Bootleg Astronomers

Bootleg Fall Star Party Update: We had THREE CLEAR NIGHTS at the fall star party! A great time was had by all who attended! .

Send in your registration forms, as early registration ends Saturday, September 12th! (if the Star Party cannot be held as a group event, as was the case in the spring, then your registration fee will be refunded and you will just have to pay for your nightly camping fee)!

The Bootleg Star Party Registration Form is available HERE (pre-registration deadline is September 12th)

*** 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 ***

2	Earth at Perihelion (closest to Sun) at 14h UT. The Sun-Earth distance is 0.983257 a.u. or 147.1 million kilometers. • Sun at Aphelion and Perihelion (Anthony Ayiomamitis)
3	Moon near Regulus at 2h UT (morning sky). • Regulus (Wikipedia)
3	Quadrantid Meteor Shower peaks at 14h UT. Active between December 28 and January 12. Produces up to 110 meteors per hour. Radiant is in northern Boštes. • Meteor Shower Calendar (IMO) • Quadrantids (Wikipedia)
6	Last Quarter Moon at 9:37 UT.
7	Moon near Spica at 0h UT (morning sky). • Spica (Wikipedia)
9	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 15:47 UT (distance 367,387 km; angular size 32.5').
10	Moon near Antares at 6h UT (morning sky). • Antares (Wikipedia)
10	Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn within a circle of diam. 2.4° (13° from Sun, evening sky) at 19h UT. Mags. −0.9, −1.9 and 0.6. Mercury 1.4° from Jupiter. • Mercury (Wikipedia) • Jupiter (Wikipedia) • Saturn (Wikipedia)
11	Moon near Venus (morning sky) at 21h UT. Mag. −3.9. • Venus (Wikipedia)
13	New Moon at 5:01 UT. Start of lunation 1213.
14	Moon near Mercury at 10h UT (15° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. −0.9. • Mercury (Wikipedia)
20	Mars 1.6° NNW of Uranus at 20h UT (evening sky). Mags. 0.2 and 5.8. • Mars (Wikipedia) • Uranus (Wikipedia)\
20	First Quarter Moon at 21:02 UT.
21	Moon near Mars (evening sky) at 11h UT. Mag. 0.2. • Mars (Wikipedia)
21	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 13h UT (distance 404,360 km; angular size 29.6').
23	Moon near the Pleiades at 10h UT (evening sky). • The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
24	Mercury at greatest elongation east (19° from Sun, evening sky) at 2h UT. Mag. −0.5.
24	Saturn at conjunction with the Sun at 3h UT. The ringed planet passes into the morning sky (not visible).
24	Moon near Aldebaran at 4h UT (evening sky). • Aldebaran (Wikipedia)
27	Moon near Castor at 11h UT (evening sky).
27	Moon near Pollux at 16h UT (evening sky).
28	Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (midnight sky) at 17h UT. • Beehive Cluster (Wikipedia) • M44: The Beehive Cluster (APOD)
28	Full Moon at 19:17 UT. • Full Moon Names (Wikipedia)
29	Jupiter at conjunction with the Sun at 2h UT. Passes into the morning sky.
30	Moon near Regulus at 9h UT (morning sky). • Regulus (Wikipedia)

>>> 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)