Introducing the Von Del Chamberlain Solar System Walk

On a beautiful sunny day in Kanab, you might decide to take a stroll on the Sherry Belle Trail at Jackson Flat Reservoir. Adjacent to this popular 3-mile paved loop is a site that will become the future home of the Stellar Vista Observatory.

Near the boat launch parking area later this spring look for a large ‘welcome’ sign, the first in a series transforming a 1.7-mile portion of the trail into a voyage through the solar system! Along the trail, 12 more durable, permanently installed full color signs will illustrate the eight planets of the solar system plus Pluto, the Asteroid Belt and a wonderfully informative sign for our star, the Sun. These signs will be precisely positioned, one from the other, to create an exact scale model of the distance from our Sun to each planet of our solar system.

These high-quality signs will contain up-to-date scientific information and a QR code to obtain additional information with a click of your smart phone. The walk will begin at the concessions building near the boat launch area, and terminate at the observatory site, going roughly halfway around the reservoir in a counterclockwise direction, just the way the planets revolve around the sun!

SVO is delighted to announce the Von Del Chamberlain Solar System Walk, as part of Phase 1 construction of its new educational observatory project in partnership with the Kane County Water Conservancy, funded in part by the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation, Kane County, Kanab’s nonprofit Stellar Vista Observatory, Garkane Energy, area businesses and individuals.

A local fundraising campaign to help cover the cost of the signs and featuring a planetary popularity contest is kicking off now. SVO would love to count you as a contributor to this exciting endeavor! Keep on reading for more about that, as well as how to vote for your favorite planet! 

With its Solar System Walk, SVO highlights the enormous contribution to astronomy interpretation in the state of Utah and beyond of Mr. Von Del Chamberlain, native son of Kanab. Mr. Chamberlain is the most senior member of the SVO Board of Directors and has been a visionary source of inspiration for the entire project.

Growing up in Kanab, he retired back to his hometown in 1996 after an illustrious career in astronomy. In 1958, Von Del earned an undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Utah and later a master’s in astronomy from the University of Michigan. He has taught courses for the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Utah and Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University).

During the initial lunar exploration years, he was director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University and experienced the commencement of planetary exploration by spacecraft while employed at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. As the Hubble Space Telescope began revealing stunning images of the grand cosmos, Von Del was director of Hansen Planetarium in Salt Lake City, a post he held until his retirement in 1996.

Mr. Chamberlain was the founding member of both the Great Lakes Planetarium Association and the International Planetarium Society. In addition to developing education programs in classrooms and planetariums, he has encouraged “sky interpretation” in national parks and other outdoor visitation areas, lectured widely in outdoor settings, on cruise ships and elsewhere. He is known for his research on Native American ethno-astronomy, is the author of many papers and a book titled, “When Stars Came Down to Earth: Cosmology of the Skidi Pawnee Indians of North America.” Of himself, Von Del is fond of saying he is trained as a scientist, has the experience of an educator and administrator, thinks of himself as an interpreter of the sky, and has the heart of a naturalist.

Stellar Vista Observatory Founder Rich Csenge, reflects on Von Del’s crucial role in the establishment of the nonprofit that in 2026 will build and operate Phase 1 of southern Utah’s newest educational astronomical observatory.

“After the enactment of Kanab City’s first ever outdoor lighting ordinance in 2018, a two-year effort which I led as the longest serving member of the Kanab Beautification & Shade Tree Committee, an inspiration arose to pursue an even greater objective: to create and operate an astronomical observatory for public appreciation of southern Utah’s spectacular starry night sky. This fledgling aspiration was significantly enhanced in conversations with a neighbor and friend whom I respected greatly, the distinguished retired astronomy interpreter, Von Del Chamberlain.

Consultations with Von Del as a native son of Kanab, Utah, and a true pioneer in his field, brought the feasibility of the project into sharper focus. Exploring the night sky together with Von Del, sensing the depth of his comprehension of the universe, gathering night sky quality readings, and allowing imaginations to roam, cemented our agreement to become founding trustees along with others, of the new nonprofit, which was launched in 2019.

To express the SVO board of directors’ immense gratitude to Von Del for his unflinching guidance and encouragement, Stellar Vista Observatory dedicates to his name its scale model of our Solar System, to be installed along the 3-mile Sherry Belle Trail at Jackson Flat Reservoir in Kanab as part of the Phase 1 construction of Southern Utah’s newest observatory.”

Join the Great Planetary Popularity Contest

A huge thank you to all who donated towards bringing electricity to our new building site. We are applying for the remainder of the necessary funds to the Kane County Recreation & Transportation Special Service District and are awaiting to hear their decision next month.

