Davis Astronomy Club

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Davis Astronomy Club

Astronomy Interest Group Stargazing is always an important part of each meeting. What does this club offer you?

Davis Astronomy Club

On six evenings a year we get together, usually at Explorit on 5th Street, to discuss topics of continuing interest, such as comets, or to prepare for an important celestial event, such as the collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy and Jupiter in July 1994. We also have special observing sessions for such events as eclipses and the Perseid Meteor Shower. If you have always been fa

scinated by the heavens or the exploration of outer space but haven't known how to start your own astronomical journey--this is the club for you. We have shown many aspiring stargazers their ‘first’ constellation, their ‘first’ double star, where the planets are and how to use a telescope. We can help you decide on the best binoculars, telescopes, computer programs and star atlases, and help you decide what you need and (more importantly don’t need) to enjoy and discover the cosmos. This club can be your ‘training wheels’ so you can finally begin exploring the universe at your own speed and in your own directions. We can even show you how your observations can be used for scientific research, if that is your goal. In short, this club aims to be a friendly ‘launch pad’ for your personal exploration of astronomy. The Astronomy Club not only benefits its membership, but the larger goals of Explorit as well. If we can believe the box-office records held by space-oriented films, probably no science so stirs the public's imagination as much as astronomy. Working with school teachers and youth groups such as the Scouts and Campfire, the club has introduced hundreds--if not thousands--to the cosmos. Helping others to observe, communicate, reason, organize, and relate information about the sun, moon, planets and stars brings many rewards for Club volunteers. Among these rewards are: finding new friends, learning the theories, facts and processes of science, and discovering new perspectives on ourselves and the cosmos.

08/28/2026

Upcoming Launch of NASA's
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Saturday, August 29, 2026
7:00pm - 9:30pm

Explorit Science Center
Mace Ranch Park
(3141 5th Street, Davis)

by Vinita Domier
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador

Everyone is invited to the Davis Astronomy Club meeting on Saturday, August 29th, starting at 7:00pm. We will discuss NASA's Roman Space Telescope indoors followed by a star party outdoors. The event is free, open to all ages, and will be held at Explorit Science Center (3141 5th Street, Davis).

NASA's newest space-based wide-field infrared telescope, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, is scheduled to be launched at 4:26am on Sunday, August 30, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The telescope is named after NASA's first female executive who also served as the first Chief of Astronomy in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Roman telescope will search for exoplanets - planets in star systems beyond our own solar system. It will also help in determining what constitutes dark matter that makes up 27% of the universe and dark energy that makes up 68% of the universe. (Ordinary visible matter makes up the rest of the 5% of the universe.)

The Roman telescope will orbit 1 million miles away from Earth at the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L2) where NASA's James Webb Space Telescope also orbits. As Roman's field of view is 100X larger than Hubble Space Telescope's, Roman will image more than 50X as much sky in 5 years that Hubble observed in 30 years.

For more information about Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/

For more information about the meeting, please contact:
Vinita Domier at [email protected]

For more information about the Davis Astronomy Club, please visit:
https://www.explorit.org/astronomy-club
https://www.facebook.com/DavisAstronomyClub/

The following sleeping bag cover was found at the Grasslands Regional Park after the Perseid viewing event on August 12, 2026.
Please contact Vinita at vcdomier@yahoo to claim it.

08/27/2026

Near-Total Lunar Eclipse Viewing

Thursday, August 27, 2026
7:30pm - 9:30pm
Mace Park-N-Ride, Davis

by Vinita Domier
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador

Everyone is invited to a special Davis Astronomy Club near-total lunar eclipse viewing on Thursday, August 27th, starting at 7:30pm. The event is free, open to all ages, and will be held at the Mace Park-N-Ride (off Mace Blvd at 2629 CR 32A, Davis) parking lot.

