Bootleg Astronomers

The Bootleg Star Party Registration Form is available HERE (pre-registration deadline is Saturday, August 29th, 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 ***

4	Mars 0.1° SE of Uranus at 7h UT (38° from Sun, morning sky). Mags. 1.3 and 5.8.
6	Earth at Aphelion (farthest from Sun) at 17h UT. The Sun-Earth distance is 1.016644 a.u. or about 152.1 million km. • Earth at Aphelion (SpaceWeather.com)
7	Moon near Saturn at 17h UT (morning sky). Mag. 0.8.
7	Last Quarter Moon at 19:30 UT.
9	Venus 0.97° NNE of Regulus at 23h UT (42° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. −4.1 and 1.4.
11	Moon near the Pleiades at 0h UT (morning sky).
11	Moon near Mars at 14h UT (morning sky). Mag. 1.3.
13	Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun at 1h UT. The innermost and most elusive planet passes into the morning sky.
13	Mars 5.3° N of Aldebaran at 2h UT (41° from Sun, morning sky). Mags. 1.3 and 0.9.
13	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 7:57 UT (distance 359,112km; angular size 33.3').
14	New Moon at 9:44 UT. Start of lunation 1281.
17	Moon near Regulus at 0h UT (evening sky).
17	Moon near Venus at 16h UT (evening sky). Mag. −4.1.
21	Moon near Spica at 3h UT (evening sky).
21	First Quarter Moon at 11:05 UT.
24	Moon near Antares at 21h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from Antarctica and nearby islands and territories. • Lunar occultation of Antares (In-the-Sky)
25	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 17h UT (distance 405,548km; angular size 29.5').
26	Asteroid 3 Juno at opposition at 12h UT. Mag. 9.2. • Asteroid 3 Juno (Wikipedia)
26	Pluto at opposition at 21h UT. Mag. 14.4.
29	Jupiter at conjunction with the Sun at 12h UT. The largest planet passes into the morning sky.
29	Full Moon at 14:36 UT.
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. Moonlight interferes in 2026. • Southern delta Aquarids (AMS)

>>> 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)