Bootleg Astronomers

The Bootleg Star Party Registration Form is available HERE (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 ***

2	Venus 3.5° NNE of Spica at 8h UT (16° from Sun, morning sky). Mag −3.9.
2	Moon near Saturn at 9h UT (evening sky). Mag. 0.9.
5	Southern Taurid meteor shower peaks. Active from Sept 23 to Dec 8. Associated with Comet 2P/Encke. • Taurids (Wikipedia) • Southern Taurids (American Meteor Society) • 2025 Meteor Shower Calendar (PDF) (International Meteor Organization)
5	Full Moon at 13:19 UT. Supermoon.
5	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 22:40 UT (distance 356,833km; angular size 33.5').
6	Mercury at southernmost declination (−25.0°) at 11h UT (evening sky). Mag. 0.1.
6	Moon near the Pleiades at 17h UT (morning sky).
8	Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) at perihelion. Mag. 4.6. • C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) (Wikipedia) • C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) (Orbit & Observations)
8	Moon near M35 Cluster at 20h UT (morning sky).
9	Mercury 3.9° NW of Antares at 5h UT (24° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. 0.4 and 1.0.
10	Moon near Castor at 2h UT (morning sky).
10	Moon near Pollux at 7h UT (morning sky).
10	Moon near Jupiter at 10h UT (morning sky). Mag. −2.4.
11	Moon near Beehive Cluster (M44) at 8h UT (morning sky).
12	Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks. Active from Oct 13 to Dec 2. Occasional bright fireball. • Taurids (Wikipedia) • Northern Taurids (American Meteor Society) • 2025 Meteor Shower Calendar (PDF) (International Meteor Organization)
12	Last Quarter Moon at 5:28 UT.
13	Moon near Regulus at 1h UT (morning sky). Occultation visible from Russia, Svalbard, eastern Greenland and north-eastern Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
13	Mercury 1.2° SSW of Mars at 4h UT (15° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. 1.3 and 1.4.
17	Leonid meteor shower peaks. Arises from debris ejected by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Produces very fast meteors (70 km/sec). Expect 10 to 15 meteors/hour under dark skies.
17	Moon near Spica at 11h UT (morning sky).
18	Mars 4.0° N of Antares at 15h UT (14° from Sun, evening sky). Mags. 1.4 and 1.0.
19	Moon near Venus at 5h UT (12° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. −3.9.
20	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 3h UT (distance 406,691km; angular size 29.4').
20	New Moon at 6:47 UT. Start of lunation 1273.
20	Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun at 9h UT. The innermost planet passes into the morning sky.
21	Moon near Antares at 8h UT (12° from Sun, evening sky).
21	Uranus at opposition at 12h UT. Mag. 5.6.
28	First Quarter Moon at 6:59 UT.
29	Moon near Saturn at 17h UT (evening sky). Mag. 1.1.

>>> 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)