For Glasses Wearers: How to Use Our Telescopes Without Smudging Your Lenses

One of the special highlights on our multi-day Grand Canyon tours is the chance to see the Milky Way and other celestial wonders under a clear desert sky. We often bring a telescope along for a closer look at planets like Jupiter and Saturn. A question we hear a lot, especially from our guests who wear glasses, is how to use the telescope without constantly taking their glasses off or smudging the lenses.

If you're planning a trip to see the Grand Canyon's night sky, you can find all the details about our 2-night, 3-day Grand Canyon tour which includes stargazing. For those staying in Las Vegas, we also offer a Grand Canyon day tour that can include this experience.

1. The Glasses Dilemma at the Eyepiece

Using a telescope with glasses can feel awkward. You might worry about scratching the telescope's eyepiece with your frames, or you might find that your glasses keep you too far back to see the full view. The instinct is often to just take them off. But if you have significant astigmatism, removing your glasses will make the stars and planets look blurry, defeating the purpose of a high-powered view.

The goal is to get your eye as close to the eyepiece as possible while keeping your glasses on, all without pressing the glass of your lenses against the equipment. It's easier than it sounds with a little technique.

2. Step-by-Step: The Proper Positioning Method

Follow these steps for a clear, smudge-free view.

A. Approach at a Slight Angle

Don't come straight in at the eyepiece. Instead, approach it from a slight angle with your dominant eye. This helps you avoid bumping your frames directly into the rubber eyecup.

B. Touch with Your Brow Bone, Not Your Lens

As you get close, let the brow bone above your eye socket make contact with the top of the telescope's soft rubber eyecup. Your glasses lens should now be hovering just a millimeter or two away from the eyecup. The brow bone acts as a stable anchor point.

C. Roll Your Eye, Not Your Head

Once anchored, if you need to see the very edge of the view (the "field of view"), try rolling your eye in that direction rather than shifting your whole head. This minor adjustment keeps your glasses in the sweet spot.

3. What You'll See: Jupiter's Moons and Saturn's Rings

When you get it right, the view is breathtaking. Even with a modest travel telescope, on a clear night you can see Jupiter as a small disc with its four largest moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) lined up beside it. Saturn's rings become unmistakable. The craters on our own moon look like you could reach out and touch them. Seeing these details with your own eyes, without the blur of uncorrected vision, is what makes the moment special.

4. Why We Include Stargazing on Our Tours

At Parang Tour, we believe a trip to the American Southwest is about the full experience, not just the daytime sights. The desert sky, far from city lights, offers some of the clearest stargazing on the continent. It's a moment of quiet awe that complements the grand scale of the canyons.

This commitment to a deeper, more comfortable experience is rooted in our story. After a disappointing large-bus tour where language was a barrier, founder Steve Park built Parang Tour around small groups and Korean-speaking guides. You can read more about our story and approach here. We keep our groups to a maximum of 12 people, which means there's plenty of time at the telescope for everyone to get a good look, ask questions, and not feel rushed.

5. Preparing for Your Night Under the Stars

Beyond the telescope technique, a little preparation will make your stargazing session more enjoyable.

• Dress Warmly: Desert temperatures can drop sharply after sunset, even in summer. Bring a layer you can easily put on.
• Use a Red Light: If you need to check your phone or a map, use a red light setting or cover a flashlight with red cellophane. White light ruins your night vision and the night vision of those around you.
• Let Your Eyes Adjust: It takes about 20-30 minutes for your eyes to fully adapt to the darkness. Be patient, and you'll see more and more stars appear.

6. Beyond the Telescope: The Full Tour Experience

Our stargazing is just one part of a comprehensive itinerary designed to show you the best of the Southwest without unnecessary rush. On our flagship 2-night, 3-day tour, you'll also visit the South Rim and East Rim of the Grand Canyon, the stunning Antelope Canyon (with a Native guide), Horseshoe Bend, and Lake Powell. You'll have the choice between our A Course (forward direction) and B Course (reverse direction), which cover the same amazing spots in a different order to suit your travel flow.

The base tour price covers your transportation, guide, one night of canyon hotel accommodation, one hotel breakfast, one In-N-Out lunch, and water. All entrance fees and guide tips are paid in cash to your guide on-site, with a total of $235 per person for those fees (subject to change based on local pricing). A full refund is available if you cancel 30 days before departure.

We hope this little guide helps you look forward to a crystal-clear view of the cosmos on your next adventure with us. If you have any other questions about the tour or what to expect, the easiest way to reach us is via KakaoTalk.