The Moon will not be 100% or totally eclipsed at this event, but will come very very close. As the Moon will be 96% eclipsed at maximum eclipse, this will be a very deep partial lunar eclipse. The near-total August 27 lunar eclipse be a wonderful celestial event to observe, weather permitting.

For western North American observers, the full Moon on August 27 will rise at 7:36pm in the eastern sky already partially eclipsed. The maximum partial eclipse will occur at 9:12pm, when most of the Moon will be in Earth's shadow. The partial phase of the lunar eclipse will end at 10:51pm.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, the Earth, and the full-phase Moon, in that order, line up in space. A part or the entire Moon, now in the Earth’s shadow, is obscured as it is cut off from the direct light from the Sun resulting in a partial or a total eclipse of the Moon.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the entire Moon is in the Earth's dark shadow. During the duration of totality, the Earth blocks direct sunlight from illuminating the Moon. However, the fully eclipsed Moon is dimly lit by the reddish parts of indirect sunlight passing through Earth's enveloping atmosphere. The Moon during totality is called a Blood Moon as it appears coppery red in color.

(Solar eclipses occur when the Sun, the new-phase Moon, and the Earth, in that order, line up in space. The shadow of the Moon then falls on a region of the Earth, obscuring part or all of Sun.)

Eclipses do not occur at every new and full Moon because the Moon does not orbit the Earth in the same plane as the Earth orbits the Sun. There are two periods, about six months apart, when these three solar system bodies - the Sun, Earth, and Moon - can align to produce the celestial phenomena of lunar and solar eclipses.

All lunar eclipses can be observed safely in their entirety with unaided eyes. Although no special equipment is needed to view a lunar eclipse, Davis Astronomy Club will have telescopes set up to look at the eclipsing Moon in detail. Please bring a chair or recliner to be comfortable while viewing the eclipse.

For more information about the August 27 deep partial lunar eclipse and live broadcast of the event:
https://griffithobservatory.lacity.gov/.../partial.../

For more information about the special viewing, please contact Vinita Domier at [email protected].

For more information about the Davis Astronomy Club, please visit:
https://www.explorit.org/astronomy-club

08/12/2026

2026 Perseid Meteor Shower Public Viewing
Wednesday, August 12th, 2026
9pm - Midnight

by Vinita Domier
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador

Davis Astronomy Club - 2026 Perseid meteor shower + stargazing event

Cost: free; all ages welcome

Date: Wednesday evening, August 12, 2026, from 9pm - midnight

(attendees are welcome to stay past midnight, but cannot spend the entire night at the park)

Location: Yolo County Grasslands Regional Park - Sac Valley Soaring Society (SVSS) club field at the east side of the park

Address: 30475 CR 104 (Mace Blvd), Davis (latitude: 38.49694 degrees, longitude: -121.69111 degrees)

Driving directions: From I-80 take Mace Blvd south. At the city limits, Mace Blvd becomes County Road 104. The Grasslands Regional Park entrance is to the left at the intersection of County Road 104 and Tremont Rd. (The distance from I-80 to the park is 3.8 miles). Follow directions to the SVSS site at the back of the park where the road turns left, bypassing the parking lots by the park entrance. Park on the gravel lot by the pavillion adjacent to the SVSS flying field located on east side of the park. (Please see map below)

Grasslands Park website: https://www.yolocounty.gov/government/general-government-departments/parks/parks-information/grasslands-regional-park;

SVSS Flying site website: http://www.svss.org/flying-site.html

Davis Astronomy Club and Explorit Science Center invite everyone to the free public viewing of the annual Perseid meteor shower and stargazing event on the evening of Wednesday, August 12, 2026, from 9pm - midnight, at Yolo County Grasslands Regional Park (30475 CR 104, 3.8 miles south of Davis).

Please note that attendees who would like to stay longer are welcome to stay past midnight, but cannot camp overnight at the Grasslands Park.

