Screen shot from Stellarium showing all of the four large planets in the sky as of October 27 2011 also included nasa image of planets and voyagers logo

Voyager Planets

Oct. 27, 2021

Got a telescope? Explore the largest planets in our solar system - all of which are featured in VOYAGERS! Fiske’s space musical . Just look to the southern sky to observe Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune - all in the same night! Graphic credit: Stellarium

International Observe the Moon Night graphic

International Observe the Moon Night

Oct. 14, 2021

Celebrate NASA’s International Observe the Moon Night Oct. 16th! We’ll be closed due to the football game (Go BUFFS!), but the Longmont Astronomical Society is partnering with Boulder County Open Space to host an event on Oct. 15th. Check out the event! Need a Moon map? Check this one out...

Photo of a mock up of Sputnik 1

Dawn of the Space Age

Oct. 4, 2021

The Soviet Union’s Sputnik spacecraft launched 64 years ago today (1957). History changed forever as this large-pumpkin sized craft orbited the Earth. This one event sparked the beginning of the space race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. NASA wasn’t established yet, but this singular event spurred Congress to take...

Photo of the fall colors aspen and evergreen trees in the mountains

Autumnal Equinox

Sept. 22, 2021

Brisk mornings, warm days, cool nights - feels like fall! Today is the autumnal equinox and the Sun is directly over Earth's equator, making day and night approximately equal in length (equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night).

Graphic showing an observer looking through the atmosphere when the Moon is on the horizon versus the zenith

Harvest Moon

Sept. 20, 2021

Full Moon tonight! Watch the Sun set in the west as the Harvest Moon rises in the east. Notice the orange color as the Moon rises? Check it out a few hours later when the Moon is higher in the sky — the orange/sepia filter has faded. This color shift...

Graphic of fruit representing the inner planets of the solar system

Boulder Farmer's Market

Sept. 10, 2021

Got a burning question about astronomy and space? Stop by the Boulder Planetary Scientist booth Saturday morning at the Boulder Farmer’s Market . Our head space guru, Dr. John Keller will be there to answer your questions. Can you stump him?

Western Sky from Boulder September 9, 2021 photo Credit Stellarium

Sunsets with the Moon & Venus

Sept. 9, 2021

Take a moment and give yourself a gift of watching the sunset over the next few evenings. The waxing crescent Moon joins Venus in the western sky and then meets up with Antares on Sunday. Check out Stellarium to see what your sky looks like! (Free on mobile or web.)...

Artist illustration of planet locations in their orbits around the Sun

Gas Planets at Opposition

Aug. 19, 2021

Jupiter joins Saturn tonight as both planets officially reach opposition this month. The gas giants are visible all night long, because they’re directly opposite of the Sun in our sky. Spot Jupiter in Aquarius and Saturn in Capricornus only about 20 degrees apart.

Perseid Meteor shower video still with silhouette of trees in the foreground

Perseid Meteor Shower

Aug. 6, 2021

The Perseid meteor shower peaks on the night of Wednesday, August 11 through dawn on Thursday morning. Every August this meteor shower dazzles us with a reliable display of celestial fireworks. Even in areas suffering from light pollution, the brightest Perseids will still be visible. Check out this article from...

Screen captures of various astronomy forecasting tools including light pollution map, lunar phase, weather forecast and smoke map for the United States

Astronomy Observation Forecast Tools

Aug. 4, 2021

New Moon weekend, Sunday to be exact! Great time to grab your telescope and observe summer’s faint fuzzies in Scorpius and Sagittarius. The conditions this summer are challenging with increasing light pollution, rain, transparency, seeing conditions and smoke from wildfires. Fiskers rely on Clear Sky Charts and Astrospheric to plan...

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