mt. lemmon skycenter observatory

We certainly enjoyed this experience and will remember it as one of the highlights of our month in Arizona. All of the information provided before that night was clear and detailed and helped make the evening a success. We were never really interested in astronomy but felt this was an opportunity we shouldn't miss. That was the case. Adam is so knowledgeable and passionate and well organized you can't help but enjoy and appreciate all he offers. I will always look at the night sky in a different way now. It was a great experience we highly recommend!

From the minute the shuttle picks you until it drops you off the whole experience is fantastic. Adam was our guide for the night and he really knows the sky. He helps you see so many interesting celestial bodies and explain what they are and how they got there. The drive, the cold and the time spent are all worth it. Don't miss the Mt Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory!

Whatever our expectations were, this night walk through the starry sky more than exceeded them. Adam took time to educate us various factors, which brought depth to our experience. We used binoculars as well as the telescope, and were aided by little red glowing flashlights, all borrowed from the sky center. The atmosphere was "crystal" on our night which allows excellent viewing. I really felt warned about dressing for the cold, the prep from the center so worthwhile. Today we received detailed Email with pictures and explanations of the amazing things we encountered. This adventure was inspirational, and created an urge to learn even more! The fee was reasonable given everything included.

Amazing to see so much...stars, galaxies, planets! My daughter (11) and I enjoyed it. And yes, it is COLD.

My husband and really enjoyed our evening at the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter. It was fascinating and something we will never forget! It is a LONG evening, so prepare yourself and really do dress warm, we are from Minnesota and even thought it was chilly! I would recommend leaving extra early because the drive up the mountain is wonderful, really wish we had left early, packed a lunch and done a short hike before. I think the program could be improved by dividing the group in 2, with half the group looking in the telescope and half the group getting a longer orientation outside with binoculars, we had a large group so there was a lot of waiting in line to look in the telescope. I actually enjoyed looking through the binoculars almost as much as I did the telescope, since I can now point out the things we saw in the night sky at home.

Thank you for your feedback. I have not felt it necessary to respond to customer reviews for the past 4 years because I believe they speak for themselves with respect to the one-of-a-kind experiences we offer. However, in this case I would like to communicate our commitment to visitors to our programs. On nights such as yours we ask intrepid stargazers to join us since feel we can host a good program. We clearly explain that we moderate the program fee if we are unable to deliver a presentation that lives up to our standards and satisfies guests.. Please bear in mind that many visitors to our programs feel that the experience we offer is well worth the ticket price (see the other reviews) being "priceless" and life-altering. Although we cannot control the weather or temperature on the mountain, we can certainly guarantee that visitors receive a positive astronomy experience unlike any other. You are welcome to contact the SkyCenter (Manager, Adam Block) directly and discuss your experience so that we can learn from it as well as making certain you are satisfied. SIncerely,-Adam

This program was wonderful. Adam Block's program was very interesting and very easy to understand even though I do not know much about astronomy. It is truly an experience most people should have. Looking through the telescope and seeing the pictures Adam has taken of these same objects was fascinating. I have always loved the night sky and now I have a greater appreciation for what I am seeing.

My wife and I went to the Skycenter, she wasn’t too excited about it but once it was over we both had a great experience. Adam Block was the guide and he did a great job (especially since he handles every part of the experience). The night sky, even without the telescope is absolutely stunning. We saw a huge variety of objects. I would highly suggest it to anyone with an interest in astronomy. The trip is long, an hour drive up (although it’s a great drive and you may want to budget more time to enjoy it) plus waiting for the sun to set. It also does get very cold, we’re from Minnesota and we were very happy to have our winter jackets, hats and gloves (it’s well below freezing and you will be spending a good hour or two outside).

Four of us attended the Sky Centre program and were extremely impressed. The amazing experience began with the beautiful and scenic drive up the mountain. Adam's program was fascinating and informative and we saw globular clusters and nebulae up close. Following instructions, we dressed in warm layers and were fine. The meal was filling and what you'd expect to eat at a mountain top research station.There was the perfect combination of hard core science and easily understood concepts.

My 13 year old Daughter is interested in looking at stars in the night sky. We attended the U of A Mt Lemmon Skycenter observatory. Adam Block is a passionate astronomer with a true gift of presenting an amazing education. The entire program was well thought out and executed. Every minute was fascinating. My Daughter and I shared memories we will never forget. I strongly recommend taking the beautiful drive up Mt Lemmon and spending the evening with Adam. You will be happy you did!

My family and I recently went on this excellent U of A Sky Center tour. The program in general was very well done, with all details carefully planned. The meal was ok- nothing special but decent. More hot drink options would have been nice, since it was cold. Heed the warning about dressing warmly in layers! Adam the guide did a great job in both lecturing and showing us amazing stars, planets, and explaining what we were seeing. I really appreciated the lack of corny jokes (well, only a few anyway) that you usually get when attending educational programs, at national parks for example. Instead the material was presented at a high level. I see one reviewer wanted more entertainment and less "college lecture" but all four of our family (2 adults 2 teens) preferred this format. It wasn't oversimplified and therefore much more interesting. Astronomy is kind of nerdy anyway so to me this program was just right.You will learn a lot, see a lot and come away wanting to return! Or at least seeing the night sky in a different way. Highly recommended!

We've visited Kit Peak & loved the nighttime program, the Mt Lemmon Sky Center run & created by Adam Block is AMAZING!! He makes the unfathomable of outer space topics so interesting & puts them in a prospective that the average person actually understands it. The observation telescope is one of the best- you'll see things not seen anywhere else. The trip up Mt Lemmon is dramatic in its own right, it's hard to believe that it can get better. $60/ person might seem pricey at first, but after seeing the program it is a bargain. If it winter & Adam tells you to dress warmly-DO IT! Sitting around Tucson on a warm winter day might make you think heavy layers aren't needed- but you'll be in a different atmosphere, in the dark night & won't want to waste a minute because you are cold. This trip should be a requirement for anyone that visits The Tucson area!

We attended the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory program on December 28. Adam Block runs and delivers this excellent program. He has a unique combination of skills- an astronomer who is also an excellent educator, and amazing photographer as well. We were taken to the observatory and got a quick education on the telescope and then to the learning building for some of the educational program and dinner. The skies were a bit cloudy but were to clear while we were there and Adam kept us interested and entertained with an infra-red camera and an opportunity to view the spectrographic signature of various gases. This program was great for my 12 and 14 year old kids who love science and learning. It cleared just in time and we were able to get wonderful views of the moon, a dying star, the Andromeda galaxy and the Orion nebula. Really amazing. They warned us that it would be COLD and to wear every bit of clothing we had...make sure you follow those instructions, it is the difference between enjoyable and miserable!

It was an unique experience for touring the observatory site & leaned more from the lecture . I would definitely go again for longer moonless , clear night in the late spring or early summer (before Monsoon sets in) . Also, it was amazed to view the nebula & clusters - yes very impressive !

This is a GREAT experience for all people 10 years and above. Adam Block is a knowledgeable articulate guide for your viewing of the space. You will learn things you never knew and enjoy the experience! The dinner was surprisingly good and we even saw wild turkeys and cattle. The color in the universe was shown and amazed us! Any clear night is good to go, but going when there is a new moon will give you the best view of the Milky Way. Dress for cold weather since you will be at 9000 feet.Tucson Bob