“The desert’s pitch black skies provide the perfect landscape for discovering new constellations and planets,” said Kelly Steward, general manager for The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage. “I love seeing the awe and enchantment on our guests’ faces as they uncover new findings and become fascinated with the night sky.”

Using a state-of-the-art 11” computerized telescope which magnifies anywhere from 120 to 140 times bigger than the naked eye, guests can view the sky’s dazzling constellations and nearby planets that include Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in the summer, Venus in August, and the Orion Nebula, the bright star Sirius and the Andromeda Galaxy in the winter and spring. Year round, guests experience a sense of discovery as they observe the craters of the moon and the precise details of each planet as they have never seen them before.

The Saturday Stargazing sessions take full advantage of the desert darkness to illuminate the sprinkle of starlight untouched by blaring city lights and is the perfect nighttime experience for couples, families and children alike. Those young at heart can treat themselves to themed candies after they look through the telescope, including Milky Way bars, Starbursts, Mars Bars, and marshmallow Moon Pies. Kids are also entertained with astronomy jokes and themed music playing in the background such as “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Moondance,” “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Rocket Man,” and “You’re a Sky Full of Stars”.

Stargazing is complimentary for guests every Saturday night (weather permitting) from half an hour after sundown to 9 p.m. in the fall and winter and 10 p.m. in the spring and summer.