Frequently Asked Questions
Tour FAQs
What if it is cloudy or the weather is bad?
Weather can be tricky when it comes to astronomy. Some bright objects (the Sun, the Moon, and some planets) can still be seen through thinner clouds, but thick clouds can completely halt astronomical viewing until they clear. If clouds are the only issue, we can point the telescope at objects on Earth, like mountains, until the clouds subside. Adverse weather such as rain, snow, severe wind, and lightning strictly prohibit use of the telescope.
For our group stargazing nights, if the forecast is bad enough, the event may be cancelled and all tickets will be refunded. In the event that the weather turns out worse than was forecasted, severely limiting what we see in the sky that night, a partial or full refund may be given.
Decisions regarding weather-related refunds will be made at the discretion of Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours, with the goal of ensuring a fair experience for all guests.
What should I bring?
• WARM CLOTHES! Most people underestimate how cold it can get when you aren’t moving around outside in the night. It is better to bring more layers than you think you will need. The ground also can pull heat out of your feet, so wear warm socks/boots.
• Camping chair/blanket. Some guests like to take some time to sit or lie down and view the night sky with their naked eyes.
• Red flashlight/headlamp. You are welcome to bring a red flashlight or headlight, please do not bring/use a white light flashlight/headlamp. We will provide small red flashlights during our group stargazing tours, we ask that you please return them at the end of the night.
• Bug spray. Sometimes throughout the year we will encounter mosquitos and other bugs.
• Snacks. We won’t be providing any snacks throughout the night, but we will have disposable bottled water for attendees.
• Glasses or Contacts. If you wear glasses or contacts, you generally will want to wear them while looking through the telescope. For glasses wearers, try looking through the telescope with your glasses on first. If you can’t see anything with your glasses on, try again with them off.
• Binoculars (optional). If you have binoculars, you are welcome to bring them. They might be fun to use to see objects pointed out with a laser pointer throughout the night.
Where do we meet for the group experience?
For information about event location for our group stargazing tours click here or navigate to our events page.
What will I see?
There are plenty of amazing objects in our night sky visible through our telescope during a stargazing tour. Some of these include galaxies, planets, the Moon, the Sun, nebulas, and more. The sky visible through our telescopes will also change throughout the year, so not everything is visible on one given night.
Setting expectations is also important in this field. Views through the telescopes will not look like Hubble images; Hubble is quite a bit more expensive than our telescopes. We wish we had a Hubble sized telescope. Oftentimes, nebulas will appear monochromatic (one color) and galaxies will appear as faint “smudges” with the shape of the galaxy becoming more apparent at lower light pollution stargazing sites.
Seeing objects in the night sky through a telescope is a completely different experience than seeing images of the same objects. Even though you won’t be seeing what a telescope like Hubble sees, the visual view through our telescopes is a one-of-a-kind experience. Put simply, “Seeing Saturn through a telescope is life-changing.”
Can we still see things from the middle of the city?
Even from the middle of Salt Lake City (lots of light pollution), there are still quite a few objects we would be able to see. Generally more objects are visible in darker locations, but from light-polluted skies, stars, star clusters, planets, and of course the moon are still visible. In areas with slightly less light pollution, some bright nebulas and galaxies start to become visible.
Can I take a picture through the telescope?
You are welcome to try taking a picture through our telescopes, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Taking a picture through telescope is very hard.
2. Phone cameras are only sensitive enough to take images of bright objects (Moon, some planets, etc.)
3. Please don’t grab the telescopes or touch the eyepiece when trying to take a picture with your phone.
What is light pollution?
Simply put, light pollution is excess/wasted light emitted upwards into the sky. Light pollution makes our sky bright which in turn makes it much harder for people to experience the night sky. The solution can be as simple as turning off a light when not needed, changing a light bulb to a lower kelvin bulb (more orange), or adding a “cap” to a light so all the light is being directed downwards instead of “leaking” up to the sky. For more information on light pollution and its negative impact, check out Dark Sky Internationals resource [What is light pollution?].
