Astronomy programs for high school students in Nevada introduce you to concepts such as planetary science, astrophysics, and observational astronomy. Many programs include activities like telescope observations, data analysis, and basic astrophotography. You may also learn how astronomers interpret astronomical data and study objects such as stars, galaxies, and planetary systems. Some programs incorporate computational tools or simulation software used to model astronomical phenomena. These experiences help you understand how astronomy research is conducted in university labs and observatories.
If you’re exploring related STEM opportunities, you may also want to review Horizon’s blog on free astronomy programs for high school students.
Why should you choose a program in Nevada?
Nevada offers opportunities for students interested in astronomy through universities, observatories, and STEM outreach programs. Institutions such as the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas host programs that introduce you to astronomy research and observational techniques. These programs may include telescope sessions, astrophysics lectures, and data-analysis projects related to space science. If you’re interested in astronomy or astrophysics, Nevada-based programs can provide exposure to university-level scientific work.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 15 astronomy programs for high school students in Nevada.
1. CSN Dale Etheridge Planetarium — Ambassadors of Astronomy
Location: The Dale Etheridge Planetarium at the College of Southern Nevada, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave, North Las Vegas, NV (in-person)
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid internship; past Ambassadors have received scholarship funding as a result of participation
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Periodic openings; not a fixed annual cohort
Dates: Year-round; schedule based on planetarium programming calendar
Application Deadline: Applications solicited periodically
Eligibility: High school seniors and college students with a strong interest in astronomy and science communication; in-person availability required for planetarium show and observing session schedules
The Ambassadors of Astronomy is an internship program at the Dale Etheridge Planetarium, Southern Nevada’s only public planetarium open to high school seniors and college students. As an ambassador, you gain direct hands-on experience in informal astronomy education, public speaking, and operating the planetarium’s Evans & Sutherland Digistar 5 full-dome projection system and the on-site student observatory telescope. You lead and assist with public shows for the planetarium’s general audience, school groups, and special events, developing skills in communicating complex astronomical topics to non-specialist audiences. Past ambassadors have received thousands of dollars in scholarship funding as a direct result of their participation. Applications are solicited periodically. Subscribe to the planetarium’s monthly onOrbit email newsletter to stay informed of current openings
2. Great Basin National Park Foundation — Double Star Research Program
Location: Remote/virtual telescope access (Great Basin Observatory, Great Basin National Park, Baker, NV); program coordination and mentorship are conducted remotely
Cost/Stipend: Free (NSF-supported through partner universities)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small cohorts; conducted in partnership with schools and teachers
Dates: Year-round; research timeline arranged with your teacher mentor and university partner
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Middle and high school students in Nevada and surrounding states; the program is typically accessed through a participating teacher or school
The Double Star Research Program is one of the most substantive astronomy programs available to Nevada high school students. You’ll be working under the guidance of university professors, primarily Dr. Cameron Pace of Southern Utah University, to study using the Great Basin Observatory’s remotely operated 0.7-meter research telescope, the only research-grade telescope located inside a U.S. national park. You collect photometric and astrometric data, analyze it using the same methods used by professional astronomers, and co-author a peer-reviewed paper submitted to the Journal of Double Star Observations, a legitimate scientific journal indexed in major astronomy databases. In the past five years, Nevada and Utah students have published 13 peer-reviewed papers through this program, with 35 high school students listed as co-authors. The program is part of the Great Basin National Park Foundation’s broader Reach for the Stars initiative and is conducted in partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno.
3. Challenger Learning Center of Northern Nevada — Space Mission Simulations
Location: Nevada Space Center (Challenger Learning Center of Northern Nevada), Sparks, NV (in-person)
Cost/Stipend: Fee per mission session
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open to all K–12 students; high school missions are the most advanced available
Dates: Year-round; sessions booked on request
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: K–12 students; high school students are eligible for the most advanced mission scenarios; programs designed for groups (classes, clubs, or organized groups)
The Challenger Learning Center of Northern Nevada (Nevada Space Center) in Sparks runs immersive space mission simulations for K–12 students, with the most advanced missions designed for high school participants. The flagship mission simulator replicates a real NASA mission control environment where you and your team take on crew roles, including Mission Commander, Medical Officer, Navigator, Engineer, and Data Analyst, to solve a problem-based scenario set in deep space. Mission scenarios include Rendezvous with a Comet, Return to the Moon, and Voyage to Mars. Each mission requires you to apply actual physics, orbital mechanics, and systems thinking under time pressure. The center is part of the national Challenger Center network, founded in 1986 by the families of the Space Shuttle Challenger crew. The center’s mission is to challenge Nevada students to pursue science and aerospace careers.
