The Dark Skies Cosmoarium is situated in the Castle Peak parking lot area of Northstar California Ski Resort. It offers stunning astronomy shows and guided viewing sessions with advanced Celestron telescopes every Thursday and Saturday during the summer, from June 13 to August 31.
At an elevation of 6,400 feet, the Cosmoarium boasts unobstructed horizons and exceptional sky clarity, with a visual limiting magnitude of 5.5 and 20.5 mags/arcsecond² skies, making it a perfect spot for stargazing enthusiasts.
Ticket Price: Adults $45, Children (12 and under) $25 (Children 3 and under) Free
Features (included in ticket price):
Free parking (parking lot #1)
Fire pits
Blankets
Comfortable seating
Bathrooms
S’mores
Coffee, tea, hot chocolate
Bottled water
Celestron Telescopes (operated by Tahoe Star Tours)
Binoculars (for guest use)
Dog friendly (dogs must be on a leash)
Shows begin at 8:15 with an orientation in Parking lot #1 of Castle Peak at Northstar, and end at 10:30 PM (weather permitting). Shows are not cancelled for partial cloudy skies. Fire pits may not be allowed due to severe fire conditions.
Schedule:
8:15 Checkin and greeting (parking lot #1)
8:40 Astronomy talk and s’mores at the fire pits
9:15 Telescope viewing through computerized Celestron telescopes
10:30 Close
Remember to dress warm. Mountain temperatures can be cool!
