The true city of stars

Regarded as somewhat of a quaint and sleepy town, Flagstaff and its rich history may not be known to many people. To those familiar with it, they think of its vicinity to the mountains and the ability to experience all four seasons, despite being in Arizona.

Yet, there is another paramount quality that makes the city its own: the night sky and the astrotourism attractions it offers. Just look up at night and you will be able to point out a wide array of stars and constellations.

The sheer visibility of outer space phenomena would not be a reality had Flagstaff not become the first internationallyrecognized Dark Sky City in 2001. The policy change was first proposed by Lowell Observatory, which aided their astronomical research.

On top of Mars Hill, Lowell Observatory offers scenic views, guided tours, immersive exhibits, solar viewing and more. It is one of the most visited sites in Flagstaff, with upwards of 100,000 visitors each year

Caroline Reed, public programs educator for Lowell Observatory, said the city’s dark sky policy has positively impacted both the observatory and the city from an environmental standpoint.

“For astronomy, light pollution really does affect the research that you can do and exploring space is important just to know the origins of the universe, see what we’re dealing with and how to approach things going forward,” Reed said. “And then I also come at it from an environmental aspect. Light pollution is a pretty big area of pollution because it’s not always thought about.”

Lowell Observatory has a legacy of fighting to preserve dark skies, and beyond that, has shaped Flagstaff’s community to what it is today.

“Lowell really did inspire Flagstaff to become more than just a lumber community,” Reed said. It’s the first scientific institution here and it kind of helped bring about some awareness to Flagstaff because at the time, Arizona wasn’t even a state yet.”

What really put Flagstaff on the map was the discovery of Pluto by Clyde Tombaugh on Feb. 18, 1930. The selftaught astronomer had only been working at Lowell for a year before becoming the first American to discover a planet.

The day of discovery has been celebrated for generations and remains an integral part of Flagstaff culture.

This year, Lowell hosted the 93rd I Heart Pluto Festival from Feb. 16-20, which has been a community tradition since the planet was first discovered.

The four-day long festival was packed full with various activities all around Flagstaff and attracted visitors far and wide.

Phoenix resident Michelle Scott said she was interested in coming to the festival to look through the telescopes at Lowell and try the space-themed drinks sold around downtown.

“Being from Phoenix, it’s nice coming to a dark sky city, and I love going up to the observatory and seeing the stars,” Scott said.

At the observatory, visitors can look through a variety of planets, star clusters and nebulae that are most visible at the given time of year.

NAU student Madeleine John said seeing the vivid colors of the Orion Nebula was the highlight of her trip to the observatory, along with getting to look through the telescope that Pluto was discovered through.

“Being able to see the telescope that [Tombaugh] looked through to discover Pluto and even being in that same room with the telescope was really cool,” John said. “We got to see those images that compared where Pluto was and how Pluto moved in the next image and that’s how he was able to discover Pluto, which was really interesting to learn.”

As part of the National Pluto Day celebration, Lowell Observatory also hosted the Night of Discovery. At the event, guests were able to learn the history of Pluto, explore space art galleries presented by the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA) and listen to a number of acts and presentations.

Astronaut, aquanaut and space artist Nicole Stott headlined this year’s event.

John said she felt encouraged to attend the event to learn more about space, not wanting to pass on the chance to hear from an astronaut.

“After going to Lowell Observatory, it was so interesting just to see the telescopes that they used and the process that they used to be able to find Pluto,” John said. “That and being able to listen to an actual astronaut because it’s not every day that you get to talk to someone who was able to go and live in space.”

During her presentation, Stott spoke on her first experiences in space and overarching lessons since coming back to Earth.

“I was really impressed most by the simple lessons of stuff we already know, before ever going to space and then appreciating those things in a whole new way,” Stott said. “We live on a planet and we’re all earthlings, the only border that matters is that thin blue line of atmosphere that’s protecting us all. And then that absolutely our most important role is to be behaving like crewmates not passengers here on spaceship Earth.”

Stott explained how she started painting as a vessel to capture her space exploration sights.

“When I was thinking about retiring from NASA, like taking myself out of the opportunity to fly again, and wanting to find a way to kind of meaningfully uniquely share those spaceflight experiences, I just kept coming back to that painting experience in space,” Stott said.

Part of her inspiration for painting comes from working with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she she cofounded the Space for Art Foundation and facilitated the Spacesuit Art Project with the child patients at the center. In the presentation, she showed how the kids’ finished artwork had been sewn into spacesuits. Stott said the kids felt inspired from having seen their paintings in space, and that inspiration was something she wanted to continue to make possible in her time back on Earth moving forward.

The event ended with Stott signing copies of her book, “Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet — And Our Mission to Protect It,” which was also being sold at the event.

Lowell Observatory isn’t the only establishment that holds astronomy-related events. The Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition hosts the Flagstaff Star Party at Buffalo Park annually on Sept. 16.

If you are looking for backcountry Flagstaff stargazing opportunities, Flagstaff Stargazing Adventures is another option. They are holding the New Moon Star Party and Flow Arts Festival on April 22 just outside of Flagstaff at Gateway Ranch, which will include fire spinner performances, music, dinner and more.

The landscape of Flagstaff also creates opportunities for stargazing almost everywhere you go, so attending events isn’t always necessary. Besides Lowell, there are several national parks and monuments in the city that residents flock to for stargazing. Buffalo Park, Sunset Crater and Lake Mary are some of the most popularly visited places for the night sky views they offer.

Between Flagstaff being a dark sky city and having several stargazing attractions, the city sets a precedent for astrotourism. The beauty of Flagstaff lies in its affinity to the stars.