The Perseid meteor shower consistently provides good viewing of “shooting stars” during warm summer nights for northern observers from mid-July to late August when 60 – 100 meteors per hour can be seen under ideal viewing conditions - cloudless dark skies with no moonlight and far away from artificial lights. Many meteors of this particular meteor shower streak across the summer night sky in long, bright and colorful trails like celestial fireworks, delighting one and all.

The Perseid meteor shower peak activity in 2026 is occurring on the nights of August 12 and August 13, between midnight to 5am. This year's Perseid meteor shower promises to be a spectacular celestial show as the peak coincides with the new Moon phase on August 12. With no moonlight to interfere with the viewing, even relatively dim meteors will be visible away from city lights if skies are cloudless.

A meteor shower occurs when the orbiting Earth passes through the stream of debris left in the wake of a comet after it has made its close approach to the Sun. The heat of the Sun vaporizes the icy comet's frozen gases, releasing some of the dust particles and tiny rocky fragments embedded in the comet. These debris particles in outer space, collectively called meteoroids, continue to orbit the Sun in the same orbit as the parent comet. The Perseid meteor shower is attributed to the periodic Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle (orbital period of 133 years.)

If the Earth's orbital path happens to intersects the parent comet's orbital path, some of meteoroids get gravitationally accelerated into the Earth's upper atmosphere. Traveling at great speeds and colliding with the atmospheric gas particles, the meteoroids create visible glowing streaks in the sky known as meteors or "shooting stars". As this encounter between the Earth and the comet happens around the same time every year, the meteor shower occurs around the same time year after year.

During a meteor shower, the glowing meteor streaks can appear anywhere in the sky. However, the meteor trails seem to emanate from a certain region or constellation in the sky. The mid July - August meteor shower is named the Perseid meteor shower as the meteor trails seems to radiate from the Perseus Constellation region of the sky.

The optimal time to observe the most number of meteors per hour is between after midnight and before sunrise as then the viewer is on the side of the Earth that is encountering the meteors head-on. This year, as the new Moon will not be above the horizon at all, meteors will be visible the entire night from around 9pm to 5am.

No special equipment is needed to enjoy the Perseids. All you need to watch the annual 'fireworks' in the sky are clear dark skies with an unobstructed view from horizon to horizon. Lie down on a reclining chair or blanket, point your toes north-eastward, and look up in all directions. Bring jacket/hat/gloves, insect repellent, and a red-filtered light or a flashlight in a paper bag.

For more information please contact: Vinita Domier at [email protected]

05/07/2026

Support Explorit on BDOG - Donate Today!

Thursday, May 7, is the last day of the Big Day of Giving event this year.

Please donate anytime today until midnight to help Explorit Science Center achieve, and hopefully surpass, our 2026 BDOG fundraiser goal of $10,000.

Any amount that you donate will be greatly appreciated and will expedite the reopening of Explorit as a hands-on STEAM community hub.

Your support is crucial in helping us fulfill Explorit's mission to inspire curiosity in science and nature within our community.

Today, your BDOG donation can go even further thanks to prize boosts and match funds like the Explorit Board of Trustees $2,500 match challenge.

Also, BDOG donation made today using your Golden 1 Credit Union credit or debit card will be proportionately matched by the credit union.

Every dollar counts! Please donate to Explorit today at the following link: https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/give/Explorit

Thank you in advance for your generosity and your ongoing support.

And a big thank you to all the wonderful 'early-bird' BDOG donors.

Also, a big shout-out to the STEAM team at Woods Rodgers, a Sacramento-based Civil Engineering firm, for their 2026 BDOG donation to Explorit.

The Explorit Board of Trustees

📧 [email protected] 🌐 explorit.org

To visit Explorit's Big Day of Giving profile page, please visit:
https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/organization/Explorit

To donate anytime directly to Explorit, please visit: https://www.explorit.org/donate or mail your donation to Explorit Science Center, 3141 5th Street, Davis, CA 95618.

Volunteers are needed for outdoor spring cleaning at Explorit on Sunday, May 17 and Sunday, May 31, from noon - 2:30pm each day.

