Night Sky Tourist

What does it really mean to look up at the night sky? In this episode, we look at what it means to really know the place where we live and to be known by it. This relationship with place has a name in the Old English – kithship. And since half of the human experience takes place in darkness, this includes our relationship with the night sky. Steve Dudrow, author of The Art of Noticing and a desert...

Pipe Spring National Monument sits on the lands of the Kaibab Paiute Nation in northern Arizona, and the night sky there carries a story most visitors never expect. The Kaibab Paiute Nation holds a remarkable distinction as the world's first sovereign nation to earn Dark Sky certification, bringing that same recognition to the park itself. In this episode, guests Nickie Wheeler and Mark Gleaso...

After years of traveling and living across the globe, Megan Eaves-Egenes has made seeking out the night sky a way of life. Her new book, Nightfaring: In Search of the Disappearing Darkness , weaves her personal experiences with the star stories of cultures around the world — a journey through a cosmos that light pollution has stolen from most of us. If you've ever wondered what the sky meant t...

How old were you when you learned that many birds migrate at night? There’s an extraordinary place where you can see thousands of birds resting and feeding during the Spring and Fall migrations near Choteau, Montana, and this episode will leave you itching to take a trip there for the Wild Wings Festival. This three-day event is so much fun for all ages, and Brent Lonner and Maggie Carr are here t...

Citizen science is a really cool way to engage with nature in a way that contributes toward our understanding of things, and Globe at Night is a super cool citizen science project you can do while stargazing. As it celebrates its 20th year, Connie Walker shares the project's origin story, how you can participate, and the scientific research it has generated. I wrap up the episode by taking you...

At a time when social media stories and reels are a few seconds long and pull us away from what’s happening in the real world around us, storytelling is more important than ever. Chris Salisbury joins us to explore his book Folk Tales of the Night: Stories for Campfires, Bedtime and Nocturnal Adventures. Ancient cultures connected the pictures they saw in the stars to the land where they lived thr...

You’ve heard the media hype up Supermoons, Blood Moons, and Blue Moons, but what the heck are they, and are they worth the effort to see them? In this episode, our Night Sky Tourist Star Dude, Ken Cotter, joins us to answer your questions about these intriguing lunar phenomena.  LINKS FROM EPISODE 130: 2026 Stargazing Guide (FREE download): https://nightskytourist.com/guide/   Book the Star Dudes:...

Night Sky Tourist partners with many organizations and venues, but Taliesin West is definitely the most unique. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, Taliesin West was the winter home of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This UNESCO World Heritage Site offers self-guided tours during the day and occasionally hosts stargazing experiences at night. Aija Cave joins us for a behind-the-scenes look at this...

Night Sky Tourist is more than just this podcast. We are also a stargazing business based in Fountain Hills, Arizona, on the edge of the Phoenix Metro Area. Being in a certified International Dark Sky Community means that we have something special to offer when it comes to seeing the stars. Through themed events, corporate and private stargazing experiences, and community events, we have the privi...

Award-winning author Craig Childs joins me to chat about his brand new book, The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light . We talk about his adventure of biking across the Bortle Scale from the blindingly bright Las Vegas Strip to the darkest night of the Great Basin of Nevada. He shares his thoughts about what the night would look like if we inhabited a lone solar system floating bet...

Tired of living disconnected from nature's rhythms while racing through an endless calendar of obligations? This episode explores how Cross-Quarter Days—the forgotten midpoints between solstices and equinoxes—can transform your year from four rushed seasons into eight meaningful moments of pause and reflection. Rather than borrowing ancient Celtic traditions that don't match your local lan...

Scorpius dominates the summer night skies and captures the imagination of people around the world. The red “heart of the scorpion,” Antares, twinkles brightly, and a nearby star cluster is visible to the naked eye from dark locations. Meanwhile, summer is scorpion season on the ground, creating a perfect anchor between the night sky and the land. But not all cultures see a scorpion. I’ll take you...

Astrotourism is barreling through the tourism industry like a freight train, and one visionary, Gamal Jadue Zalaqett, has brought his dream for the Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa to life in the San Luis Valley in Colorado. Located just south of Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, these luxury domes, stargazing park, spa, and observatory are the perfect complement for those looking t...

