By Jessie O’Brien
If you want to start stargazing, look up! But if you want to take the hobby a step further, Mig Ponce, the president of the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, offers some useful tips on how residents of a city known for its bright lights can best view the wonders of the night sky.
Stargazing Without a Telescope
Ponce says beginner skywatchers don’t need to immediately buy a telescope. Instead, binoculars and planispheres—handheld maps that tell you what’s above you depending on the date and time—are accessible entry-level tools.
He recommends resources like Astronomy and Sky & Telescope magazines, and Terence Dickinson’s book NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe to grow your knowledge. Ponce also says connecting with the Las Vegas Astronomical Society is a great way to learn from other enthusiasts.
There are plenty of celestial landmarks you can see with the naked eye, including planets (which do not twinkle like stars do). This month, you can view the red planet Mars and gas giant Jupiter, including four of Jupiter’s 95 moons, with binoculars. Later this month, you can see Mercury, Saturn and a bright and shining Venus in the East before sunrise.
Conspicuous constellations like Orion, which is currently in the West side of the night sky, are easy to spot, or you can drive an hour out of town to get a clear view of the Milky Way.
Buying a Telescope
If the most you’ve ever been able to see out of a telescope is the reflection of your own eyelashes, it’s likely not your fault. Ponce says it’s probably the telescope.
“Know that you get what you pay for. A cheap telescope will be so unusable that it will kill your interest in the hobby,” Ponce says.
He says to avoid Amazon, and to ask questions and shop at an astronomy gear store. He likes the brands Agena Astro, High Point Scientific and Cloud Break Optics. He says some good beginner scopes are the Sky-Watcher Heritage 130, the computerized Sky-Watcher Virtuoso 150, and the Cloud Break Optics StarSense Explorer.
Stargazing With a Telescope
With a scope, it’s possible to see a number of deep sky objects, or faint fuzzies, such as galaxies, clusters (thousands of galaxies bound together), and nebulas (gas and dust, the raw materials for new stars and planets).
“The Orion Nebula is spectacular, and that’s a good springtime one,” Ponce says.
You can also see the iconic Pillars of Creation within the Eagle Nebula, known by the famous photo captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.
A telescope will also show you the gas bands on Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.
“Seeing the rings of Saturn through a telescope is unforgettable. I never get tired of it,” he says. They are impossible to see for most of 2025 due to the angle of the Earth, he adds. But don’t worry, they’ll be back.
The Best Time to Stargaze
Around the new moon is the best opportunity to see the most stars.
“Full moons are neat, but they are the brightest thing in the sky. They wash out the stars, they wash out the Milky Way,” Ponce says. Head outside a week before the new moon to a few days afterward.
When the moon is fuller, the best times are before the moonrise and after the moonset.
UPCOMING CELESTIAL EVENTS
April 22-23: Lyrid meteor shower
This meteor lines up perfectly with the new moon. After midnight, you’ll get the best views because Earth will face into the stream, like bugs flying into your car windshield.
May 3-5: Mars near the Beehive Cluster
Early next month, you can see Mars close to this cluster of stars, which is the closest cluster to Earth.
August 12–13: Perseid meteor shower peak
You can see this meteor show for most of the month of August, but it peaks in mid-August.
LOCAL ASTRONOMY EVENTS
April 22: Earth Night Star Party, 7-9:30 p.m.
In celebration of Earth Day and International Dark Sky Week, Save Red Rock is hosting a star party. The nonprofit recently announced its pursuit of certification for Red Rock Canyon as an Urban Night Sky Place–another reason to celebrate! You can join the waitlist at saveredrock.com.
May 3: Skye Canyon Skye & Stars, 6-10 p.m.
Skye & Stars is one of the Las Vegas Astronomical Society’s biggest gatherings. Held at Skye Canyon Park, the family-friendly event comes complete with food trucks, picnics and telescopes. Skyecanyon.com/stars.
May 22–24 & Sept 19–21: Cathedral Gorge Campout
Join LVAS for two nights exploring the wonder of the night sky and camping at Cathedral Gorge, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive northeast of Vegas. Register at bit.ly/4lmiDfx.
ONGOING EVENTS
LVAS monthly meetings
Join discussions and presentations at the College of Southern Nevada Planetarium every first Thursday of the month. lvastronomy.org.
Astronomy in the Park
Get out of town with these free telescope events at scenic spots like Mount Charleston and Lake Mead. Check in advance for dates, fees and reservations. lvastronomy.org.
CSN Planetarium public events
North Las Vegas’ own planetarium hosts regular shows and special astronomy nights. csnplanetarium.square.site.
Stardust Astrotours
Mig Ponce offers private dark sky stargazing and astronomical tours close to the city. He brings all the gear and shows you the best spots. stardustastrotours.com.
Dark sky escapes near Las Vegas
Las Vegas residents may be shocked to learn there are billions of exploding suns thousands of light-years away hanging in the sky. These things are called stars. They’re not LED or neon; it’s actually nuclear fusion. You just can’t see them with the millions of lights on the Strip competing with their shine.
If you don’t believe, go and see one for yourself. Mig Ponce, the president of the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, shares some of his favorite places to see the stars.
“It’s interesting that we are in the most light-polluted city anywhere, but we also can get to dark skies pretty quickly. Nevada has among the darkest skies in the entire country,” he says.
FOR MODERATELY DARK SKIES
Ponce says you need to travel a little to escape the casinos’ glow.
“The rule of thumb is one hour out of town you can get moderately dark skies, one and a half hours, really dark skies, two hours, super dark skies,” he says.
For the closest stargazing spots, he likes Lake Mead or Mount Charleston.
FOR DARK SKIES
One of Ponce’s favorite sites, the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, is an 800-square mile protected area that isn’t far from town. (LVAS is helping it work on an International Dark Sky Places designation)
Near Searchlight, Ponce likes the Walking Box Ranch Road and Wee Thump sites, where you will also find thousands of Joshua trees.
Old mining towns Rhyolite, Tonopah and Crystal are easy to access but are far from light sources for expansive views.
You can camp among the rock formations at Cathedral Gorge State Park, making a surreal foreground to the sparkling sky.
FOR THE BLACKEST BLACK
“Death Valley is also a few hours away with phenomenally dark skies,” Ponce says.
If you’re really adventurous, Great Basin National Park and the Grand Canyon are home to some of the darkest possible skies in the United States.
STARGAZING TIPS
Download a “dark sky” app like Light Pollution Map – Dark Sky. These tools use satellite light pollution data to help you find the darkest spots near you. Ponce says to be sure and plan for weather extremes, bring extra water, and always let someone know your plans because where the skies are darkest, cell reception can be spotty.