05/05/2026

SUPPORT EXPLORIT'S REOPENING! DONATE TODAY!

Dear Friends of Explorit,

Only 3 days left - until Thursday, May 7, 11:59 PM - to participate in the annual philanthropic fundraising event that is the Big Day of Giving.

We are excited to announce that the Explorit Board of Trustees has set up a $2,500 matching fund for 2026 BDOG, thereby enabling your monetary gift to have double the impact!

Additionally, if you donate using your Golden 1 Credit Union credit or debit card, your gift will be proportionately matched by Golden 1.

We need your help to meet (or exceed!) Explorit's BDOG goal of $10,000! The funds will greatly expedite the reopening of Explorit!

Please:

Give a gift! Make your online donation (starting as small as $10) at the following link: https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/give/Explorit or mail your donation to Explorit at 3141 5th Street, Davis, CA 95618.

Donate in a special person’s honor. Recognize a relative, friend, or mentor who has inspired you by giving a gift in their name.

Spread the word. Tell your family and friends about supporting Explorit during the fundraising event.

Please donate now through midnight Thursday, May 7, via this link: https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/give/Explorit

Thank you very much for your generous donation. You are truly helping to make a difference in our community!

The Explorit Board of Trustees

📧 [email protected] 🌐 explorit.org

Visit Explorit's BDOG page: https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/organization/Explorit

03/27/2026

NASA Artemis II Moon Mission & Bright Comet C/2025 R3

Saturday, March 28 | 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Explorit Science Center | 3141 5th Street, Davis

by Vinita Domier | [email protected]
NASA Solar System Ambassador

Everyone is invited to the Saturday, March 28 meeting of the Davis Astronomy Club at Explorit Science Center (3141 5th Street, Davis) starting at 7pm. All ages are welcome to attend the free public meeting comprising the featured presentation indoors and the star party outdoors where we will observe the Moon and Jupiter and other wonders of night sky.

Artemis II is NASA’s manned fly-by mission to the Moon that is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, April 1, at 3:24 pm PDT from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Planned as a 10-day lunar spaceflight with four astronauts on board, it is an important milestone marking humankind’s return to the Moon after more than half a century.

The objective of the Artemis II mission is to space test the NASA Artemis system, comprising the Space Launch System megarocket and Orion crew spacecraft, during its journey into deep space and fly-by loop around the Moon with the 4-person crew aboard. Artemis II was proceeded by the 3-week long successful Artemis I mission, launched in November 2022, that served as the initial lunar flyby test of the integrated system with no crew aboard.

For more information about NASA's Artemis II Moon mission:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

For live view of NASA's Artemis II at the Kennedy Space Center:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaJklsJonD4

Comet/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is a steadily brightening comet that is predicted to be visible to the unaided eye in the predawn sky by middle of April. This comet originated in the Oort Cloud, a spherical repository shell of icy planetesimals in interstellar space between the Sun and the nearest stars. The comet is in a hyperbolic orbit in its journey towards the inner solar system; if it survives its trip around the Sun it will travel back to interspace and will not be a approach the Sun ever again.

As of end March, the comet is visible via binoculars in the Pegasus constellation, and will be at perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun, on April 19 when it will be in the Pisces constellation. The comet will be closest to Earth on April 25, when it will be between the Earth and the Sun, and will be in the Cetus constellation.

Comet/2025 R3 is projected to be visible to the unaided eye around mid-April. Look for it low in the eastern sky just before sunrise. Planets Mercury, Mars, and Saturn are also going to be visible close together in the predawn eastern sky.

For more information about the event, please contact Vinita Domier at [email protected].

For more information about the Davis Astronomy Club, please visit:
https://www.explorit.org/astronomy-club

03/02/2026

Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight - March 3!

