Bootleg Astronomers

COVID-19 Update: Green River is planning to be open the weekend of September 17th-20th. The Bootleg Fall Star Party will go forward, but attendees must follow the Phase 4 guidelines in Illinois.
https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-phase-4

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	Full Moon at 5:22 UT.
6	Moon near Mars (morning sky) at 6h UT. Mag. −1.9. Occultation visible from central South America. • Mars (Wikipedia) • Occultation of Mars (IOTA)
6	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 6h UT (distance 405,607 km; angular size 29.5').
9	Moon near the Pleiades at 0h UT (morning sky). • The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
9	Moon near Aldebaran at 18h UT (morning sky). • Aldebaran (Wikipedia)
10	Last Quarter Moon at 9:27 UT.
13	Moon near Castor (morning sky) at 0h UT.
13	Moon near Pollux (morning sky) at 5h UT.
13	Venus 2.3° S of Beehive cluster M44 (43° from Sun, morning sky) at 10h UT. Mag. −4.1.
14	Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (44° from Sun, morning sky) at 5h UT. • Beehive Cluster (Wikipedia) • M44: The Beehive Cluster (APOD)
14	Moon, Venus and Beehive cluster M44 within a circle of diam. 4.4° (44° from Sun, morning sky) at 6h UT. Mag. −4.1.
14	Moon near Venus (morning sky) at 7h UT. Mag. −4.1. • Venus (Wikipedia)
15	Moon near Regulus (morning sky) at 19h UT. • Regulus (Wikipedia)
17	New Moon at 11:00 UT. Start of lunation 1209.
18	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 13:55 UT (distance 359,082 km; angular size 33.3').
19	Moon near Mercury (23° from Sun, evening sky) at 3h UT. Mag. −0.1. • Mercury (Wikipedia)
19	Moon near Spica (evening sky) at 10h UT. • Spica (Wikipedia)
22	Mercury 0.3° NE of Spica (24° from Sun, evening sky) at 12h UT. Mags. 0.0.
22	September equinox at 13:32 UT. The time when the Sun reaches the point along the ecliptic where it crosses into the southern celestial hemisphere marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere. • Equinox (Wikipedia)
22	Moon near Antares (evening sky) at 14h UT. • Antares (Wikipedia)
24	First Quarter Moon at 1:55 UT.
25	Moon near Jupiter (evening sky) at 8h UT. Mag. −2.4. • Jupiter (Wikipedia)
25	Moon near Saturn (evening sky) at 22h UT. Mag. 0.4. • Saturn (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)