There’s a new tent that's flipping the stargazing experience for campers on its head. Joe Bissonnette, the creator of this extraordinary tent, shares his expert tips for finding the best dark sky locations for camping, choosing the right lighting for nighttime camping without disrupting your night vision, and explains what makes Sky View Tents completely different from every other tent on the...

Take your next stargazing adventure to another level with stargazing river rafting. Tom Beckett shares what it’s like to stargaze from the canyons after a day spent on the river. As a river guide with Holiday River Expeditions, Tom introduces rafters to the wonders of the night sky with cultural star stories far from light pollution.  LINKS FROM EPISODE 122: 2025 Stargazing Guide (FREE download):...

Nevada probably has more land under pristine dark skies than any other state. And if you love an epic road trip, you’ll want to get your map and pack your bags for the Park to Park in the Dark Highway. In this episode, I chat with Liz Woolsey, owner of Stargazer Inn in Baker, Nevada, to chat about this stargazer’s wonderland and how you can get the most out of your trip along this route. LINKS FRO...

Think you need to escape the city to connect with the cosmos? Think again! In this week's episode, I reveal seven unexpected ways to experience the night sky and astronomy while visiting urban destinations across North America. From touching billion-year-old meteorites to standing underneath a space shuttle that left our atmosphere and returned, these urban astrotourism experiences prove that...

In this episode, I welcome travel journalist Stephanie Vermillion to discuss her captivating new National Geographic book, 100 Nights of a Lifetime: The World's Ultimate Adventures After Dark. Stephanie's work takes us beyond traditional stargazing to explore extraordinary nocturnal adventures across cultures—from Viking-style midwinter bonfires in Scotland to the ethereal beauty of Petra...

Ranger Amy Burnett returns to the podcast so we can explore the world of owls in their world of natural darkness. We talk about how our other senses heighten when stargazing, the diverse calls of different owl species, and why owls are threatened by increasing light pollution. Amy shares tips for the best times of year to listen for owls and how the phases of the moon guide their behavior. Whether...

Embark on a thrilling journey to the slopes of Utah in this episode of Night Sky Tourist. Join us as we explore the magical experience of night skiing with special guest Amber Palmer, the creative marketing mind behind Brian Head Resort and an avid skier and mountain climber. Discover how this unexpected mountain paradise, sitting at 10,000 feet elevation just minutes from Cedar Breaks National Mo...

The city of Tucson, Arizona, recently launched a new program for residents and tourists called the Astro Trail. You might not think you can stargaze in a city of a million people, but Tucson isn’t your typical metropolis. This is a city that takes its night sky seriously without compromising the quality of life. Arizona is affectionately known as the Astronomy State, and Tucson sits right at its h...

From moving tides to mysterious red shadows, the Moon's influence on Earth and humanity runs deep. Join my conversation with NASA Solar System Ambassador Scott Grzybowski for an insider's look at our celestial companion, exploring everything from ancient lunar mysteries to the science behind blood moons and supermoons. Then, step outside for a guided tour of an extraordinary celestial event as we...

I’m officially naming Highway 89, from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada, America’s Starlight Highway. And with the two big announcements I make in this episode, you’ll agree that I’m uniquely qualified to give it that title. I’m joined by James Cowlin to talk about a website he started years ago called USroute89.com. This episode is as much a celebration of two incredible bits of news...

Something happens when you look up at a starry night sky. Most people have a change in their emotions, sense of well-being, and even their physical state. Dr. Christopher Barnes, a psychologist in the UK, shares some fascinating studies around the theory of nature connectedness, and we chat about the psychological changes that happen when someone spends time under the stars. I also take you on a t...

Winter Solstice has been a significant time of year across cultures for thousands of year. In this episode, we check out some little-known archaeoastronomy sites across the United States that have alignments with the Winter Solstice, chat with Tacy Quinn and Lauren Theis about their 15 Weeks of Friluftsliv for some tips for getting the most enjoyment out of our winter stargazing experiences, and t...