Bootleg Astronomers

The Bootleg Star Party Registration Form is available HERE (pre-registration deadline is Saturday, April 25th, 2026)

*** 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 ***

1	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 5h UT (distance 406,366km; angular size 29.4').
1	Mercury at northernmost declination (25.6°) at 19h UT.
8	Venus 4.7° S of Pollux at 0h UT (36° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. −4.0 and 1.2.
8	Last Quarter Moon at 10:02 UT.
9	Venus 1.6° NNE of Jupiter at 21h UT (37° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. −4.0 and −1.9.
10	Moon near Saturn at 8h UT (morning sky). Mag. 0.9.
12	Moon near Mars at 19h UT (morning sky). Mag. 1.3.
13	Moon near the Pleiades at 14h UT (evening sky).
14	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 23:20 UT (distance 357,197km; angular size 33.5').
15	New Moon at 2:55 UT. Start of lunation 1280.
15	Mercury at easternmost elongation at 20h UT (24.5° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. 0.6.
16	Moon near Mercury at 21h UT (25° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. 0.7.
16	Moon near Castor at 21h UT (evening sky).
17	Moon near Pollux at 2h UT (evening sky).
17	Moon near Jupiter at 9h UT (evening sky). Mag. −1.8.
17	Moon near Venus at 18h UT (evening sky). Mag. −4.0. Occultation visible from the contiguous United States, Canada, Brazil and Venezuela. • Lunar occultation of Venus (In-the-Sky)
18	Moon near Beehive Cluster (M44) at 2h UT (evening sky). Venus nearby.
19	Moon near Regulus at 13h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar and Zimbabwe. • Lunar occultation of Regulus (In-the-Sky)
20	Venus 0.70° NNE of Beehive Cluster (M44) at 3h UT (39° from Sun, evening sky).
21	June solstice at 8:23 UT. The time when the Sun reaches the point farthest north of the celestial equator marking the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. • June Solstice (Wikipedia)
21	First Quarter Moon at 21:55 UT.
23	Moon near Spica at 20h UT (evening sky).
25	Mercury 3.7° WSW of Jupiter at 13h UT (22° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. 1.5 and −1.8.
27	Moon near Antares at 13h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from Antarctica, south-eastern Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. • Lunar occultation of Antares (In-the-Sky)
28	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 7h UT (distance 406,265km; angular size 29.4').
29	Full Moon at 23:57 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)