Special Events

In addition to our regular Friday Night Open Houses we also try to schedule other events that vary according to availability.  Past special events have included the Total Solar Eclipse of 2017, the transit of Venus in 2012, bright comets like Neowise in 2020, and meteor showers.  All of our observing events are dependent on weather.   Note that club members may or may not support all of these events "at" Broemmelsiek Park, however the astronomy section of the park is open every evening for the purposes of astronomy, so make yourself at home if we are not there.

For 2025, expected "events" will include the Perseid meteor shower (dates around Aug 12-13, depending on weather and FNOH), and recurring nova T Corona Borealis, which erupts every 80 years to become 2nd magnitude for a short while, is due to blow sometime in 2025.  

The peak for Solar Cycle 25 continues. Pay attention to possible Aurorae alerts for our latitude!

January:

1/13           Moon occults Mars

1/15/25    Mars at Opposition (14.6") - closest approach and greatest size as seen from Earth.  Good viewing for about 30 days prior and after.  Oppositions of Mars happen only about once every 2 yrs. so pack on your woolies and come on out to Friday Night viewing and let us show you the red planet.

March:

Venus shows as a crescent in a telescope early this month  (Inferior Conjunction March 22).

3/13-14    Lunar eclipse!

3/16   Transient event called the "Lunar X" seen on the Moon in a telescope (starts ~6:00 PM, lasts about an hour or so).  Shadows cast at the edge of the lunar "terminator" (between light and darkness).

August:

 12/13      Perseid Meteor Shower  - no telescope needed.  Sunset at 7:02PM, a very bright 93% full moonrise at 8:50PM.  After moonrise, expect only the brighter (25%) meteors to shine through.

December:

  13      Geminid Meteor Shower - no telescope needed.   Best shower of the year, pending clouds and temperatures.