4. Nevada Space Grant Consortium (NVSGC) — High School Opportunities
Location: University of Nevada, Las Vegas (coordinating institution); opportunities at NASA centers and universities statewide and nationally
Cost/Stipend: Varies by opportunity; most programs listed are free or paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by program
Dates: Varies by program
Application Deadline: Check nvspacegrant.org for individual program requirements; most NASA programs for HS students require age 16+ and U.S. citizenship
Eligibility: Nevada high school students interested in astronomy, aerospace, and space science; U.S. citizenship required for most NASA programs
The Nevada Space Grant Consortium is NASA’s official state network for space and aerospace education in Nevada, coordinated through the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. NVSGC maintains a regularly updated opportunities feed connecting Nevada students to NASA internships, fellowships, competitions, and STEM programs with astronomy and space science relevance, including NASA OSTEM internships (age 16+), NASA’s SEES virtual program, the Student Launch Initiative, and national astronomy competitions. NVSGC also administers scholarship programs for Nevada students pursuing degrees in aerospace, physics, and astronomy at Nevada universities. If you’re a Nevada high school student, checking the website link is the most efficient way to stay current on all NASA-affiliated astronomy and space science program deadlines in one place.
5. NASA OSTEM — Paid Internships for High School Students (Virtual/Remote)
Location: Fully virtual (work from anywhere in Nevada); mentor may be at any NASA center
Cost/Stipend: Free; paid stipend (amount varies by project and academic level)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; each mentor independently selects interns from all applicants
Dates: Summer session: approximately early June to early August
Application Deadline: February 27, 2026
Eligibility: Full-time high school students age 16+; U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled in U.S. schools; apply through intern.nasa.gov
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) internship program places high school students aged 16 and older in paid internships with NASA scientists and engineers. Nevada students can apply for fully virtual projects, meaning you work remotely from Nevada with a NASA mentor at any center in the country. Astronomy and astrophysics-relevant virtual projects have included heliophysics data analysis, exoplanet research, satellite imagery processing, and space telescope instrument support. You apply through intern.nasa.gov by browsing available projects and submitting to specific ones of interest. Each mentor selects interns independently. Internships run in summer, fall, and spring sessions. A stipend is provided based on your academic level.
6. NASA SEES — Space Environment Experiences for Students
Location: Fully virtual (work from anywhere in Nevada); some activities coordinated through the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics
Cost/Stipend: Free; no stipend listed for high school participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; limited spots by grade level and project track
Dates: Distance learning modules: approximately May 1 – July 1; remote mentored project work: June – early July; SEES Science Symposium: approximately July 21–22
Application Deadline: February 27, 2026
Eligibility: Current 10th and 11th-grade high school students; U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled in a U.S. school; apply through intern.nasa.gov
NASA SEES is a free virtual summer intern program for 10th and 11th-grade high school students, run by the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics under a NASA grant. You work remotely with a NASA scientist mentor on a space or Earth science project from your home. The program includes two tracks: 10th graders complete a one-week ZERO-G microgravity engineering challenge (designing a compact research payload tested in parabolic flight), and 11th graders focus on virtual research culminating in a presentation at the SEES Science Symposium in late July. Distance-learning modules run from approximately May 1 to July 1; remote project work with mentor guidance takes place from June to early July. Astronomy-relevant projects have included heliophysics, Earth observation from space, and space systems science. Nevada students are fully eligible and can participate from home.
7. George Mason University — Young Scholars NASA Data Science and Research Paper Program
Location: Fully virtual (remote); optional in-person at GMU Fairfax Campus for local students only
Cost/Stipend: Students may be eligible for awards and scholarships
Acceptance rate/cohort size: First 50 students; first-come, first-served register early
Dates: June 15 – August 16
Application Deadline: Open registration; first-come, first-served contact [email protected] to register
Eligibility: Open to all high school students; no prerequisites; fully virtual participation available
GMU’s Young Scholars program is a virtual summer research and paper-writing experience focused on NASA space data science and observational astronomy. You work with real data from NASA missions, including TESS and James Webb Space Telescope datasets, and participate in virtual nighttime observing sessions with George Mason’s 32-inch telescope to study celestial objects. The curriculum covers research methods, statistics, and observational astronomy techniques as applied to exoplanet detection and characterization. You develop a full research paper under faculty guidance, which is posted on the GMU Schar School Young Scholars Journals page and may be eligible for academic awards. The program is fully remote, runs June 15 through August 16, and is open to all high school students on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 50 participants. Nevada students can participate entirely from home.
