The Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association built the telescope they were using three years ago and donated it to Wahler's school, driving home the great motivator for these stargazers: education.

"I like giving the visitors the opportunity to see all the amazing things in the sky that I've seen," explained Randy Pregler, of Phoenix. "Whether it's the moon, the planets or star clusters, the more that people see and learn, the better."

The star party gives tourists a unique reason to visit this popular vacation hotspot. While the majority of visitors stumble upon the party by accident, the National Park Service's Raquel Gallardo said more visitors are planning their trips to coincide with the event.

The National Park Service realizes how much the star party benefits the public, she says.

"We're opening up our visitors eyes," Gallardo said. "Once they view the stars here, they will then go out into their own backyards and porches, discover things together and have adventures outside."

Vacationers Margo and Dennis Siegel of Fort Lauderdale, Florida said the star party has enhanced their trip to Arizona.

"We came to the canyon, found out there was a star party and we said we had to check it out," Margo said. "We have learned so much."

"It's been a great experience and this has certainly been a high point of our trip," Dennis said.

The Grand Canyon Star Party is a gathering of all types of people: young and old, astronomy novices and experts, locals and tourists. And everyone says they are moved by the night sky in their own way.

Aral Kaska, from the Havasupai Reservation in Arizona, brought her daughters Kovah, 12 and Starlivia, 5 so they could learn about the stars. Starlivia ran excitedly from telescope to telescope, teetering on her toes to view the sky and shouting excitedly.

Sim Picheloup, an amateur astronomer from Houston, said that light pollution prevents him from viewing the night sky through his 10-inch (25-centimeter) Newtonian reflecting telescope at home. (Picheloup's "couch-potato" viewing area, a reclined lawn chair rigged with high-quality binoculars, attracted a lot of passersby.)

He hopes that people who attend the party and enjoy the stars will be more aware of light pollution that often destroys backyard viewing.

Bob Goff, a senior master optician from Tucson, says the Grand Canyon event helps him to have a healthy perspective on life.

"When I get a big a head on my shoulders, I come out here and get small," he said. "The vastness of the universe makes me realize that I am basically insignificant. It helps keep me grounded."

For Mike Spooner, a power-plant operator from Page, Arizona, the glittering heavens above are simply "awe-inspiring."

He feels that it is critical to captivate children's imaginations and teach them about the stars.

"I just feel like a lot of our children today are growing up and they don't realize what a large part of their lives they are missing," Spooner said. "With light pollution around the cities, we're actually limiting their vision."

Astronomy will help broaden young people's minds and improve the prospects for future exploration and perhaps for human civilization, Spooner said.

"As fast as the population on this planet is growing, we may need to -- by necessity -- reach to outer space," he said. "And we can't do that if we don't take our young minds and give them a little push."