Coming Attractions
Celestial Events at the Cosmic Campground
About this Calendar
The natural night sky schedules events each month which are best viewed near new Moon. You don’t need any special equipment to witness many of them.This is the whole point of the Cosmic Campground and the International Dark Sky Association.
The Cosmic Campground weekends are designated to answer the many questions about when is the best time to visit the Cosmic Campground. They are opportunities to meet other like minded people and perhaps to look through their telescopes.
If you bring binoculars or a small telescope it adds to the experience.
If you have never witnessed the Milky Way rising over the Gila Wilderness it is hard to describe the panorama and feeling it brings. Try it. The Cosmic Campground is nature’s IMAX theater in the round.
Walking about easily by star light is an experience.
Another series of nature's events are meteor showers. They are truly spectacular and awe inspiring.
The zodiacal light is never seen by most people. It is a pyramid of light in the west near the equinoxes.
To see bright stars rise and set is part of the natural environment.
The Gemini Meteor shower will peak December 13-14, 2018.
The list goes on.
Sky Weather
Cosmic Campground Clear Sky Chart
Viewing tips
The sky is best viewed when the Moon is not in the sky.
This happens in the early evening approximately from
6 days before till 2 days After New Moon
Milky Way Rising Over The Gila Wilderness Is Truly Awesome
Image Credit: David Thornburg
October 21, 2019 Orionid Meteor Shower
Peak night
Oct 21-22 2019
Orionids
Active from September 23rd to November 27th , 2019
The Orionids are a medium strength shower that sometimes reaches high strength activity. In a normal year the Orionids produce 20-25 shower members at maximum. In exceptional years, such as 2006-2009, the peak rates were on par with the Perseids (50-75 per hour). At this time we are unable to predict exactly when the Orionids will be exceptional but there are theories that there may be a 12 year period in this cycle.
Radiant: 06:20 +15.5° - ZHR: 25 - Velocity: 41 miles/sec (swift - 67km/sec) - Parent Object:1P/Halley
Source American Meteor Society
November 17-18, 2019 Leonid Meteor Shower
Peak night
Nov 17-18 2019
Leonids
Active from November 5th to November 30th , 2019
The Leonids are best known for producing great meteor storms in the years of 1833, 1866, 1966, and 2001. These outbursts of meteor activity are best seen when the parent object, comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, is near perihelion (closest approach to the sun). Yet it is not the fresh material we see from the comet, but rather debris from earlier returns that also happen to be most dense at the same time. Unfortunately it appears that the earth will not encounter any dense clouds of debris until 2099. Therefore when the comet returns in 2031 and 2064, there will be no meteor storms, but perhaps several good displays of Leonid activity when rates are in excess of 100 per hour. The best we can hope for now until the year 2030 is peaks of around 15 shower members per hour and perhaps an occasional weak outburst when the earth passes near a debris trail. The Leonids are often bright meteors with a high percentage of persistent trains.
Radiant: 10:08 +21.6° - ZHR: 15 - Velocity: 44 miles/sec (swift - 71km/sec) - Parent Object:55P/Tempel-Tuttle
Source American Meteor Society
New Moon November 26, 2019 Tuesday
Cosmic Campground Weekend November 22,23,24, 2019
Bring a friend, red filtered flashlight, very warm clothes, lawn chair,
and telescope and binoculars if you have them. Make new friends
and enjoy the wonders of the night sky.
December 13,14, 2019 Geminid Meteor Shower
Peak night
Dec 13-14 2018
Geminids
Active from December 4th to December 16th , 2018
The Geminids are usually the strongest meteor shower of the year and meteor enthusiasts are certain to circle December 13 and 14 on their calendars. This is the one major shower that provides good activity prior to midnight as the constellation of Gemini is well placed from 10pm onward. The Geminids are often bright and intensely colored. Due to their medium-slow velocity, persistent trains are not usually seen. These meteors are also seen in the southern hemisphere, but only during the middle of the night and at a reduced rate.
Radiant: 07:28 +32.2° - ZHR: 120 - Velocity: 22 miles/sec (medium - 35km/sec) - Parent Object: 3200 Phaethon (asteroid)
Source American Meteor Society
New Moon December 25, 2019 Wednesday
December 21-22, 2019 Ursid Meteor Shower
Peak night
Dec 21-22 2018
Ursids
Active from December 17th to December 23rd , 2018
The Ursids are often neglected due to the fact it peaks just before Christmas and the rates are much less than the Geminds, which peaks just a week before the Ursids. Observers will normally see 5-10 Ursids per hour during the late morning hours on the date of maximum activity. There have been occasional outbursts when rates have exceeded 25 per hour. These outbursts appear unrelated to the perihelion dates of comet 8P/Tuttle. This shower is strictly a northern hemisphere event as the radiant fails to clear the horizon or does so simultaneously with the start of morning twilight as seen from the southern tropics.
Radiant: 14:28 +74.8° - ZHR: 10 - Velocity: 20 miles/sec (medium - 32km/sec) - Parent Object: 8P/Tuttle
Source American Meteor Society
Cosmic Campground Weekend December 27,28,29, 2019
Bring a friend, red filtered flashlight, very warm clothes, lawn chair,
and telescope and binoculars if you have them. Make new friends
and enjoy the wonders of the night sky.