, and that only 1-mile back the way you came (unless you used Waze), is the Pines Restaurant where they serve excellent pie. After we open the gate, we enthusiastically want you to know that our parking lot is the perfect place for you to catch up on your correspondence, do more vacation planning, or if all such pastimes are complete, re-read our verbose but nevertheless informative website... you know, at least until 15 minutes before showtime. :-)
But what if we just want extra time to hang and geek out with some Dark Rangers.
Ahhh... aren't you adorable. Stay late. We are more fun when packing up than setting up.
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Is it true you make fun of Moon Landing Denialist and Astrologers every night?
No. Not every night. Some nights it's so cloudy we don't even open the observatory.
Dark Rangers® are educators and entertainers. As educators we endeavor to convert scholarly research, into useful information. As entertainers we know a galaxy of fun helps scientific literacy rise. Here, you'll be rewarded for asking dumb questions because we "answer-and" which means when you ask your question we're going to answer and then elaborate with something related that nearly nobody else knows, so everybody benefits from your brave curiosity. For example if you ask if our Sun is a star, we'll answer "Yes!" and then turn to the eye-rollers (yes, we can see that well in the dark, we are Dark Rangers!) next to you and add, "But most people don't know the difference between a planet and star, do you?" And then we will tease them, instead of you, when they answer incorrectly. Because that's more educational, and fun... for everybody.
Ignorance isn't our enemy, but misinformation is. And as Sun Tzu teaches, we work hard to know the enemy. We will only need about 11 seconds to correctly determine if you have come to the DRO to learn for yourself, or to unlearn others. And if the latter, that's when our good-natured humor (even if sarcastic), will become more pointed -- not at you, but aimed with deadly accuracy at your misinformation. We won't inspire the audience to laugh at you, but we will get them chuckling about your beliefs. And have become so brainwashed that you and your patently false beliefs are inseparable, it's only going to be fun for everybody else. For example, if you start sharing horoscopes, we are going to hand you a green laser and ask you to point out your "sign" in the sky. And if it's within a couple of months of your birthday, it will be up there. After a few amusing seconds we will help you find it. After we've found it for you, we are going to help you explain how astrology teaches that our Sun was in your constellation on the day you were born. Then we are going to ask you to point to where the Sun is (which it won't be, because it will have set a couple of hours ago), and then we will ask you to help us conclude whether the modern calendar is wrong, or if astrology is just a lot nonsense based on a little bit of nonsense.
Dark Rangers® are educators and entertainers. As educators we endeavor to convert scholarly research, into useful information. As entertainers we know a galaxy of fun helps scientific literacy rise. Here, you'll be rewarded for asking dumb questions because we "answer-and" which means when you ask your question we're going to answer and then elaborate with something related that nearly nobody else knows, so everybody benefits from your brave curiosity. For example if you ask if our Sun is a star, we'll answer "Yes!" and then turn to the eye-rollers (yes, we can see that well in the dark, we are Dark Rangers!) next to you and add, "But most people don't know the difference between a planet and star, do you?" And then we will tease them, instead of you, when they answer incorrectly. Because that's more educational, and fun... for everybody.
Ignorance isn't our enemy, but misinformation is. And as Sun Tzu teaches, we work hard to know the enemy. We will only need about 11 seconds to correctly determine if you have come to the DRO to learn for yourself, or to unlearn others. And if the latter, that's when our good-natured humor (even if sarcastic), will become more pointed -- not at you, but aimed with deadly accuracy at your misinformation. We won't inspire the audience to laugh at you, but we will get them chuckling about your beliefs. And have become so brainwashed that you and your patently false beliefs are inseparable, it's only going to be fun for everybody else. For example, if you start sharing horoscopes, we are going to hand you a green laser and ask you to point out your "sign" in the sky. And if it's within a couple of months of your birthday, it will be up there. After a few amusing seconds we will help you find it. After we've found it for you, we are going to help you explain how astrology teaches that our Sun was in your constellation on the day you were born. Then we are going to ask you to point to where the Sun is (which it won't be, because it will have set a couple of hours ago), and then we will ask you to help us conclude whether the modern calendar is wrong, or if astrology is just a lot nonsense based on a little bit of nonsense.