8. Summer Science Program (SSP) — Astrophysics (Residential, Open to Nevada Students)
Location: New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM), UNC Chapel Hill (NC), or CU Boulder (CO) residential; Nevada students most commonly attend the NMSU site
Cost/Stipend: ~$7,750; full need-based financial aid available, no admitted student turned away for financial reasons
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~36 students per site; ~11% acceptance rate across all sites
Dates: Five weeks in June–July
Application Deadline: Domestic deadline: February 19, 2026; international deadline: January 29, 2026; applications opened December 31, 2025
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (juniors at time of application); strong background in math and science; no prior programming required; open to students worldwide
SSP Astrophysics is a five-week residential program where teams of three high school students complete an asteroid orbit determination project from raw telescope observations to orbital elements submitted to the NASA-funded Minor Planet Center. You write all analysis software in Python using JupyterLab, Matplotlib, and Astropy, calculating position and velocity vectors and deriving the six orbital elements characterizing your asteroid’s path around the Sun. The curriculum covers celestial coordinates, astrometry, celestial mechanics, differential equations, and numerical methods alongside physics lectures from resident and visiting astrophysicists. SSP runs at three U.S. campuses. Nevada students have historically attended the New Mexico State University and CU Boulder sites.
9. Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics (YSPA) (Residential, Open to Nevada Students)
Location: Online self-study (first 2 weeks, from Nevada) + Leitner Family Observatory, Yale University, New Haven, CT (4 weeks residential)
Cost/Stipend: $7,500 (covers tuition, room and board, field trips, project expenses, instructional materials, and computer fees); need-based financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 32 students per cohort; highly selective
Dates: Online self-study: approximately mid-June to early July; Residential: approximately early July – early Aug
Application Deadline: March 6
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors at least 15.5 years old by the program start date; strong background in math and science; open to U.S. and international students
YSPA is a six-week astrophysics program for 32 high school students at Yale’s Leitner Family Observatory in New Haven, CT. The first two weeks are online self-study; the final four weeks are residential at Yale. You cover observational astronomy, CCD imaging, photometry, spectroscopy, stellar astrophysics, and stellar evolution with nightly observing sessions at the Leitner Observatory. Groups of four students work on an original research project and write a formal scientific paper presented at a mini-conference on the final day. Nevada students are fully eligible and regularly apply. Need-based financial aid is available.
10. REACH — Research Experiences in Astronomy at CIERA, Northwestern University (Open to Nevada Students)
Location: CIERA, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (in-person; residential and commuter options; travel scholarships available for out-of-state students)
Cost/Stipend: $2,500 (core program); $1,500 (REACH Further extension); full and partial scholarships available through The Brinson Foundation. Nevada students should inquire about travel scholarships
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~25–35 students per session; selective; underrepresented students particularly encouraged
Dates: Session 1: June 10–28; Session 2: July 8–26
Application Deadline: March 9
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores through seniors; no prior coding or astronomy experience required; open to all students nationally; underrepresented groups particularly encouraged
REACH is a three-week intensive astrophysics coding bootcamp at Northwestern’s Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) in Evanston, IL. The core curriculum teaches Python from scratch using NumPy, Matplotlib, Pandas, and Astropy, applied directly to real astronomical data on a research project alongside CIERA scientists. Nevada students can attend either as commuters (if arranging local accommodation) or with financial support that covers travel. Full and partial scholarships are available through The Brinson Foundation. A limited number of REACH alumni are eligible for REACH Further, a three-week 1-on-1 research extension. No prior coding or astronomy experience is required.
11. Skynet Junior Scholars — Online Robotic Telescope Network
Location: Fully online/remote (global telescope network in the US, Chile, and Australia; students access from anywhere in Nevada)
Cost/Stipend: Free (NSF-funded); requires teacher or program-leader enrollment
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open to all youth enrolled through a participating teacher or program leader
Dates: Year-round; self-paced through Explorations; ongoing telescope access once enrolled
Application Deadline: No student application deadline. Contact your school science teacher or 4-H leader to enroll in the program
Eligibility: Middle and high school students enrolled through a participating teacher, 4-H leader, or informal education program in the U.S.; students cannot self-enroll. Individual teacher/program leaders must complete an SJS professional development workshop first
Skynet Junior Scholars (SJS) is an NSF-funded online astronomy program that gives middle and high school students access to a global network of research-grade optical and radio telescopes in the United States, Chile, and Australia, all controlled remotely through a web browser. You use Skynet telescopes to collect your own astronomical images of planets, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies, then process and analyze the data through structured inquiry-based explorations. Topics covered include exposure time and filters in imaging, how to design and execute a scientific investigation, and how to interpret and communicate astronomical data. SJS participants can publish their image galleries and results on the SJS online platform and communicate with professional astronomers and engineers. The program requires teacher or program leader enrollment. Nevada students can access SJS through their school teacher, 4-H club leader, or informal education program. Teachers enroll through a professional development workshop at skynetjuniorscholars.org.
