Astronomy by the Bay

06/20/2026

06/19/2026

Setting up at Saints Rest Beach around 9pm.
Come on out and check out the planets and Moon :)

06/19/2026

The Moon and planet show continues :)
Tonight's sky features a Crescent Moon near Regulus, the brightest star in Leo. Brilliant Venus dominates the constellation of Cancer, while Jupiter and Mercury rest in Gemini.

Mercury will be leaving the night sky by the first week of July. It returns as a morning object by early August.

Jupiter becomes lost in the Sun's glare by late July. It will be in the morning sky in late August.

Venus will continue in our evening sky until mid October. It will make a brilliant return to the morning sky in early November.

Over the next few weeks, we are going to watch that western alignment completely dissolve as the planets scatter into the morning twilight, leaving Venus to hold down the fort alone by late summer... while we wait for the ringed beauty Saturn to make its return.

So enjoy the view this weekend! The evening show changes soon :)

06/18/2026

Stunning beauty tonight !
The 2nd and 3rd brightest objects together :)

06/17/2026

I was hoping to offer the occultation li e but my phone wont reveal it. I am watching it through the eyepiece. Not sure why it's not working. Sorry.

06/15/2026

✨ Stargazing Alert: Cosmic Lineup This Week! ✨

If rain showers ruin your chances of spotting the thin crescent Moon tonight, don’t worry! Clearer skies ahead make Tuesday and Wednesday perfect for catching a spectacular "mini planet parade" featuring a special guest appearance by the Moon.

Here is your night-by-night guide to looking West at around 10 PM:
🗓️ Tuesday Evening

Look toward the western horizon just after sunset to spot brilliant Venus, mighty Jupiter, and elusive little Mercury. They will be joined by a razor-thin, beautifully delicate 4% illuminated crescent Moon.
🗓️ Wednesday Evening

This is the showstopper! The Moon will rest less than 0.5° from Venus—that is less than the width of a full Moon! You'll get to see the 2nd and 3rd brightest objects in our night sky cozying up right next to each other.
🗓️ Thursday Evening

The celestial dance wraps up with a perfectly straight cosmic lineup. From top to bottom, you'll see the crescent Moon (now 19% illuminated), Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury stretching down toward the horizon.

📸 Photo Op: All three nights offer incredible views and perfect opportunities for astrophotography. Grab your phone or camera, head outside, and enjoy the view!

06/14/2026

The Sunday Night Astronomy Show

06/14/2026

I know I recently mentioned taking a bit of a breather, but there are just too many celestial events happening this month for me to not share them with you!
I'll start with our New Moon tonight. The Moon will be near perigee (its closest point to Earth), so you can expect to see higher than normal tides for the next few days.
Next up is the New Moon challenge tomorrow night. Always a fun task to see if you can catch it, our neighbour will be less than 24 hours old at Sunset - making it a difficult target. Binoculars or a small telescope would be best.
A word of caution - be sure the Sun has set before attempting it, to prevent a mistake with optics and your eyes.

There's much more happening this week! I'll have more posts here, and you can find out what else to expect on our program tonight :)

06/14/2026

Congratulations to Dianne Craswell and Mike Powell.. the winners of the Jupiter - Venus conjunction contest and winners of the 2026 Night Sky Guide by CBC science writer and author Nicole Mortilarro.

Thank you all for entering.. I enjoyed seeing all of your images. :)