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Join Vicky Derksen for an early morning desert hike to welcome the Winter Solstice sunrise. Experience the Sonoran Desert awakening as the shortest day of the year begins, observing how light transforms the landscape and activates the desert's morning rhythms. Our trail is approximately two miles round-trip on uneven desert terrain with rocks and natural […]
Craving a moment of tranquility before the countdown begins? Join our New Year's Eve hike for a guided escape under the stars. Join Vicky Derksen as she weaves together the ancient stories of the night sky with the seasonal landscape of the Sonoran Desert. Winter skies will showcase Orion, the Seven Sisters, Jupiter, Saturn, and […]
Join Vicky Derksen as we experience all three stages of twilight in the Sonoran Desert, culminating with the spectacular rise of January’s Full Wolf Moon. We’ll move quietly through the desert as daylight fades, engaging our senses and allowing our night vision to adapt, revealing the hidden shapes and textures that moonlight brings to the […]
Join Vicky Derksen for an intimate evening as we explore the February Cross-Quarter Day- the astronomical midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox- through the unique lens of the Sonoran Desert winter. We’ll share a fire-cooked dinner featuring hearty stew and the desert’s cool-season harvest. Through campfire storytelling, we’ll journey across winter’s […]
Join Vicky Derksen as we experience all three stages of twilight in the Sonoran Desert, culminating with the spectacular rise of March’s Full Worm Moon. We’ll move quietly through the desert as daylight fades, engaging our senses and allowing our night vision to adapt, revealing the hidden shapes and textures that moonlight brings to the […]
Since our March 3rd hike sold out so fast and we got so many requests for a Wait List, we've decided to open up a second night for this experience. Join Vicky Derksen as we experience all three stages of twilight in the Sonoran Desert, culminating with the spectacular rise of March’s Full Worm […]
Night Sky Tourist is proud to be an exhibitor at the 2026 Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival on March 28th. Get your name entered in the drawing for our giveaway, and send teenagers to our table to get a sticker for their event passport (and a chance to win a bike from McDowell Mountain Cycles). […]
Night Sky Tourist is partnering with the Sonoran Conservancy of Fountain Hills for Dessert in the Desert, a new series of hour-long, hands-on introductions to lesser-known aspects of our unique Sonoran Desert. What does it mean when Mercury is in retrograde? Do other planets go retrograde? Join us as we explore this topic as […]
Join Vicky Derksen as we experience all three stages of twilight in the Sonoran Desert, culminating with the spectacular rise of May’s Full Flower Moon. We’ll move quietly through the desert as daylight fades, engaging our senses and allowing our night vision to adapt, revealing the hidden shapes and textures that moonlight brings to the […]
Join Vicky Derksen as we experience all three stages of twilight in the Sonoran Desert, culminating with the spectacular rise of May’s rare Full Blue Moon. We’ll move quietly through the desert as daylight fades, engaging our senses and allowing our night vision to adapt, revealing the hidden shapes and textures that moonlight brings to […]
Join Vicky Derksen for an early morning desert hike to welcome the Summer Solstice sunrise. Experience the Sonoran Desert awakening on this longest day of the year, observing how light transforms the landscape and activates the desert's morning rhythms. Our trail is approximately two miles round-trip on uneven desert terrain with rocks and natural obstacles, […]
Only twice a year does sunlight come into perfect balance at the equinoxes. Join Vicky Derksen for an early morning desert hike to welcome the Fall Equinox sunrise. Not as spectating outsiders, but as creatures of the desert ourselves. We'll take time to notice: the changing temperature and humidity, the scents, the sounds, and the […]