2026 will be a momentous year for SVO as we begin construction of Phase I of the Observatory and the Von Del Chamberlain Solar System Walk! To raise funds for the Solar System signs, we are kicking off The Great Planetary Popularity Contest: Planetary Popularity Contest: Build Our Solar Trail! | Stellar Vista Observatory. Each dollar donated is a vote for your favorite planet, or the sun. You can vote for as many planets as you like, in any amount. The contest will run through the end of March 2026. The celestial body that raises the most funds will win!

To vote, head to Planetary Popularity Contest: Build Our Solar Trail! | Stellar Vista Observatory and click the donate button at the top of the page. Select the amount you would like to donate or enter your own custom amount. Underneath, you will see a drop-down menu where you can select the celestial body of your choice. Donations of $100 or more will get a complimentary digital star chart for the day and year of your choice. Donations of $250 or more will get an invitation to a private night sky experience for SVO supporters. 

Event Round Up

January Star Party
On January 9, 2026, one of the coldest days of the year, Kyle Slaton and Eric Sims were joined by 12 intrepid souls who braved the cold and wind to see Jupiter at perigee (closest to Earth in its orbit). The party also saw Saturn, the Orion Nebula, and the Andromeda Galaxy.

Science of Light
On January 14th, Michael McKeon and Eric Sims led a “Science of Light” event at the Fredonia Library, which was attended by 16 people. They did hands-on demonstrations with light and also taught the kids how to use the spectrometer and sky quality meter because good scientists collect data! The spectrometer was purchased through a grant from the Utah STEM Action Center, who has generously supported our STEM programs.

Private Night Sky Experiences
Participants in a private Night Sky Experience on January 2nd were treated to a Falcon 9 launch around 7pm. These launches occur regularly and sometimes overlap with evening hours and can be seen from Kanab. You never know what you will see during a Night Sky Experience!

We are also thrilled to receive wonderful reviews about our Night Sky Experiences! Here is a recent Google review that was submitted:

What I See When You Look Up

-Michael McKeon, SVO Night Sky Interpreter

“I will never look at the night sky the same after tonight!” is probably one of the greatest compliments we can receive. 

As a Night Sky Interpreter for Stellar Vista Observatory, my colleagues and I get the privilege to show the stars to friend groups on vacation, families from the Midwest, travelers from Europe, local friends and family, and many other group configurations. 

Getting the “Saturn Gasp” when someone sees the planet for the first time in a telescope never gets old. They are stunned at what they are witnessing. What I refer to as a “Bolt of Awe” striking their minds elicits an uncontrollable human gasp. It’s so fun to witness and might, just might, start to change their way of looking at things and their place in the universe.

Being able to show a live image of the Orion nebula and its colors, point it out in the sky, give some science facts and figures, then have guests see it with their eyes in the telescope is a full circle thing. It shows the limitations of our eyes then explores the technology we use to reveal what is really out there. It helps to make the connection on how vast the whole thing is.

There is sometimes a point where it gets quiet. And for a few moments, everyone is just looking up. When I started to notice this, I thought people were getting bored and disinterested in the telescopes. But I was wrong. The awe, the wonder, and the new concepts were causing the silence as people looked at the universe in a different light—so to speak.

What some were starting to realize was that they were looking into the past, because light takes a moment to get from there to here. Reflected sunlight bouncing off the moon arrives to us in about 1.3 seconds. Looking at Saturn is about an hour and ten minutes into the past. Stars and nebula reach even further back. In that sense, the night sky is the truest time machine we have. And it can stop people in their tracks. 

Occasionally someone asks, “So…that star might not even be there anymore?” And the answer is it could be—or it might not. Some stars have predictable life cycles so we can give a good guess but we won’t know for a long time. And we are only here for the smallest of moments in the big scheme of things.

Facts can open the door, but wonder is what keeps people standing there, long after the explanation is finished. I’ve heard guests say the stars make them feel small. Others say the opposite—that they feel more connected. Both reactions are totally valid. The night sky has room for them all.

For those who support this observatory and protect these dark skies, know this: your contributions fund buildings, telescopes and programs and we are very grateful. And they also preserve an experience that quietly changes people—a place where the universe becomes personal.

Share Your Star Photos With Us!

This month we are featuring a photo from Dan Gunn, friend of SVO and fellow night sky lover.

This is an image of the Orion Nebula, taken with his Seestar S50 telescope. The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula in the Milky Way and is known as the middle “star” in the “sword” of Orion. It is approximately 1,300 light-years away and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth.

If you have a great star or night sky photo that you would like to share with our audience, we would love to include it in our monthly newsletter. Please send your photos to info@stellarvistaobservatory. along with your name and the object(s) in the photo.

The Inner Solar System: Our Neighborhood of Rocky Worlds

–Ella Elman, SVO

The inner solar system is the Sun’s intimate circle — a realm of heat, rock, and dramatic planetary personalities. These worlds sit closest to our star, shaped by intense radiation, ancient impacts, and the restless forces of geology and atmosphere. Though small in size compared to the giants farther out, the inner planets are where we find the most familiar landscapes, the most extreme environments, and the only known home for life.