Does the moon impact what we will see?
Yes, the moon absolutely impacts what we can and will see. The moon is very bright, especially when full, and it can “wash out” nearby objects in the sky. Keep in mind that the more full the moon is, the larger it’s brightness impact will be. Once the moon reaches a waning half phase, we generally will not see it throughout the night except for very late events.
With all that in mind, the moon is beautiful through our telescopes and is a sight worth seeing. (If you want an extra tip, the full moon is my personal least favorite to view. Feel free to ask me why!)
Do I need prior knowledge?
No prior knowledge or stargazing experience is required. We conduct our stargazing tours in a way where people at all different levels can still learn something! Along with being amazed, you will learn something during our stargazing tours.
Tips & Tricks
• Read our FAQs and Policies, trust me there is a lot of good information in there (specifically the FAQs)
• If you skipped the first tip/trick, at least read the “What should I bring?” FAQ 🙂
• Don’t bring white light flashlights (red light is okay). Without permission, we do not allow the use of white lights during our stargazing tours.
• Don’t look at your phone. The human eye can take upwards of 45 minutes to become fully “dark adapted.” It only takes less than a second of looking at your phone screen to reset that timer back to 0. If you want the best experience possible, don’t look at your phone. If you absolutely have to look at your phone, make sure your screen brightness is set as low as it can go.
• Ask questions! Space is full of so many fun topics, if you have a question about something up there, please ask. Questions make the experience more fun for everyone in attendance.
• Dress warmer than you think and bring layers.
• If you want to see the milky way, book an experience between June and September and pick a night where the moon is in a small phase, or not visible.
• Be patient with yourself and others. Looking through a telescope for the first few times can be a tricky experience. Give yourself time, keep trying, and ask for help from one of our staff.
** Advanced Tip: Averted vision is a really cool trick with the human eye used a lot in stargazing. In low light situations, the peripheral vision of our eyes is more sensitive than our direct vision. This means when looking at faint objects in the sky or through the telescope, they will actually appear bright if you look away from them. This is a real trick, give it a shot and surprise yourself!
Policies
Weather & Cancellation
Events may be cancelled due to unsafe or poor viewing conditions.
Full refunds will be issued if event is cancelled in advance by Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours.
Partial/full refunds for our group experiences if conditions unexpectedly worsen.
Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours has the final say on refunds.
Refunds
Refunds for group session tickets are available if cancelled before the event.
No-shows will not receive a refund.
Late arrivals may not receive a full/partial refund
Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours has the final say on refunds
Safety and Liability Disclaimer
Stargazing events take place outdoors at night and may involve uneven terrain, low lighting conditions, and exposure to natural elements such as cold temperatures, wind, or wildlife.
By attending, guests acknowledge and accept these conditions and agree to participate at their own risk. Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours is not responsible for any injuries, accidents, lost or stolen items, or other damages that may occur during the event.
Children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
Guests are responsible for wearing appropriate clothing and footwear and for following all safety instructions provided during the experience.
Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours reserves the right to remove any guest who behaves in a way that is unsafe or disruptive to others, without refund.
By attending, you agree to these terms.
Behavior
Respectful conduct is required at our stargazing events. Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours reserves the right to remove any guest who behaves in a way that is unsafe or disruptive to others, without refund.
Photography
Photography is permitted during our stargazing events. Please read the FAQ “Can I take a picture through the telescope?” Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours may take images, video, or audio recording throughout the event. If you wish to not appear in any images, video, or audio recordings please let us know.
Late arrivals
Late arrivals disturb other on-time event attendees. When you arrive late, you miss important information about how to see through the telescopes, what we will look at, and a lot of other important and cool stuff. Car headlights are bright and when you arrive late, you may be shining your bright lights into other attendees eyes. Late arrivals will not receive a partial or full refund for their tardiness.