Quintana Roo Joins Noche de las Estrellas 2026 With Free Astronomy Events in Five Cities

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Quintana Roo will join the 18th edition of Noche de las Estrellas (Night of the Stars) with free activities in Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Chetumal and Puerto Morelos, giving families a chance to explore the universe through telescopes, science workshops, experiments and interactive exhibits.

In Cancún, the event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Domo Cedro Prado Norte B, with lectures, workshops and astronomical observation.

Playa del Carmen will host activities at the Sayab Planetarium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., while the Autonomous University of Quintana Roo (UQROO) will open its doors to the public from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. At the university site, organizers expect visitors to observe Saturn through telescopes starting at 5:30 p.m., weather permitting.

Cozumel spreads events across two days

Cozumel will hold activities on both Friday and Saturday. On Friday, Nov. 13, the Cha’an Ka’an Planetarium will welcome the public starting at 6 p.m. with science workshops, LEGO sumo robot demonstrations, rocket launches, a chess tournament, the musical show “Cosmosis” and astronomical observation. The program continues Saturday, Nov. 14, from 5 p.m. at Benito Juárez Park, also with free admission.

In Chetumal, the Yook’ol Kaab Planetarium will open Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. with activities designed to bring astronomy to people of all ages and to mark the anniversary of the discovery of hydrogen’s 21-centimeter radiation.

Puerto Morelos will host the 10th edition of the gathering at the sports facility in the Pescadores neighborhood from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., featuring 14 telescopes, more than 20 interactive modules, workshops, experiments and cultural performances.

Anniversaries shape this year’s program

This year’s edition is built around several milestones: the 75th anniversary of the discovery of the 21-centimeter hydrogen line, the 115th anniversary of the birth of astronomer Paris Pişmiş, 20 years since the International Astronomical Union defined what qualifies as a planet, and 200 years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and France. Organizers said the themes connect the public with discoveries that changed the way the universe is studied, and with the people who made them.

Nationwide and abroad, the 18th Noche de las Estrellas will operate 128 venues: 124 across 30 Mexican states, two in Colombia, one in Guatemala and one in Costa Rica. Since its first edition in 2009, the event has brought together specialists, students, enthusiasts and volunteers to carry science outreach into plazas, schools, museums and planetariums, with free activities that culminate in stargazing through telescopes.