This month, we explore the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, which comprise the inner solar system.

The Sun: The Engine of Everything

At the center of our solar system blazes the Sun, a massive sphere of superheated plasma powered by nuclear fusion. It contains 99.8% of all the mass in the solar system, and its gravity holds every planet, moon, and comet in orbit. The Sun creates a vast bubble around our Solar System called the heliosphere, shaped by its magnetic field and a constant outflow of charged particles known as the solar wind. This wind races outward at incredible speeds, filling space with a thin, dusty “interplanetary atmosphere.” When the Sun erupts—through solar flares or coronal mass ejections—it can disturb this bubble and send waves of energy toward Earth, sometimes triggering geomagnetic storms and the beautiful auroras near the poles.

The Inner Planets: The Habitable Zone

The four inner planets are rocky and dense, have few moons, and no ring systems. They are composed largely of minerals, which form their crusts and mantles and metals, such as iron and nickel, which form their cores. Three of the planets (Venus, Earth, and Mars) have atmospheres substantial enough to generate weather; all have impact craters and tectonic surface features, such as rift valleys and volcanoes.

Mercury: The Scorched Speedster

Closest to the Sun and smallest of the eight planets, Mercury is a world of extremes. With almost no atmosphere to trap heat, its surface temperature swings from 800°F during the day to –290°F at night. Its landscape is heavily cratered, resembling our Moon, and its orbit is the fastest of all planets — just 88 Earth days. Despite its harshness, Mercury holds clues to the solar system’s earliest days, preserving ancient scars from the era of heavy bombardment.

Venus: Earth’s Fiery Twin

Similar in size to Earth but utterly different in character, Venus is a cautionary tale of runaway climate. Its thick carbon‑dioxide atmosphere creates a greenhouse effect so powerful that surface temperatures reach 900°F, hotter than Mercury despite being farther from the Sun.

Venus is wrapped in clouds of sulfuric acid, its surface crushed under pressures equivalent to being 3,000 feet underwater. Yet beneath that hostility lies a world with mountains, volcanoes, and a complex geological history — a reminder that “Earth‑like” doesn’t always mean “Earth‑friendly.”

Earth: The Blue Marble

Our home is the only known planet with liquid water on its surface (70% of the planet is covered by oceans), a breathable atmosphere, and life. Earth’s position in the “habitable zone,” its protective magnetic field, and its dynamic climate system create a rare balance that supports everything from microbes to forests to human civilization.

Earth’s atmosphere contains 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, which is the result of the presence of life. Our generally stable climate is moderated by water and an atmosphere. We also have a moon, which is a quarter of Earth’s diameter in size. The moon’s gravitational pull is responsible for the Earth’s current day length, stable seasons and tides.

Mars: The Desert Frontier

Mars, about half the size of earth, is a cold, dusty world with a thin atmosphere and a landscape shaped by ancient rivers, volcanoes, and wind. Most of the planet is red due to iron oxide in Martian soil, and the polar regions are covered in white ice caps made of water and carbon dioxide. Once warmer and wetter, Mars may have hosted lakes and possibly even microbial life billions of years ago.

Although small, Mars is a world of extremes. It contains the tallest volcano in the solar system (Olympus Mons) as well as the largest canyon (Valles Marineris), about 10 times the size of the Grand Canyon. Each year on Mars is 687 Earth days, with the temperature varying between −109.3 and 42.3 °F. Mars remains humanity’s most compelling target for future exploration — a world that feels both alien and strangely familiar.

Next month, we will explore the gas giants: Jupiter and Saturn.

Free Public Star Parties and Events

Exciting viewing opportunities abound in clear winter skies! Please join us for one of our free star parties!

• Friday, February 6, 2026 – 7:00pm at Jackson Flat Reservoir Boat Launch Parking Area. Jupiter, Saturn, and the Andromeda Galaxy are just a few highlights of the winter sky. It will be the last chance to see Saturn for several months, so don’t miss it!
• Thursday, February 12, 2026 – 7:00pm at Fredonia Public Library. “The Science of Light” Hands on Science Activity. Learn about the light spectrum and use a spectrometer and sky quality meter. Great STEM activity for the whole family!
• Tuesday, March 3, 2026 – 3:30am at Jackson Flat Reservoir Boat Launch Parking Area. Join SVO for the Lunar Eclipse! (Note the early morning start time) 
• Friday, March 13, 2026 – 8:30pm at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Jupiter, the Perseus Double Cluster, and Orion under a wonderfully dark sky. Events at the State Park carry a fee of $5/vehicle.
  
  Our events calendar can be seen at: Public Star Parties | Stellar Vista Observatory.