The 2024 Bootleg Star
Party dates are .................
June 6th - 9th and September
5th - 8th!
Save the dates mateys, and make plans to join
us!
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The Bootleg Spring Star Party
Registration Form is available HERE
(pre-registration deadline is May
18, 2024) 12th)
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*** Due to the number of people
doing imaging at the Bootleg Star Parties, Bootleg Management is indicating that
Green Lasers will not be permitted starting one hour after sunset ***
Upcoming
Observing Highlights for January 2024
(from skymaps.com)
1
Moon
at apogee
(farthest from Earth) at 15h UT (distance 404,909km; angular
size 29.5').
3
Earth
at Perihelion
(closest to Sun) at 1h UT. The Sun-Earth distance is 0.983307
a.u. (147.1 million kilometers).
Sun
at Aphelion and Perihelion (Anthony Ayiomamitis)
4
Last
Quarter Moon
at 3:32 UT.
4
Quadrantid
Meteor Shower
peaks at 9h UT. Active between December 26 and January 16.
Expect up to 25 meteors per hour under dark skies. Radiant is
in northern Boφtes. Northern hemisphere only. Moonlight
interferes.
Meteor
Shower Calendar (IMO)
Quadrantids
(Wikipedia)
5
Moon
near Spica
at 2h UT (morning sky).
Spica
(Wikipedia)
8
Moon
near Antares
at 16h UT (morning sky). Occultation visible from USA, Mexico,
Central America, and NW South America.
Antares
(Wikipedia)
Occultation
of Antares (IOTA)
8
Moon
near Venus
at 19h UT (36° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. −4.0.
Venus
(Wikipedia)
9
Moon
near Mercury
at 19h UT (23° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. 1.4.
Mercury
(Wikipedia)
10
Moon
near Mars
at 9h UT (15° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. −0.2.
Mars
(Wikipedia)
11
New
Moon
at 11:57 UT. Start of lunation 1250.
12
Mercury
at greatest elongation
west at 14h UT (24° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. −0.2.
13
Moon
at perigee
(closest to Earth) at 10:39 UT (distance 362,267km; angular
size 33.0').
14
Moon
near Saturn
at 12h UT (evening sky). Mag. 1.0.
Saturn
(Wikipedia)
18
First
Quarter Moon
at 3:53 UT.
18
Moon
near Jupiter
at 19h UT (evening sky). Mag. −2.5.
Jupiter
(Wikipedia)
20
Moon
near the Pleiades
at 15h UT (evening sky).
The
Pleiades (Wikipedia)
23
Moon
near M35 star cluster
at 3h UT (evening sky).
Messier
35 (Wikipedia)
Mercury
0.24° N of Mars
at 17h UT (20° from Sun, morning sky). Mags −0.2 and
1.3.
27
Moon
near Regulus
at 21h UT (morning sky).
Regulus
(Wikipedia)
29
Moon
at apogee
(farthest from Earth) at 8h UT (distance 405,777km; angular
size 29.4').
>>>
All
times Universal Time (UT). USA Central Standard Time = UT-6 hours. (DST = UT-5 hrs,)
Zodiacal
Light
is caused by sunlight reflected off meteoric dust in the plane
of the solar system. Choose a clear, moonless night, about 1-2
hours after sunset, and look for a large triangular-shaped glow
extending up from the horizon (along the ecliptic). The best
months to view the Zodiacal Light is when the ecliptic is almost
vertical at the horizon: March and April (evening) and
October-November (morning); times reversed for the southern
hemisphere.
Zodiacal
Light (Wikipedia)
Astronomy
Picture of the Day (APOD)
Photographing
the Zodiacal Light (Weatherscapes)