Stargazing in Arizona: How This Local Observatory Brings Planets and Distant Nebulae Within Reach

Saturn’s rings, spotted through a 32-inch telescope, look sharp enough to reach out and touch. That kind of view waits at the top of a mountain in southern Arizona, where a research observatory opens its domes to regular folks after sunset. The drive alone climbs through cactus fields into pine forest and cool mountain air, and by nightfall you are gazing at galaxies millions of miles away. It is one of those wonderful surprises that feels both scientific and downright magical. A Research