Stars Above Aspen Returns to Ajax Mountain for Perseid Meteor Shower

Aspen —“Experiencing the vastness of the night sky is such an essentially human experience throughout all of human history.”

Molly O’Leary, events director for the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), isn’t just selling a view. She’s selling a perspective on where we fit in the cosmos, and she’s doing it from 11,212 feet up. Stars Above Aspen returns to the top of Ajax Mountain on Monday, Aug. 10, marking a return to form for an annual tradition that has spanned more than a decade.

Aspen Snowmass and ACES are partnering once again to pull residents and visitors closer to the planets, constellations, and cosmic events above them. The event coincides with the Perseid meteor shower, which NASA confirms peaks Aug. 12-13. Attendees get the chance to see meteors throughout the night, along with planets and the moon.

On paper, it’s a straightforward evening of astronomy. In practice, it involves navigating a crowded gondola system and paying for the privilege of looking up.

Tickets are $32, which includes the round-trip gondola ride. That’s not cheap for a local, especially when season passes are explicitly excluded from this event. Children 10 years old and younger get in free, a nice touch for families, but dogs are not allowed. If you’re bringing the pup, you’re paying full price or leaving him at home.

The evening kicks off with a sunset yoga class on the Wedding Deck from 6:30-7:30 p.m., led by Aspen Shakti. This is for all ages, so you can stretch your hamstrings before the real show begins. After yoga, the ridge opens up to guided telescope stations, cosmic crafts, and constellation education.

The highlight for many will be the Fiske Planetarium Minidome set up inside the Sundeck. It’s an inflatable dome that holds 12 people at a time. O’Leary called having Fiske Planetarium as a partner a “huge boon.” To get a ticket for a showtime, interested attendees are encouraged to take the gondola early. Rides up begin at 6 p.m., with the last ride up at 9 p.m. The last ride down is at 10 p.m., so you have a window to get your fix of the cosmos before the mountain goes quiet.

WildSky Old Snowmass, an advocate for Dark Sky Communities, is also a partner. O’Leary and ACES Communications Director Morgan Gosda both emphasized the importance of dark skies. They hope the event encourages attendees to question their own light usage at night. Light pollution, O’Leary noted, is something we can tackle.

Gosda added that the accessibility to the night sky is a big part of the mission, allowing people to get closer to it than they might have ever been. “I do think it creates a sense of human place,” she said.

Feinsinger wrote in the Aspen Times that not everyone gets to look up and see the sky above them, recognizing their place in the universe. Having powerful telescopes at your disposal often provides a once-in-a-lifetime experience. O’Leary hopes people see something they never even thought they would see before.

The Sundeck stays open for drinks and dinner throughout the evening, so you can digest your meal while digesting the universe. Tickets are available at aspensnowmass.com/visit/events/stars-above-aspen.

For locals, the bottom line is simple: it’s $32 plus time. If you’re a season pass holder, that convenience evaporates for this event. You have to pay the premium to see the Perseids from the top of Ajax. It’s a steep price for a few hours of looking up, but for those who value dark skies and clear views, it’s worth the trip.