STARGAZING
WITH RUSSELL & LAURA
Explore the night sky with astronomy enthusiast Russell Crotty, with assistance from his wife Laura Gruenther
STARGAZING AT
TAFT GARDENS & NATURE PRESERVE
Public Evenings
Perched above the renowned Gardens, Taft's upper "mesa" is the perfect locale for night sky observing. Come early to walk through the Gardens and have a picnic. Then take in the beauty of this gorgeous site and watch the famous Pink Moment as dusk falls and we start our night sky observing.
We attempt to keep the number of guests to no more than 15 to give everyone enough engagement with telescopes. Sorry, no children under 12 years old.
Stargazing is completely dependent on the condition of the sky, so we try to cancel the day before if the weather looks unfavorable.
Scroll down to see a description and photos of a typical stargazing evening at Taft Gardens.
$35 / person
Taft Gardens handles all scheduling, sign-ups and ticketing.
PRIVATE STARGAZING
Private Evenings
For companies, groups or individuals at a location of your choosing – your home, rental, hotel or other location. Location needs clearance from the property owner and insurance must be provided by guest. Non-disclosure respected.
We can arrange to have your Private Evening Stargazing at Taft Gardens if you do not have your own location.
Moongazing evenings are an option if your observing date coincides with the days around a bright moon. Observing deep-sky objects can not be assured on these nights.
We do not provide any catering. You are welcome to bring your own snacks, drinks and water.
Stargazing is completely dependent on the condition of the sky, so we try to cancel the day before if the weather looks unfavorable.
priced per event and number of guests
Please contact us directly to discuss a Private Evening.
A typical Stargazing Evening
As twilight fades and we wait for the first stars to pop out, we begin with a brief discussion of the basics of astronomy, an orientation to our place in our Milky Way galaxy, and an introduction to the telescopes.
Once dark, we employ the telescopes to explore the best objects visible in the sky on that particular evening. Russell will describe the celestial objects as we view them. Depending on the night, we will observe deep sky objects, globular clusters, galactic star clusters, nebulae, and different star types. We will also take a look at the superior planets closer to home – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – when they are visible.
After investigating with the telescope, everyone sits back to take in the breadth of the sky while Russell uses a laser pointer to show the constellations and describe the plane of the solar system and orbital paths of the planets.
Everyone enjoys a relaxed and informative night under the stars. The questions and interactions of our guests make the experience very intimate and engaging. We welcome you to join us at Taft Gardens or to book a private Stargazing Evening directly.