"Pillaging the Universe One Star at a Time"

 

The next 2025 Bootleg Star Party dates are ................. 

September 18-21!

Save the dates mateys, and make plans to join us!

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The Bootleg Spring Star Party Registration Form is available Coming soon  (pre-registration deadline is TBD, 2025) 12th)

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*** 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 ***

 

For directions, go to www.google.com and enter "Green River Conservation", then click "maps" or "directions" and you will be able to enter your starting point for custom directions.

 

 

Bootleg 2019 Pictures

Bootleg 2016 Pictures and videos

Bootleg 2015 Pictures

Bootleg 2014 Pictures

Bootleg 2013 Pictures

Bootleg 2012 Pictures

Bootleg 2011 Pictures

Bootleg 2010 Pictures

Bootleg 2008 Pictures

Bootleg 2007 Pictures

2008 Prairie Skies Star Party Pictures 

CAS Astrofest @ Camp Shaw

CAS Astrofest @ Vana's

Texas Star Party 2009

<<< PSSP home page

CAS Web Site 

SWAOG Web Site 

Jeff's Driveway Astronomy Page

Jeff's Binocular Picks

Free Sky Map from Skymaps.com

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page updated 4/30/2025

 

 

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Upcoming Observing Highlights for July 2025   (from skymaps.com)
 
2 First Quarter Moon at 19:29 UT.
3 Mercury 1.1° SSW of Beehive Cluster (M44) at 6h UT (26° from Sun, evening sky).
3 Earth at Aphelion (farthest from Sun) at 20h UT. The Sun-Earth distance is 1.016644 a.u. or about 152.1 million km.
3 Moon near Spica at 20h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from Antarctica, southern Argentina, southern Chile and Falkland Islands.
Lunar occultation of Spica (In-The-Sky)
4 Mercury at easternmost elongation at 5h UT (26° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. 0.5.
5 Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 2h UT (distance 404,627km; angular size 29.5').
5 Venus 6.6° SE of the Pleiades at 2h UT (43° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. −4.1
6 Saturn 0.97° S of Neptune at 7h UT (morning sky). Mags. 1.0 and 7.9.
7 Moon near Antares at 16h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from Antarctica, western Australia, South Africa and Namibia.
Lunar occultation of Antares (In-The-Sky)
10 Full Moon at 20:38 UT.
13 Venus 3.2° N of the Aldebaran at 17h UT (43° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. −4.1
16 Moon near Saturn at 8h UT (morning sky). Mag. 0.9.
18 Last Quarter Moon at 0:38 UT.
20 Moon near the Pleiades at 12h UT (morning sky).
20 Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 13:53 UT (distance 368,041km; angular size 32.5').
21 Moon near Venus at 19h UT (morning sky). Mag. −4.0.
22 Moon near M35 Cluster at 17h UT (28° from Sun, morning sky).
23 Moon near Jupiter at 6h UT (evening sky). Mag. −1.9.
24 New Moon at 19:11 UT. Start of lunation 1269.
24 Pluto at opposition at 21h UT. Mag. 14.4.
26 Moon near Regulus at 22h UT (evening sky).
28 Moon near Mars at 19h UT (evening sky). Mag. 1.6.
31 Southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks. Active from July 12 to August 23. Produces medium speed, faint meteors (about 15 to 20 per hour). Best seen from southern latitudes.
Southern Delta Aquarids (AMS)
31 Moon near Spica at 4h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from Antarctica.
31 Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun at 24h UT. The innermost planet passes into the morning 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)