Bootleg Astronomers

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 May 29th)

*** 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	Moon near Antares at 0h UT (morning sky). • Antares (Wikipedia)
4	Last Quarter Moon at 10:03 UT.
6	Moon near Saturn (morning sky) at 11h UT. Mag. 0.8. • Saturn (Wikipedia)
7	Moon near Jupiter (morning sky) at 11h UT. Mag. −2.1. • Jupiter (Wikipedia)
11	Moon near Mercury (8° from Sun, morning sky) at 10h UT. Mag. −1.2. • Mercury (Wikipedia)
12	New Moon at 2:32 UT. Start of lunation 1216.
14	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 18h UT (distance 406,119 km; angular size 29.4').
15	Moon near the Pleiades at 9h UT (evening sky). • The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
16	Moon near Aldebaran at 3h UT (evening sky). • Aldebaran (Wikipedia)
17	Moon near Mars (59° from Sun, evening sky) at 13h UT. Mag. 1.5. Occultation visible from SE Asia. • Mars (Wikipedia) • Occultation of Mars (IOTA)
19	Mercury at superior conjunction with the Sun at 2h UT. The elusive and innermost planet passes into the evening sky.
19	Moon near Castor at 14h UT (evening sky).
19	Moon near Pollux at 19h UT (evening sky).
20	First Quarter Moon at 6:59 UT.
20	Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (evening sky) at 21h UT. • Beehive Cluster (Wikipedia) • M44: The Beehive Cluster (APOD)
22	Lyrid meteor shower peaks at 13h UT (variable). Active April 14-30. Radiant is between Hercules and Lyra. Expect 10 to 20 bright, fast meteors per hour at its peak. Best observed after the Moon has set. • Lyrids (Wikipedia) • 2021 Meteor Shower Calendar (PDF) (IMO)
22	Moon near Regulus at 14h UT (evening sky). • Regulus (Wikipedia)
26	Moon near Spica at 8h UT (evening sky). • Spica (Wikipedia)
27	Full Moon at 3:32 UT.
27	Mars 0.6° N of M35 cluster at 7h UT (55° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. 1.5. • M35 Cluster (Wikipedia)
27	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 15:20 UT (distance 357,378 km; angular size 33.4').
29	Moon near Antares at 9h UT (morning sky).

>>> 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)