Bootleg Astronomers

The Bootleg Star Party Registration Form is available SOON (pre-registration deadline is TBD, 2026) 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 ***

1	Full Moon at 22:09 UT.
3	Moon near Regulus at 5h UT (morning sky).
7	Moon near Spica at 8h UT (morning sky).
9	Last Quarter Moon at 12:44 UT.
10	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 17h UT (distance 404,576km; angular size 29.5').
11	Moon near Antares at 5h UT ( morning sky).
17	Annular Solar Eclipse from 11:43 to 12:41 UT with greatest eclipse at 12:12 UT. Annularity spans a narrow path across Antarctica. Partial eclipse phases visible from southernmost Argentina and Chile, southern Africa, and Antarctica. • Annular Solar Eclipse of 2026 February 17 (GIF) (NASA) • 17 February 2026 Annular Solar Eclipse (Time & Date) • Solar Eclipses: 2021 - 2040 (Mr Eclipse) • NASA Solar Eclipse Page (NASA)
17	New Moon at 12:02 UT. Start of lunation 1276.
19	Moon near Mercury at 0h UT (18° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. −0.5.
19	Mercury at easternmost elongation at 18h UT (18.1° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. −0.4.
19	Moon near Saturn at 21h UT (30° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. 1.1.
20	Saturn 0.83° SE of Neptune at 21h UT (29° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. 1.1 and 7.9.
24	Moon near the Pleiades at 4h UT (evening sky).
24	First Quarter Moon at 12:28 UT.
24	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 23:25 UT (distance 370,135km; angular size 32.3').
25	Moon at northernmost declination (28.4°) in 2025 at 23h UT.
26	Moon near M35 Cluster at 10h UT (evening sky).
27	Moon near Jupiter at 8h UT (evening sky). Mag. −2.5.
27	Moon near Castor at 16h UT (evening sky).
27	Moon near Pollux at 22h UT (evening sky).
27	Mercury 4.5° NNW of Venus at 22h UT (13° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. 1.6 and −3.9.
28	Moon near Beehive Cluster (M44) at 23h UT (evening sky).

>>> 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)