Okay, but why do you have to be Jerks about it?!
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Well, for starters, astronomer ARE jerks. Not all of us of course, certainly none who are retained by Dark Ranger Telescope Tours, but you do have to be careful, because in our estimation it's the 95% of astronomers that give the rest of us a bad name.
More to your actual question, (we think and feel about this a lot, so it takes some words to explain), conspiracy theories and magical thinking is antithetical to our Mission which is increasing scientific literacy and heightening awareness to the evils of light pollution. The reason why we use humor is because it works, very well. Laughter is not just the best medicine, it's also the best vaccine against the pandemic of conspiracy theories, and other such nonsense. Conspiracy theories appeal because they offer identity, belonging, the thrill of having secret knowledge, and the hero-complex of saving humanity from an alleged evil. All those things are powered by emotions. Science and reason are handicapped by emotion and so incapable of providing counter arguments that conspiracy theorists will listen too. When we make the same scientific points, but deliver them dripping with jokes and they will hear. The nonsense purveyor might not hear the facts, but the spectators will, that's why they will be laughing. It works because laughter is emotional, contagious AND yet the more socially acceptable substitute for cruel approaches like scorn or ridicule. The purveyor might only hear the other guests helping us laugh at those beliefs, and that's an uncomfortable situation to be in, but the moment the nonsense ebbs , so will the jokes, so will the laughter. For example if you maliciously challenge us to explain why there aren't any stars in sky of the pictures allegedly taken from the surface of Moon by Apollo astronauts, we will reply "Uh, because it was daytime. Have you seen any pictures of daytime stars taken from Earth? Pretty hard to do that from the surface of either world, because we share that same one star we call our Sun. And, it is a lot brighter than all those much farther away stars." And then egged-on by subsequent bursts of laughter from our guests we will deliver a barrage of funny questions punctuated by facts. Because that's more educational for everybody, and fun for almost everybody. "Do you think the Sun makes the sky blue? Wrong. It's nitrogen." "You know our Moon has no atmosphere right? Okay, then what's the color of nothing?" "Nope, not white! White is the color of all light being reflected. Light can't reflect off of nothing. Therefore the color of nothing when it's dark, is black. Just like the color of nothing in broad daylight is also black." "Daytime lasts 14 days on our Moon. All landings occurred during lunar midday so they could use solar panels. Solar panels were invented by Americans in 1954. But batteries were especially heavy back then. How cold tolerant do you think flashlight batteries were in 1969?" "Think about it! Would you want to stumble around in -280F total darkness with a dead-battery holder, and only the light of a full Earth to guide you? For 2-3 Earth days? Remember that lunar nights are also 14 Earth days long." "Can you imagine how dark all the Apollo photos would have been if they had landed at night? Or as least super-blurry if they had used night-vision (infrared) cameras from the era?" "No astronaut spent more than 75 hours on the Moon. Therefore every picture was taken in daylight . No stars could be seen because our Sun overhead was too bright, especially when combined with all the light being reflected off the lunar surface, into that empty, and therefor, black, daytime sky." Since we are not Wardpack Demons (Wizard's Crown anybody?), mixing metaphors a little bit, we won't keep stealing life from a dead horse. In the scenario above, hopefully we won't have to go past the friendly reminder that we also can't see daytime stars on Earth. Once the misinformation has been rendered non-infectious, we'll go right back to just trying to making real astronomy information fun and meaningful. But make no mistake, we think of conspiracy theories as getting a flat tire. If it doesn't send you careening into the ditch, it's still going to make you late to the party. Conspiracy theories doesn't just slow YOU down, they grid-lock the flow of progress. We might never be able to recruit enough Dark Rangers to become society’s tow truck, but whenever we see these jerks throwing nails out on the information super-highways, we are going to pull over, turn on our flasher, direct traffic to steer clear of those shysters. Then we are going to try to get the whole spherical planet to join us in laughing at their failed attempts to keep us ignorant. Then, when they retreat in shame, we are going pick up all those damn nails and put them to some good use… I don’t know, build some real knowledge, or something... I guess? Here's where the analogy sorts of starts to run low on its charge. |
Will we have to hear about (joking or otherwise) politics we don't agree with?
