Bootleg Astronomers

The Bootleg Spring Star Party Registration Form is available HERE (pre-registration deadline is August 24, 2024) 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	Annular Solar Eclipse from 16:50 to 20:39 UT with greatest eclipse at 18:45 UT. Path of annularity extends across southern Chile and southern Argentina. Partial eclipse in the Pacific Ocean and southern South America. • Annular Solar Eclipse of 2024 October 2 (GIF) (NASA) • Solar Eclipses: 2021 - 2040 (Mr Eclipse) • NASA Solar Eclipse Page (NASA)
2	New Moon at 18:49 UT. Start of lunation 1259.
2	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 20h UT (distance 406,516km; angular size 29.4').
5	Moon near Venus at 19h UT (evening sky). Mag. −4.0. • Venus (Wikipedia)
7	Moon near Antares at 17h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from Saint Helena and S. Namibia. • Antares (Wikipedia) • Occultation of Antares (In-The-Sky)
9	Moon at southernmost declination (−28.7°) in 2024 at 12h UT.
10	First Quarter Moon at 18:55 UT.
14	Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) emerges above the western horizon in the evening sky. • C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (Wikipedia)
14	Moon near Saturn at 16h UT (evening sky). Mag. 0.8. Occultation visible from parts of Asia and Africa. • Saturn (Wikipedia) • Occultation of Saturn (In-The-Sky)
15	Moon near Neptune at 15h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from Asia, Russia and NE Africa. Mag. 7.8. • Neptune (Wikipedia) • Occultation of Neptune (In-The-Sky)
17	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 00:59 UT (distance 357,175km; angular size 33.4'). Only 10.5 hours before Full Moon.
17	Full Moon at 11:27 UT. Supermoon.
19	Moon near the Pleiades at 21h UT (morning sky). • The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
21	Orionid meteor shower peaks. Arises from the debris field of Comet Halley. Active from October 2 to November 7. Produces very fast (67 km/sec), generally faint meteors (10−20 per hour). Radiant located near Orionâ€™s club asterism. • Orionids (American Meteor Society) • Meteor Shower Calendar (IMO)
21	Moon near Jupiter at 8h UT (morning sky). Mag. −2.6. • Jupiter (Wikipedia)
22	Moon near M35 star cluster at 4h UT (morning sky).
23	Moon near Castor at 12h UT (morning sky).
23	Moon near Pollux at 18h UT (morning sky).
23	Moon near Mars at 22h UT (morning sky). Mag. 0.2. • Mars (Wikipedia)
24	Last Quarter Moon at 8:04 UT.
24	Moon near Beehive cluster M44 at 21h UT (morning sky).
26	Venus 3.0° NNE of Antares at 7h UT (37° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. −4.0 and 1.0.
26	Moon near Regulus at 17h UT (64° from Sun, morning sky). • Regulus (Wikipedia)
29	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 23h UT (distance 406,161km; 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)