Dark Sky Excursions
After-Hours Astronomy (AHA) was founded with the intent to provide technical support services during astronomy-friendly hours. But getting as many people outside under anstars is the real driving force behind our business - regardless of gear, experience, or location. And with that concept in mind we also decided to offer dark sky excursions for individuals, families, and groups of all kinds. These excursions can be tailored to anybody at any skill level, whether you’re an experienced astrophotographer, a lifelong visual observer, or just someone who really likes space. So if you’ve always wanted to experience the magic of dark skies, please Contact Us today and let After-Hours Astronomy be your tour-guide to the cosmos.
All events include a minimum of four (4) telescopes, and depending on your preferences the equipment selection can be optimized for visual observation, astrophotography, or a mix of both. AHA will be responsible for setup, operation, and explanation of all of our equipment, but you and your guests are welcome to bring your own gear as well. You can also opt to add any (or all) of our other equipment as upgrades to your excursion, the complete list of which can be found on our "Available Equipment" page. After-Hours Astronomy can also work with you to plan your event around any number of specific requests like certain types of targets, elevations, times of year, and much more!
As part of all excursions, AHA will include two (2) hours of planning and preparation beforehand for basic packages, and up to five (5) hours for VIP packages - after which a discounted hourly rate would apply. During the planning phase we will communicate by Google Meet and/or by phone, and we will help you pick a dark-sky location that is best suited to your group’s needs and preferences. This could mean finding an area with various daytime recreation options, a location that meets specific physical/accessibility needs, or just proximity to certain points of interest like an airport, grandma’s house, or a waterfall. We are happy to make any location work within reason, but there will be additional travel fees based on the distance from zip code 80528.
Please note that camping and reservations for any outdoor activities can be very tricky to secure in Colorado, especially on short notice. After-Hours Astronomy is currently in the process of establishing partnerships with various sites around the state to make this easier, but until we have streamlined this process and established these sites we cannot guarantee any events with less than 4 weeks notice in which AHA handles the booking. If you are able to secure a location this limitation will be waived.
At this stage we also cannot guarantee facilities with specific amenities or accessibility requirements. We will be happy to assist you in finding locations/facilities that meet your needs, and we are happy to help you secure reservations in real-time through Google Meets, but the final confirmation will need to be yours.
Guests will be required to provide their own camping gear including RVs, tents, chairs, toiletries, etc…. If you would like to find a location with on-site lodging this can be arranged with enough lead time as well. However, guests will be responsible for any fees or costs related to lodging options beyond a traditional campsite. Food and snacks will be made available for all VIP packages, and various packages can be added on to any basic excursion to include meals as well.
If you will be traveling from out of state, you are always welcome to ship any gear to After-Hours Astronomy ahead of time. And if you require any new gear for this trip you are welcome to purchase it in advance and have it shipped directly here as well. All excursions will include detailed, hands-on instruction regarding the setup and operation of any gear being used, whether it’s gear belonging to After-Hours Astro or your own equipment.
Sky View Tents:
After-Hours Astronomy has partnered with Sky View Tents to offer an amazing deal on some seriously amazing gear! Sky View Tents offer a truly unique star-gazing experience with their invisible mesh and a patent-pending internal rain-fly design, plus they hand make their tents under the dark skies of Buena Vista, CO! They offer both a full size XL tent and smaller “backpacker” model, both of which can be had for a 5% discount using the link below (even if you don’t end up joining us for an adventure). These make the perfect addition to any Dark Sky Excursion, and you’re welcome to have them shipped to AAH for delivery to any event.
Options & Pricing:
Basic Group Package = $1500 for one night or $2800 for two nights.
Includes up to 8 people, but others are welcome to join at the cost of $100 per person (per night) up to a total of 15 extra people. Kids who will be asleep before stargazing will not be counted towards this total.
The basic group package includes any four telescopes setups as seen on our Available Equipment page. Additional equipment can be added as an upgrade. Equipment operation and guest instruction will be provided by After-Hours Astronomy.
Includes basic snacks and refreshments.
All dark sky excursions include one metallic print (12×12 or 11×17) of any object imaged during this event. This will be shipped within 2-4 weeks after the event
Additional metallic prints can be ordered during or after the event for a 10% discount.
Photographic prints of any images will be made available on site with our high resolution printer. These are available in 5×7 or 8.5×11, with larger 13×19 prints available for $30 each.
20% deposit required at time of booking.
VIP Group Package = $3500 for one night or $6500 for two nights.
Price includes up to 10 people, but others are welcome to join at the cost of $200 per person (per night) up to a total of 15 extra people. Final count for attendance is required within 48hrs of the event.
Includes full dinner, s’mores (+ hand wipes), snacks, and refreshments (you will be asked about any dietary restrictions during planning).
VIP packages include one light painting session that can involve all guests. And a high-quality print will be made for all group members. *This can/will include the Milky Way whenever possible.
Basic solar observing and/or imaging during the day (2-4 solar scopes with a mixture of cameras and eyepieces).
For any astrophotography setups used as part of your excursion, all RAW data will be made available to the group for download for one month after the event
In addition to the metallic prints that come with all dark-sky excursions, additional photographic prints of any images will be made available on site with our high resolution printer. These are available in 5×7 or 8.5×11, with larger 13×19 prints available for $30 each.
20% deposit required at time of booking
Cancellation Policy:
7 days notice or more = Reschedule for free -OR- cancel for a 90% refund
Less than 7 days notice = Reschedule for $250 -OR- cancel for a 50% refund
No cancellations or refunds available with less than 48hr notice.
*The only exceptions to our cancelation policy will be in cases of severe weather events or natural disasters. This would not be for just a passing shower or thunderstorm, but rather a weekend of rain, tornadoes (in the East), fires, etc…. If there is any question we will reach out to you to discuss on a case-by-case basis. However, if there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt it will be provided to you by email, and AAH reserves the right to cancel any such event or excursion up until the scheduled start time. All parties will be offered a full refund or free rescheduling should this occur.
Contact Us with any questions or to make a reservation