Great Question! Hopefully not. But if your politics inform you to oppose our Mission, then maybe? Because our Mission does have political implications.
The Mission of Dark Ranger Telescope Tours is to use astronomy to increase scientific literacy and heighten awareness to the evils of light pollution.
Here's 2 topics we are occasionally criticized for being "political" about.
1) Some nights we talk about Earth's climate crisis because it directly relates to understanding planetology, which empowers our understanding of terraforming, which is what will allow humanity to be multi-planetary. Colonies on Moon, Mars or Venus, (#Venus1st) would protect our species from the only kind of climate change we are otherwise completely defenseless to, and guess what? It's a "natural" and "cyclical " one -- asteroid impact.
However, if you think and feel that the CO2 climate crisis, is more about politics than science, then there might be 30 seconds here or there, while at the DRO, when you'd be more comfortable with your fingers in your ears. Those who keep listening, might have a new respect for the power of CO2 warming when they learn about the plan of moving 95% of Venus's C02 atmosphere to Mars so as to make both of our neighbors more Earth-like. Comparing that terraforming effort to make a couple of fixer-uppers barely habitable, suddenly makes taking better care of the planet we already have, seem like a no-brainer. And since the only practical solution to slowing Earth's "burn" is to tax & dividend carbon, that requires legislation, which of course, is a political process.
2) Similarly, if you are concerned about light pollution, be it from SpaceX's Starlink satellites or the ubiquitous, and far more detrimental legion of ground-based sources, we have lots of science to share that may help inform your opinion. Fighting light pollution is our origin story. If you find conservation off-putting don't worry, you might not even get 10 minutes of that during a telescope tour. However, if you send us a 10-word email request on the subject, and you might get a 10-page reply. And since here again, the only impactful approach involves regulation (voluntary or legislative) we are perfectly comfortable influencing political opinions about light pollution.
The Mission of Dark Ranger Telescope Tours is to use astronomy to increase scientific literacy and heighten awareness to the evils of light pollution.
Here's 2 topics we are occasionally criticized for being "political" about.
1) Some nights we talk about Earth's climate crisis because it directly relates to understanding planetology, which empowers our understanding of terraforming, which is what will allow humanity to be multi-planetary. Colonies on Moon, Mars or Venus, (#Venus1st) would protect our species from the only kind of climate change we are otherwise completely defenseless to, and guess what? It's a "natural" and "cyclical " one -- asteroid impact.
However, if you think and feel that the CO2 climate crisis, is more about politics than science, then there might be 30 seconds here or there, while at the DRO, when you'd be more comfortable with your fingers in your ears. Those who keep listening, might have a new respect for the power of CO2 warming when they learn about the plan of moving 95% of Venus's C02 atmosphere to Mars so as to make both of our neighbors more Earth-like. Comparing that terraforming effort to make a couple of fixer-uppers barely habitable, suddenly makes taking better care of the planet we already have, seem like a no-brainer. And since the only practical solution to slowing Earth's "burn" is to tax & dividend carbon, that requires legislation, which of course, is a political process.
2) Similarly, if you are concerned about light pollution, be it from SpaceX's Starlink satellites or the ubiquitous, and far more detrimental legion of ground-based sources, we have lots of science to share that may help inform your opinion. Fighting light pollution is our origin story. If you find conservation off-putting don't worry, you might not even get 10 minutes of that during a telescope tour. However, if you send us a 10-word email request on the subject, and you might get a 10-page reply. And since here again, the only impactful approach involves regulation (voluntary or legislative) we are perfectly comfortable influencing political opinions about light pollution.
