Northern Arizona & beyond
Get Out. Look Up.
Discover the night sky through Arizona adventures, remarkable conversations, and stories from across the universe.
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In the Sky This Month
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October 2026 – The October Dark Sky Challenge
How many can you find? October 10 brings us a New Moon, giving us one of the darkest evenings of the month. In central Yavapai County, sunset will be around 6:00 PM. Get outside shortly afterward, turn off the porch lights, and give your eyes time to adjust. Over the…
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August 2026 – The River of Light
Summer can be a frustrating time for Arizona astronomers. Afternoon thunderstorms roll across the high desert with little warning, and many evenings that begin with promise end beneath a blanket of clouds. Yet every so often, the storms move on, the air settles, and the night sky opens above us.…
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June 2026 – Keeping An Eye On Jupiter
Mythology, moons & discovery In Roman mythology, Jupiter was king of the gods, ruler of the heavens, and notorious for his wandering eye. His wife Juno knew this all too well. Often depicted beside a peacock whose feathers bore the “eyes” of the hundred-eyed giant Argus, Juno became a symbol…
Explore the Universe
Explore the night sky, astronomy, space exploration, and the stories that connect us to the universe.
Arizona Astronomy
Astronomy Under Arizona Skies
From historic observatories and pioneering discoveries to some of the darkest skies in the country, Arizona has played an extraordinary role in how we explore and understand the universe.
A Little Piece of Arizona in the Stars
Explore Indigenous astronomy through star stories, seasonal knowledge, and local collaborations—from Navajo Rabbit Tracks and Solstice Mesa to our community’s Cherokee names for a distant star and its planet.
Noquisi & Awohali
In 2023, a team from Northern Arizona took part in the International Astronomical Union’s NameExoWorlds campaign to name the star GJ 436 and its known exoplanet, GJ 436 b.
The names Noquisi and Awohali, drawn from the Cherokee language, were selected—placing a piece of Indigenous American language and our local team’s work among the stars.
