Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Astrotour?
An Astrotour is a guided stargazing experience under dark skies where you'll get to observe the wonders of the night sky through professional-grade telescopes with an experienced astronomer. These tours combine education, entertainment, and the awe-inspiring experience of exploring the cosmos, making astronomy accessible to everyone regardless of their prior knowledge.
How does the tour work?
Once booked, we'll contact you to coordinate the logistics. We'll go over instructions, safety measures, what to expect, liability considerations, and answer any questions. For the tour itself, we'll provide a meeting location and we will caravan to the observing location. (Typically, you're responsible for your own transportation.) Once the tour concludes, you'll be on your own to return to your home, hotel, etc.
When are tours offered?
Tours are offered year round; contact us with your preferred dates. (In the future, you'll be able to book specific dates from this website.) The time of the tour depends on time of year; winter tours tend to start around 5:30pm, summer tours tend to start around 8:30pm. Spring and fall tours fall inbetween those times.
What experience level and ages are Astrotours for? Is it suitable for children and families?
Our tours are designed to accommodate all levels of knowledge - from complete beginners to experienced enthusiasts and professionals. We adjust the experience to match your level of interest, expertise, and curiosity.
Our tours are suitable for children and a great activity for families, but note that we have age restrictions based on using scientific equipment and consideration for the logistics and time required to participate in an Astroutour:
- Urban Tour (coming soon): ages 6 and up (required); 8 and up (recommended)
- Dark Sky Discovery Tour: ages 8 and up (required); 10 and up (recommended)
- Cosmic Odyssey Tour: ages 10 and up (required)
What if the weather doesn't cooperate?
Wind or rain can ruin a stargazing session pretty quickly. We actively monitor weather conditions in advance and day-of. We'll communicate weather considerations in the days leading up to your tour, and make a final go/no-go call that day if needed. If Stardust Astrotours cancels a tour due to weather, we'll work with you to reschedule or refund your tour cost.
What equipment will we use?
We supply telescopes, binoculars, and other astronomical equipment for optimal visual observing. We will use some combination of:
- a 10-inch Dobsonian reflector;
- a 6-inch computerized Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope;
- a 9.25-inch computerized Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope;
- 20×80 astronomical binoculars;
- and a Seestar S50 smart telescope
What can/can't I bring?
Essential items include warm layers (even in the summer), comfortable closed-toe shoes, water to drink, and any personal medications. Please avoid bringing bright lights or devices that might interfere with night vision. Non-greasy snacks are okay (e.g. pretzels yes, potato chips no.) Upon booking your tour, we will provide you with a very comprehensive list of what is provided, what to bring, and what not to bring. Red-light flashlights are always welcome and encouraged!
Can I choose the location?
We have preferred locations that we use; if you have a specific location in mind, please let us know during booking and we will discuss whether it can be accommodated. Note that using requested locations may not result in an equivalent experience as the locations of our choosing.
Can I bring my own gear?
If you have experience with amateur astronomy and wish to bring your own gear, this is generally fine - just let us know when inquiring or booking and we can discuss it.
If you have a new telescope (such as a Christmas gift) and would like help learning to use it, we offer a "telescope clinic" add-on option. Please contact us to discuss this, we would love to help you learn and grow your interest in astronomy!
What are the accessibility options?
We strive to make our tours inclusive and accessible to everyone, and can adjust for some specific needs. (e.g., we do have location options if someone in your group uses a wheelchair.) That said, our locations are in the desert and while none of them require hiking or trekking, they may be tricky for people with mobility issues. For any considerations such as this, please contact us well in advance and we will try our best to accommodate everyone.
What are your payment and cancellation policies?
We require payment in full to secure your booking. We do have a generous cancellation policy in case of unforeseen circumstances.
You may cancel without penalty up to 96 hours before your tour. (Less any bank processing fees, if applicable.) Within 96 hours, we offer rescheduling options, credit toward a future tour, or partial refunds.
Stardust Astrotours reserves the right to cancel tours for reasons such as staff illness or inclement weather; and particularly in the case of weather, this could happen up to just a short time before your tour. If we need to cancel your tour, we will refund you in full.
Do you offer any discounts?
We offer a 30% discount for K-12 teachers. Please contact us from your school email address in advance.
What celestial objects can we expect to see? Do you take requests?
We will try our best to accommodate requests! If there is something specific that you'd like to see, please let us know.
Depending on the season and sky conditions, you'll have the opportunity to observe various celestial objects through our telescopes. These may include planets like Jupiter, Saturn and its rings, and Mars; stunning star clusters, distant galaxies, colorful nebulae, and detailed views of the Moon. We will help identify constellations and share fascinating details about the objects you're viewing.
Some perennial favorites include:
- Open and globular star clusters: the Perseus Double Cluster; the Great Hercules Cluster (M13); the Pleiades (M45); the Sagittarius Cluster (M22); the Wild Duck Cluster (M11)
- Galaxies: Andromeda Galaxy (M31); the Sombrero Galaxy (M104); Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy (M81 and M82); The Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565); the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
- Nebulae: the Great Orion Nebula (M42/43); the Dumbbell Nebula (M27); the Ring Nebula (M57); the Omega Nebula (M17); the Helix Nebula (Caldwell 63); the Veil Nebula (if we're lucky!)
- Double/multiple stars: Mizar and Alcor; Albireo; Epsilon Lyrae (the "Double Double"); Castor; Almach; Gamma Andromedae
What safety precautions should I know about?
Your safety is our top priority. We will be out in desert locations, but we'll be with you and wouldn't take you anywhere we wouldn't go ourselves. We will thoroughly discuss safety matters and planning with you in advance of your tour.
Do you offer special occasion or private tours?
Yes! We are happy to help you create special stargazing and astronomy experiences for parties, birthdays, or other occasions. Whether it's a romantic date night under the stars, a private family gathering, or a corporate team-building event, we can customize our tours to suit your needs. Please contact us with details and we'll help you create an unforgettable experience!
Can I bring a camera/smartphone/take pictures?
You can bring a camera or smartphone to take pictures of our session, but no flash photography is allowed. You may use your camera/smartphone in "night mode" to try to take pictures of your party on the tour, the landscape, etc. (For best results, bring a tripod if you have one.) Note that for our dark sky tours, we may ask that you take such picutres only at the beginning and end of the tour, and otherwise refrain from using your smartphone while there due to the bright LCD screen that will affect night vision.
We do have partners that can join and offer night sky photography clinics; outside of that, we're unable to help with astrophotography. It generally won't work to try to hold your
Do you offer tours for large groups?
Our regular tours are for up to 10 people. For groups of more than 10, contact us in advance with information about your group size and preferred dates and we can discuss options.