Why is your competition so much more expensive?
Competition? The only astronomy entity in North America that offers a stargazing experience of equal quality to ours is the University of Texas's McDonald Observatory. Only they have as dark of sky and as large a collection of BIG publicly accessible telescopes. True their prices for private tours are much more expensive, but their prices for public tours are ACTUALLY less expensive because they welcome 100s of guests per night. We charge more so that we can:
a) cap attendance at 42
b) maintain our unprecedented 1 : 7, telescope : guest ratio,
and c) pay our astronomers a living wage rather than relying on volunteers or student interns.
There are many other entities who offer stargazing with telescopes (and most are more expensive), but either their portable telescope(s) get setup in dark parking lots or less traveled road shoulders, and being portable, are much smaller than ours. With telescopes, size really matter. Astronomy B&Bs offer the huge benefit of being able to eat and sleep adjacent to the telescope(s). Just know that if they emphasize their thread-count over aperture, it's probably because that's the bigger number, and you'll be getting what you pay for. Fewer still, operate actual observatories which are open to the public. Most of these are located in suburban or rural locations where light pollution still significantly detracts. To the best of our knowledge, only we and the McDonald Observatory offer the best of all worlds -- or you know... at least this one.
The other reason we don't like the term "competition" is because we are excited to see the recent rise in astronomy tourism. It can only lead to an increase in science literacy and a heightened awareness to the evils of light pollution. In particular we endorse the efforts of the few National Parks who actually offer stargazing programs, instead of just bragging about their dark-sky park designations. They prioritize that two part "mission" to the extent that we do. Besides, we the Dark Rangers®, trained many of those park rangers, so of course we are going to promote their "free" (after the purchase of a park entrance fee) presentations.
a) cap attendance at 42
b) maintain our unprecedented 1 : 7, telescope : guest ratio,
and c) pay our astronomers a living wage rather than relying on volunteers or student interns.
There are many other entities who offer stargazing with telescopes (and most are more expensive), but either their portable telescope(s) get setup in dark parking lots or less traveled road shoulders, and being portable, are much smaller than ours. With telescopes, size really matter. Astronomy B&Bs offer the huge benefit of being able to eat and sleep adjacent to the telescope(s). Just know that if they emphasize their thread-count over aperture, it's probably because that's the bigger number, and you'll be getting what you pay for. Fewer still, operate actual observatories which are open to the public. Most of these are located in suburban or rural locations where light pollution still significantly detracts. To the best of our knowledge, only we and the McDonald Observatory offer the best of all worlds -- or you know... at least this one.
The other reason we don't like the term "competition" is because we are excited to see the recent rise in astronomy tourism. It can only lead to an increase in science literacy and a heightened awareness to the evils of light pollution. In particular we endorse the efforts of the few National Parks who actually offer stargazing programs, instead of just bragging about their dark-sky park designations. They prioritize that two part "mission" to the extent that we do. Besides, we the Dark Rangers®, trained many of those park rangers, so of course we are going to promote their "free" (after the purchase of a park entrance fee) presentations.
Compare what you do, to the stargazing Bryce Canyon National Park offers?
To put it simply, we merely offer the deluxe version of a similar experience. They have the same near-pristine dark sky, only employ staff with excellent customer service skills, and they champion science and night sky preservation the way we do. Where we differ, is that our telescopes are larger. We have a dedicated facility. Our amphitheater and telescopes are only 42 feet (13m) apart so there's no commute with limited parking on either end.