Tuesday, March 3 | 2:00am - 5:00am
Explorit Science Center | 3141 5th Street, Davis

by Vinita Domier | [email protected]
NASA Solar System Ambassador

Everyone is invited to a special Davis Astronomy Club middle-of-the-night total lunar eclipse viewing on Tuesday, March 3, between 2am - 5am. The event is free, open to all ages, and will be held at the Explorit Science Center (3141 5th Street, Davis) parking lot in Mace Ranch Park.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, the Earth, and the full-phase Moon, in that order, line up in space. A part or the entire Moon, now in the Earth’s shadow, is obscured as it is cut off from the direct light from the Sun, resulting in a partial or a total eclipse of the Moon.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the entire Moon is in the Earth's dark shadow. During the duration of totality, the Earth blocks direct sunlight from illuminating the Moon. However, the fully eclipsed Moon is dimly lit by the reddish parts of indirect sunlight passing through Earth's enveloping atmosphere. The Moon during totality is called a Blood Moon as it appears coppery red in color.

(Solar eclipses occur when the Sun, the new-phase Moon, and the Earth, in that order, line up in space. The shadow of the Moon then falls on a region of the Earth, obscuring part or all of Sun.)

Eclipses do not occur at every new and full Moon because the Moon does not orbit the Earth in the same plane as the Earth orbits the Sun. There are two periods, about six months apart, when these three solar system bodies - the Sun, Earth, and Moon - can align to produce the celestial phenomena of lunar and solar eclipses.

In the predawn hours on Tuesday, March 3, viewers in North America can witness the spectacle of a total lunar eclipse. For local observers: the partial lunar eclipse will begin at 1:50am, totality will be between 3:04am and 4:02am, and the eclipse will end at 5:15am. Totality, when the full Moon is entirely in the Earth’s dark shadow, will last for 58 minutes.

Note that although no special equipment is needed to view a lunar eclipse, Davis Astronomy Club will have telescopes set up to look at the eclipsing Moon in detail.

For a live broadcast of the total lunar eclipse:
https://griffithobservatory.lacity.gov/event/total-lunar-eclipse-broadcast-march-3-2026/

For more information about the total lunar eclipse:
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/march-2026-total-lunar-eclipse-your-questions-answered/

For more information about the special viewing, please contact Vinita Domier at [email protected].

For more information about the Davis Astronomy Club, please visit:
https://www.explorit.org/astronomy-club

02/27/2026

Evening Planet Parade and Total Lunar Eclipse!

Saturday, February 28 | 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Tuesday, March 3 | 2:00am - 5:00am

Explorit Science Center | 3141 5th Street, Davis

by Vinita Domier | [email protected]
NASA Solar System Ambassador

Everyone is invited to a regular Davis Astronomy Club evening meeting on Saturday, February 28, starting at 6pm, and a special Davis Astronomy Club middle-of-the-night lunar eclipse viewing on Tuesday, March 3, between 2am-5am. Both meetings are free, open to all ages, and will be held at the Explorit Science Center (3141 5th Street) and the Mace Ranch Park parking lot in Davis.

On Saturday, February 28, we will have an indoor presentation about the upcoming total lunar eclipse, followed by a star party outdoors to look at the wonders of the winter night sky. Planets Mercury, Venus, and Saturn will be visible low in the western sky around sunset. Planet Jupiter, and its biggest moons, will be visible overhead, and the nearly full-phase Earth’s Moon will be visible in the eastern sky.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, the Earth, and the full-phase Moon, in that order, line up in space. A part or the entire Moon, now in the Earth’s shadow, is obscured as it is cut off from the direct light from the Sun. Solar eclipses occur when the Sun, the new-phase Moon, and the Earth, in that order, line up in space. The shadow of the Moon then falls on a region of the Earth, obscuring part or all of Sun.

Eclipses do not occur at every new and full Moon because the Moon does not orbit the Earth in the same plane as the Earth orbits the Sun. There are two periods, about six months apart, when these three solar system bodies - the Sun, Earth, and Moon - can align to produce the celestial phenomena of lunar and solar eclipses.