12. Las Cumbres Observatory — Global Sky Partners (Remote Telescope Access)
Location: Fully remote/online (telescope network in Chile, Australia, South Africa, Hawaii, Texas, and Spain; accessed from anywhere in Nevada)
Cost/Stipend: Free for qualifying educational partners
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open to qualifying teachers and educational programs
Dates: Year-round; telescope time allocated on a rolling basis to partners
Application Deadline: No fixed deadline, apply for Global Sky Partners status at https://lco.global/education/partners/
Eligibility: High school students through a participating teacher or educational program; Nevada teachers should apply for Global Sky Partners status to enable student access; no cost
Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) operates a global network of robotic telescopes at six sites across four continents, including sites in Chile, Australia, South Africa, and the U.S., and provides free access to this network for qualified educational programs through its Global Sky Partners initiative. High school programs and teachers in the U.S. can apply as a Global Sky Partner to receive free telescope time on LCO’s 0.4-meter and 1-meter telescopes, enabling you to submit real observing requests, retrieve and process actual astronomical images, and conduct original science. Past high school projects using LCO telescopes have included variable star monitoring, exoplanet transit detection, supernovae follow-up observations, and asteroid tracking. LCO also provides educational resources and curriculum aligned with these projects.
13. Zooniverse — Galaxy Zoo and Planet Hunters (Online Citizen Science)
Location: Fully online/remote (participate from anywhere in Nevada via web browser)
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open to anyone with internet access; no application required
Dates: Year-round; self-paced; projects are available continuously
Application Deadline: No application or deadline
Eligibility: Open to all ages; no prerequisites; high school students are the target audience for structured classroom and independent use
Zooniverse is the world’s largest citizen science platform, hosting several astronomy projects where high school students contribute to real ongoing research by analyzing genuine astronomical datasets. Galaxy Zoo asks you to morphologically classify galaxies in images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and other major telescope surveys. Classifications made by citizen scientists have contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications. Planet Hunters TESS asks you to examine real light curve data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to identify potential exoplanet transit events that automated algorithms may have missed. Other available projects include Solar Stormwatch (analyzing solar wind data from the STEREO spacecraft) and Radio Meteor Zoo. No programming experience is required; the platform runs entirely in a web browser. Nevada students can participate entirely from home with just an internet connection.
14. Johns Hopkins CTY — Astrophysics (Online Option Available)
Location: Online (live synchronous instruction; participate from anywhere in Nevada) or residential at select university campuses
Cost/Stipend: Online: check cty.jhu.edu for current online course pricing; Residential: ~$7,501 + fees; need-based financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~12–15 students per class section; online sections are more accessible than residential ones
Dates: Multiple 3-week sessions in June–August; check cty.jhu.edu/programs/summer/ for 2026 schedule
Application Deadline: Rolling; check cty.jhu.edu for 2026 online and residential session deadlines
Eligibility: Grades 7–11; residential option requires CTY Talent Search qualification (SAT/ACT scores above 95th percentile for your grade); online option has separate eligibility
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) offers an Astrophysics course in both residential and online formats. The online option is particularly relevant for Nevada students; you can take the full course from home without travel. The curriculum covers stellar evolution, neutron stars, black holes, galaxy structure, and Big Bang cosmology, with quantitative problem sets involving Hubble’s Law, stellar spectra analysis, and the physics of compact objects. CTY courses run at an accelerated pace, covering a semester’s worth of material in three weeks with small class sizes (typically 12–15 students) led by instructors with graduate-level astronomy or physics backgrounds. The online format uses live synchronous instruction, not pre-recorded videos. Need-based financial aid is available.
15. Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) — Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics
Location: Fully online (live sessions and asynchronous problem sets; participate from anywhere in Nevada via AoPS Online School)
Cost/Stipend: Tuition per course; financial aid available for qualifying students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; limited by class capacity.
Dates: Multiple sessions throughout the year, including summer
Application Deadline: Rolling enrollment
Eligibility: Open to all high school students; strong algebra and precalculus background recommended; no prior astronomy experience required
Art of Problem Solving offers online astronomy courses specifically designed for mathematically motivated high school students who want to go beyond conceptual astronomy into the quantitative physics underlying it. The curriculum covers the physics of light and electromagnetic radiation, stellar structure and evolution, black holes and neutron stars, the Milky Way, galaxies, and cosmology, all with a problem-set-based approach that develops the mathematical skills used in real astrophysics research. AoPS courses are taught by instructors with advanced degrees, run entirely online with live sessions, and include asynchronous problem sets and class discussion. Nevada students can participate entirely from home. Courses are available year-round through AoPS Online School. This is a strong choice for students who want the quantitative depth of a university physics course in an accessible online format before pursuing a summer research program.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image Source – Johns Hopkins University