Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory — Attraction in Four Corners States

This seems like a great opportunity, the observatory is really close to Tucson, AZ--and the University of Arizona is involved. The presence of the University alone should tell you though, that the observatory is run by the graduate students participating in the field of astronomy program and that could be a problem for the high volumes of tourists wanting to get a glimpse at the beautiful night skies that Arizona has to offer, especially in the Winter Solstice. As a resident of Arizona, and a graduate of the University of Arizona, I kind of expected a amateur atmosphere, and not a professional one since the description on the website says snacks provided for a 4 hour program lasting from somewhere around 330 pm to 730 pm, and this included dinner. So what the hell, I am always up for skipping dinner for a great time on the mountain and a chance to learn about the different solstice constellations, this was not to be. A winter in ski valley, for anyone who has been, is quite outrageous. The instructor who was leading, John or someone-or-rather, called the night before to tell us to come a little before the prearranged time to be, approximately 15-30 minutes before the required 30 minute meeting time before the group heads up from the parking lot, a little confusing (I know!). We spotted the van, ho! One of us got out of the car as the 315 minute time was approaching for the unmarked observatory van to disembark. I watched as my fiance approached the van, passing car after car of stopped motorists trying to find a parking spot, and saw just as she arrived to wave hi-dee-hoo! the driver drive away at 3:15. We were left to regroup and try calling the observatory to let the director know what happened, no response. This was also the case for the next three tries. And so we missed out, no refund or rescheduling was offered or produced upon request of course, this is a not-for-profit gig or nfti gig, since they are so nifty in getting monies. Anyway, not what I was hoping for, but perhaps you will have more luck....

This is a review of the SkyNights public outreach program at the observatory: overall an enjoyable and interesting experience, which I think could be improved with some small changes. The light dinner (bagged cold sandwiches with chips and cookies) seemed unnecessary, and perhaps the tickets could be made cheaper (and thus, more accessible) by eliminating this step. I would also prefer the group sizes to be capped at 15 or lower, instead of 20, since some people are unbearably slow and there ended up being a lot of sitting and waiting inside of the crowded observatory. Still, the student hosts did a great job explaining the science and helping to teach the public.

Tips for tourists:

1. Leave from Tucson with plenty of extra time. The drive up Mount Lemon is beautiful, and there are lots of scenic places to stop for pictures.
2. It get super cold at night on top of a mountain in the desert. If you're from out of town, you probably didn't pack your winter clothes. No problem, just stop by any of the many Goodwill thrift stores around town and buy some cheap coats, and donate them back before you leave.
3. The coolest things to see through the observatory's telescope are definitely the moon and any of the planets. Unfortunately, none of these were visible in the night sky when we visited. You may want to do some googling ahead of time and plan your visit around when these astronomical objects will...

We visited on Nov 14. When we met our guides we were told that some people would have to drive their vehicle up to the site because the vans were full. How can that be? The vans hold 28, the published trip capacity. However the University decided to add another group who hadn’t booked. Our guides were excellent-very informative, passionate and engaging. We had a very large group and there was a LOT of standing in line waiting. The telescope they usually use was down for repair so they set us up with a smaller one, which unfortunately held fewer people. Our guides also set up a small portable telescope but unfortunately with the full moon, it was more difficult to find things to look at with the small telescope. We saw Jupiter, Saturn, the moon, a comet and a few constellations. Lineups to look in the telescope were long and it was cold. But the views were great! Lineups for the bathroom were also long and our night was quite late. Overall I think this could have been a 5 star trip had the University held to their published quota and not allowed unreserved...