Stellar Vista Observatory will host this special event at no charge for attendees of the 2021 Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit at our “Zion View” Star Field in Kanab, Wednesday, October 27, beginning at 7:00 PM. Our Star Party includes a constellation tour plus telescopic viewing of southern Utah’s outstanding night sky.

In addition to learning to locate and identify the most prominent constellations with the unaided eye, we’ll turn our telescopes toward the planets, Jupiter and Saturn, and you’ll see some of the autumn sky’s most beautiful double stars, star clusters and nebulae visible between 7 pm and 10 pm. To stay safe from Covid, masks are required to look through the telescopes. The telescopes and tripod mounted binoculars you’ll be using have been provided to SVO through a grant from the Governor’s Office of Outdoor Recreation and Kane County Office of Tourism.

Directions to the “Zion View” Star Field:

SVO’s “Zion View” star field is located on BLM land at the west end of old Hwy. 89, 13 miles north of Kanab, near the 6100-foot summit and Diana’s Throne. The site is at the opposite end of a six-mile improved dirt road from BLM’s Peekaboo Trailhead. You’ll see the Peekaboo sign posted on Hwy 89 just north of the upper entrance to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and the intersection of Hancock Road and US 89. (The aforementioned improved dirt road is the old Hwy. 89 running parallel to the paved highway)

Traveling on US 89 North from Kanab, look for a small sign marking the “6100 Foot Summit”, the high point between Kanab and Mt. Carmel Jct. Proceed one tenth mile or so and make the next right turn onto a hard packed dirt road that crosses a cattle guard and leads to the star field location, also in less than a tenth mile. When you see the 6100 Summit sign, start to slow down, use your turning signal and look for a narrow road on your right. If you start down the grade toward Mt. Carmel Junction on the highway, you missed the turn. The site affords a wonderfully dark location for sky watching! Portable rest room available on site.

An alternative way to get there is to turn off US Hwy 89 at Peekaboo Trailhead, and follow the dirt road for six miles up and over the grade to its opposite end. When you reach the star field, drive slowly to avoid creating dust.