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	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 5:17 UT (distance 365,423 km; angular size 32.7').
2	Moon near Spica at 12h UT (morning sky). • Spica (Wikipedia)
4	Mars 2.6° SE of the Pleiades at 16h UT (evening sky). Mag. 1.0.
5	Mercury 0.3° N of Jupiter at 7h UT (27° from Sun, morning sky). Mags. 0.2 and −2.0.
5	Moon near Antares at 17h UT (morning sky). • Antares (Wikipedia)
6	Last Quarter Moon at 1:31 UT.
6	Mercury at greatest elongation west (27° from Sun, morning sky) at 11h UT. Mag. 0.2.
10	Moon near Saturn (morning sky) at 1h UT. Mag. 0.7. • Saturn (Wikipedia)
10	Moon near Jupiter (morning sky) at 18h UT. Mag. −2.0.
10	Moon, Mercury and Jupiter within circle of diameter 5.3° (30° from Sun, morning sky) at 22h UT. Mags. 0.1 and −2.0. • Mercury (Wikipedia) • Jupiter (Wikipedia)
11	Moon near Mercury (morning sky) at 4h UT. Mag. 0.1.
13	New Moon at 10:22 UT. Start of lunation 1215.
18	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 5h UT (distance 405,253 km; angular size 29.5').
19	Moon near the Pleiades at 2h UT (evening sky). • The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
19	Moon near Mars (evening sky) at 19h UT. Mag. 1.2. • Mars (Wikipedia)
19	Moon near Aldebaran at 19h UT (evening sky). • Aldebaran (Wikipedia)
20	Vernal equinox at 9:40 UT. The time when the Sun reaches the point along the ecliptic where it crosses into the northern celestial hemisphere marking the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. • Vernal Equinox (Wikipedia)
21	First Quarter Moon at 14:41 UT.
23	Moon near Castor at 6h UT (evening sky).
23	Moon near Pollux at 11h UT (evening sky).
24	Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (evening sky) at 12h UT. • Beehive Cluster (Wikipedia) • M44: The Beehive Cluster (APOD)
26	Moon near Regulus at 4h UT (evening sky). • Regulus (Wikipedia)
26	Venus at superior conjunction with the Sun at 6h UT (not visible). Venus is passing into the evening sky.
28	Full Moon at 18:49 UT.
29	Moon near Spica at 21h UT (morning sky).
30	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 6:16 UT (distance 360,309 km; angular size 33.2').
27	Full Moon at 8:18 UT.

>>> 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)