Exploring the Orion Nebula from the top of Mount Lemmon has got to be one of the most unique ways to welcome in the new year.
And limited to about 20 people, it's also one of the most exclusive.
This is the first year that the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter has offered its increasingly popular SkyNights public viewing program on New Year's Eve.
"We're going to celebrating the night sky," said Adam Block, an astronomer and the primary host of the center's public viewing programs.
One of the highlights will be an exploration of the great Orion Nebula.
"It is symbolic of new beginnings because it is a stellar nursery - a place where stars are being born," Block said. "It is a place of beginnings, literally, in the night sky. And when we look at it through the Schulman telescope it is so large you can't see it all in one view," he said.
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On New Year's Eve, the public will be allowed to guide the telescope (the largest in the Southwest for public viewing) so they can explore different parts of the nebula. Usually, he said, the guides show the brightest parts.
Another highlight will be watching the sun set from an elevation of 9,000 feet. Just days beyond the winter solstice, the sun is about as far south as it gets. "The ancient astronomers would know it has just started to turn around and is starting its journey back to the north" which will lead to warming temperatures, he said.
Block noted that the night programs have been packed during the holiday season, although bad weather forced some cancellations.
Saturday's presenter will be Keith Schlottman, who is the president of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association.
Did you know
Adam Block is a renowned astro-photographer whose image of a supernova remnant is on the cover of the January issue of Astronomy magazine, now on newsstands.
If you go
• What: SkyNights is a five-hour nighttime observing program offered by the University of Arizona's MountLemmon SkyCenter. It includes viewing through the 32-inch Schulman telescope and a light dinner.
• Cost: $60 for adults; $30 for youths under 18. There is a 20 percent discount Monday through Thursday.
• Reservations and directions: 626-8122 or skycenter.arizona.edu
Space is limited to around 20 people each night.