They charge $35/car load for a wide variety of outdoor experiences including stargazing. For a family-friendly pricing scheme ($40/adult and deep discounts for kids), we focus on just the Universe. Park Rangers are hired and trained to be multi-capable individuals conversant on a wide variety of topics. Dark Ranger specialize in all things night-sky related and have mastery over telescope operation, because it's all we do. The biggest difference is that because Bryce Canyon doesn't cap attendance, they often get lines 50-people deep per telescopes, where we promise a 1:7 telescope per guest ratio. Hence our motto "More time viewing, less time queueing."
To be clear many of us Dark Ranger perfected our skills in the service of Bryce Canyon National Park (as paid staff and volunteers). To put it another way, they are our so-called 'origin story.' Therefore we are eager to help them keep their telescopes operational and when we are sold out, we unequivocally direct our overflow to them. They reciprocate by sending guests to us (though you might have to specifically ask?) on their off nights, because while we are open nightly, they can only do astronomy 2-3 nights per week.
They charge $35/car load for a wide variety of outdoor experiences including stargazing. For a family-friendly pricing scheme ($40/adult and deep discounts for kids), we focus on just the Universe. Park Rangers are hired and trained to be multi-capable individuals conversant on a wide variety of topics. Dark Ranger specialize in all things night-sky related and have mastery over telescope operation, because it's all we do. The biggest difference is that because Bryce Canyon doesn't cap attendance, they often get lines 50-people deep per telescopes, where we promise a 1:7 telescope per guest ratio. Hence our motto "More time viewing, less time queueing."
To be clear many of us Dark Ranger perfected our skills in the service of Bryce Canyon National Park (as paid staff and volunteers). To put it another way, they are our so-called 'origin story.' Therefore we are eager to help them keep their telescopes operational and when we are sold out, we unequivocally direct our overflow to them. They reciprocate by sending guests to us (though you might have to specifically ask?) on their off nights, because while we are open nightly, they can only do astronomy 2-3 nights per week.
Do you offer Senior or Military discounts?
Sorry, no. :-(
We take a different approach to discounts. Certainly we respect our elders. From the beginning of time, astronomy has relied on the wise passing on knowledge to the young. We try to support our troops beyond bumper-stickers and "Thank you for your service." Indeed we offer free (+ our travel expenses) astral navigation workshops that are no longer being taught in the U.S. Military, but probably should be? It is our opinion that in an era where few can read a map, a reliance on something so vulnerable as GPS, is foolish and a serious combat readiness issue.
Regardless, our discounts are designed to "pay it forward." We know that, some retirees retire so they can be advocates. Many in the military serve humanity long after their 40-hr week is complete. Yet, we restrict our discounts to the children because obviously only their hearts and minds are motivated to solve the problems we are "bequeathing" to them. Do we still hold a grudge against "the Boomers" for cancelling the Apollo Missions. Absolutely! And we will unto our very deathbeds! Do we find mocking young advocates for their Climate Crisis mitigation efforts abhorrent? More than you can possibly imagine! So, we subsidize the attendance of children and young adults, rather than their grandparents. Who is more likely to become astronauts, engineers, and planetologist? Who will bring humanity to Mars and Venus while simultaneously keeping Earth as livable as possible? We are betting it's going to be the kids, and this is how we support them.
Finally, we believe in the equity of "ability to pay." Since we also know that all young families (especially those in the military) struggle to make ends meet, that's why parents with the youngest kids pay the least. If you find children off-putting, may we recommend our private tours? Yes, they are a lot more expensive, but by booking those instead, you might be making everybody happier? Certainly whether you agree or not, your generosity will be helping us, help them, by empowering us to keep our pricing as family-friendly as possible.
We take a different approach to discounts. Certainly we respect our elders. From the beginning of time, astronomy has relied on the wise passing on knowledge to the young. We try to support our troops beyond bumper-stickers and "Thank you for your service." Indeed we offer free (+ our travel expenses) astral navigation workshops that are no longer being taught in the U.S. Military, but probably should be? It is our opinion that in an era where few can read a map, a reliance on something so vulnerable as GPS, is foolish and a serious combat readiness issue.