In the predawn hours on Tuesday, March 3, viewers in North America can witness the spectacle of a total lunar eclipse. The partial lunar eclipse will begin at 1:50am, totality will be between 3:04am and 4:02am, and the eclipse will end at 5:15am. Totality, when the full Moon is entirely in the Earth’s dark shadow, will last for 58 minutes.

Join the Davis Astronomy Club for the special total lunar eclipse viewing, weather permitting, at Davis’s Mace Ranch Park parking lot on Tuesday, March 3 from 2am-5am. Note that although no special equipment is needed to view a lunar eclipse, we will have telescopes and binoculars to look at the eclipsing Moon in detail.

For more information about this event, please contact Vinita Domier at [email protected].

For more information about the Davis Astronomy Club, please visit:
https://www.explorit.org/astronomy-club

01/22/2026

Dazzling Jupiter and Magnificent Orion!

Davis Astronomy Club
Saturday, January 24 | 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Explorit Science Center | 3141 5th Street, Davis

by Vinita Domier | [email protected]
NASA Solar System Ambassador

Everyone is invited to the Saturday, January 24 meeting of the Davis Astronomy Club at Explorit Science Center (3141 5th Street, Davis) starting at 6pm. All ages are welcome to attend the free meeting comprising the featured presentation indoors and the the star party outdoors where we will observe the wonders of the winter night sky.

Jupiter, the most massive and biggest of the solar system planets and fifth in order from the Sun, is optimum for viewing in the next few months. Shining brightly at –2.5 visual magnitude in the Gemini constellation, dazzling white Jupiter is easily observable with the unaided eye from dusk to dawn as it just passed opposition on January 10.

At opposition, an outer planet (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune) is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. At this alignment, the planet rises in the east opposite to the setting Sun in the west, is visible all night, and sets in the west opposite to the rising Sun in the east. The planet also appears biggest and brightest as it is closest to Earth in distance during an opposition.

Saturn, the next massive planet and sixth from the Sun, is also visible in the western sky in the evening. The beautiful ringed planet shines at visual magnitude +1.2 in the Pisces constellation and sets at 9:37pm.

The Orion constellation is very prominent in the southwestern winter night sky. It is one of the most recognizable star patterns and one that actually resembles the mythical hunter that it is named after. The brightest stars are the blue supergiant Rigel, shining at magnitude +0.1, and the red supergiant Betelgeuse, shining at magnitude +0.50. The Orion Nebula, shining at magnitude +4.0, is a beautiful deep sky object that is visible with unaided eyes away from city lights. The brighter stars of Orion can be used as pointers to aid in identifying neighboring constellations and stars in the winter night sky.

For more information about this event, please contact Vinita Domier at [email protected].

For more information about the Davis Astronomy Club, please visit:
https://www.explorit.org/astronomy-club

09/25/2025

International Observe the Moon Night
Saturday, October 4, 6:30pm-9:00pm

Explorit Science Center
3141 5th Street, Davis

Vinita Domier ([email protected])
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador

The Davis Astronomy Club will host a special meeting on Saturday, October 4, to observe International Observe the Moon Night starting at 6:30pm at Explorit Science Center (3141 5th Street, Davis).

All ages are welcome to this free annual event where we will discuss the unique features and significance of our Moon indoors, followed by a star party outdoors where we will observe the Moon, planet Saturn, and the stars.

The International Observe the Moon Night is an occasion to appreciate the beauty, grandeur, and importance of the Earth's sole natural satellite. This global event is held in September or October every year around the first-quarter phase of the Moon as this is an ideal time to observe the Moon all evening.

This annual free event is sponsored by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission and the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

More information about the Moon, viewing tips, and related activities for all ages can be found at the following NASA link: https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/

For more information, please contact Vinita Domier at [email protected].

Address

3141 5th Street (Explorit Science Center)
Davis, CA
95618

Telephone

+15307567443

Website

http://www.explorit.org/programs/astronomy-club

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