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STARGAZING NEWS: Apr 1-Last Quarter Moon, Apr 8-Partial Solar Eclipse/New Moon, Apr 10-Moon passes Jupiter 

2024 Sep 17: Occultation of Saturn (12/31/23)

On September 17, Saturn will be occulted by the Moon for nearly an hour. Watch the Moon approach Saturn in our sky and then cover it completely. This is a rare and 'not to be missed' event in the Starry Hill region.


2024 Aug-Dec: The Five Planet Challenge (12/29/23)

The last months of 2024 offer a very cool challenge for stargazers: it will be possible to view five planets at the same time. If you are interested in adding this rare feat to your list of stargazing accomplishments, then check this out...


2024 Sep 17: Challenging Partial Lunar Eclipse (12/17/23)

If you'd like an interesting challenge, then the Partial Lunar Eclipse on September 17, 2024 may be for you. At maximum eclipse, the Moon will be low in the sky, bathed in twilight with only a tiny part of the Moon turning red. This will be a difficult stargazing challenge indeed!


2024 Dec 17: The Wise Ones at the Manger (12/17/23)

On December 17, two wise -- very old -- worlds, Mars and the Moon, will arrive at the star cluster known since antiquity as the Praesepe, Latin for manger. How appropriate for this time of year. This rare event will be best viewed with a binocular or small telescope.


2024 Aug 14: Meeting of the Red Planet and King of Planets (12/16/23)

On August 14, Mars will be passing Jupiter in our sky. Although this happens about every 27 months, this year they will appear incredibly close -- less than half the width of a Full Moon. They won't be this close again for over nine years.


2024 Apr 8: Total Solar Eclipse (12/13/23)

Remember the wonderful total solar eclipse in August of 2017? The good news is that the USA will be experiencing another one on April 8, 2024. Just like last time, to experience totality, one has to be within the path of totality. The not-so-good news for us in the Starry Hill region, the path won't be nearby. So, unless you are willing to travel a couple thousand miles east, this eclipse will be only partial.


2024 Mar 24: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (12/9/23)

Yes, we'll be having a penumbral lunar eclipse on March 24/25. Will the moon be turning a 'blood' red color? Sorry, no. A penumbral eclipse is actually much more subtle and easily missed unless you are a careful observer.


2024: The Apparitions of Venus (12/4/23)

Venus has been capturing the attention of stargazers for eons because of its brilliance — nothing is brighter in the night sky other than our Moon. For stargazers, Venus goes through a remarkable 584 day cycle in which it appears and disappears as both the Morning Star and the Evening Star. This article explains its bewildering apparitions.

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