Regardless, our discounts are designed to "pay it forward." We know that, some retirees retire so they can be advocates. Many in the military serve humanity long after their 40-hr week is complete. Yet, we restrict our discounts to the children because obviously only their hearts and minds are motivated to solve the problems we are "bequeathing" to them. Do we still hold a grudge against "the Boomers" for cancelling the Apollo Missions. Absolutely! And we will unto our very deathbeds! Do we find mocking young advocates for their Climate Crisis mitigation efforts abhorrent? More than you can possibly imagine! So, we subsidize the attendance of children and young adults, rather than their grandparents. Who is more likely to become astronauts, engineers, and planetologist? Who will bring humanity to Mars and Venus while simultaneously keeping Earth as livable as possible? We are betting it's going to be the kids, and this is how we support them.
Finally, we believe in the equity of "ability to pay." Since we also know that all young families (especially those in the military) struggle to make ends meet, that's why parents with the youngest kids pay the least. If you find children off-putting, may we recommend our private tours? Yes, they are a lot more expensive, but by booking those instead, you might be making everybody happier? Certainly whether you agree or not, your generosity will be helping us, help them, by empowering us to keep our pricing as family-friendly as possible.
Is it true that child-eyes can't focus well enough to use telescopes?
No! Indeed exactly opposite is true. Humans have the best night-vision at age 11-12 because only they can dilate their pupils to a maximum of 10mm. Furthermore, younger eyes have a greater range of focus (due to more flexible lenses) so they seldom need to adjust a telescope's focus to match their vision. As long as a child has had a few minutes of practice looking through a tube with one eye closed (or manually held closed), they will need less time at an eyepiece than adults to get their best possible view.
We can only speculate that some of our so-called competition created this myth to excuse themselves from the responsibility of hiring staff who are (or can be trained to become) good with kids. Please note our family-friendly pricing. Hopefully that says everything else we cannot politely articulate here.
We can only speculate that some of our so-called competition created this myth to excuse themselves from the responsibility of hiring staff who are (or can be trained to become) good with kids. Please note our family-friendly pricing. Hopefully that says everything else we cannot politely articulate here.
Lots of places brag about their dark sky. Can you prove yours is darkest?
No. Because several places on Earth are a little darker. In these 5 slightly darker locations, the human eye can detect 8,000+ stars over the course of a clear Moonless night:
- Antarctica (in the winter when it's actually dark)
- Remotest locations in the Sahara (yeah, but it's a dry heat!)
- The Australian Outback (when it's not on fire)
- Atacama Desert in Chile (if you can breath at 15,000 ft above sea level)
- Summit of Hawaii's Mauna Kea (providing the clouds roll in to cover-up light pollution of the city of Hilo)
However, thanks to exhaustive and peer-reviewed research of the NPS "Night Sky Team" you too, can prove that the 4 darkest places in North America, that are still accessible by a paved road, all occur in Southern Utah. In these locations you can see 7,500 stars over the course of a dark night.
#1 Hovenweep National Monument
#2 Natural Bridges National Monument
#3 Capitol Reef National Park
#4 Bryce Canyon National Park (as nightly showcased at the Dark Ranger Observatory)
- Antarctica (in the winter when it's actually dark)
- Remotest locations in the Sahara (yeah, but it's a dry heat!)
- The Australian Outback (when it's not on fire)
- Atacama Desert in Chile (if you can breath at 15,000 ft above sea level)
- Summit of Hawaii's Mauna Kea (providing the clouds roll in to cover-up light pollution of the city of Hilo)
However, thanks to exhaustive and peer-reviewed research of the NPS "Night Sky Team" you too, can prove that the 4 darkest places in North America, that are still accessible by a paved road, all occur in Southern Utah. In these locations you can see 7,500 stars over the course of a dark night.
#1 Hovenweep National Monument
#2 Natural Bridges National Monument
#3 Capitol Reef National Park
#4 Bryce Canyon National Park (as nightly showcased at the Dark Ranger Observatory)
