Southern Cape Astronomy Club

Southern Cape Astronomy Club Astronomy Club in Pearly Beach, Western Cape,SA. Active in outreach at schools & Public venues. Promoting astronomy & science.

Membership is open to anyone interested in astronomy, no fees or subs are required.

The Venus, Moon, Jupiter and Moon grouping shortly after sunset today (17/06/2026).
17/06/2026

The Venus, Moon, Jupiter and Moon grouping shortly after sunset today (17/06/2026).

The crescent Moon joins the three naked-eye planets shortly after sunset today (16/06/226). From the top, Venus, Jupite...
16/06/2026

The crescent Moon joins the three naked-eye planets shortly after sunset today (16/06/226). From the top, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury.

Three naked-eye planets from a cloudy Little Karoo. From the top, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury.
15/06/2026

Three naked-eye planets from a cloudy Little Karoo. From the top, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury.

With the New Moon just around the corner, it's pretty much dark skies all night. This was the view from just outside Va...
14/06/2026

With the New Moon just around the corner, it's pretty much dark skies all night. This was the view from just outside Van Wyksdorp in the Little Karoo this evening (14/06/26). Second image is with levels adjusted.

As we head towards New Moon on the 15th (04:54 SAST), here are some images captured the last week from Pearly Beach as w...
13/06/2026

As we head towards New Moon on the 15th (04:54 SAST), here are some images captured the last week from Pearly Beach as well as from Van Wyksdorp in the Little Karoo.

Don't forget the crescent Moon joins the three planets (Mercury, Venus and Jupiter), from the 16th of the month for the next three evenings. The Moon occults the brightest star in the constelllation Leo, Regulus (Alpha Leonis) on the 19th, from Pearly Beach this could be a gorgeous grazing occultation depending on your locations along the path. The star lies approximately 80 light years from us and is known as the "Heart of the Lion". This brilliant blue-white star spins so rapidly (1.2 million km/hour), that it is egg shaped instead of round. Although it is a single point of light, Regulus is actually a quadruple system, consisting of four stars organized into two pairs.

In South African star lore, Regulus, was known to the Bushmen as edzini, “The Fire-Finisher” which only sets when the firewood has been exhausted.

And there's that grouping of Venus and Jupiter again tonight (12/06/26), from Pearly this time
12/06/2026

And there's that grouping of Venus and Jupiter again tonight (12/06/26), from Pearly this time

And there's that conjunction/grouping after sunset this evening.
09/06/2026

And there's that conjunction/grouping after sunset this evening.

Some astrophotography this weekend from just outside Van Wyksdorp in the Little Karoo.
07/06/2026

Some astrophotography this weekend from just outside Van Wyksdorp in the Little Karoo.

Loads of sunspots on the solar disk today (04/06/2026), with a couple large enough to produce a CME that might have auro...
04/06/2026

Loads of sunspots on the solar disk today (04/06/2026), with a couple large enough to produce a CME that might have aurora chasers looking out for auroras tonight. Mercury was difficult to spot, but is definitely there, making it three naked-eye planets that are visible after sunset. Check them out on the 9th of the month, there's a gorgeous conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, while Jupiter and Mercury have a close approach towards the end of the month.

Just a quick heads up, comet 220P McNaught, could be in outburst, but you are going to have to get up nice an early to spot this one. It rises in the north-east and is visible from around 02:30 in the morning at around magnitude 8, so binoculars or a telescope are needed to see this one.

And just as the mist and cloud moved in, managed to catch some of my favourite DSO's, Eta Car, NGG 5139 & NGC 4945, before it all went pear shaped again :-) Well, that's coastal weather for you!

From this (first image), to this (second image, 31/05/26). Comet C/2025 R3 PANSTARRS is now just over 1.5 Astronomical ...
01/06/2026

From this (first image), to this (second image, 31/05/26). Comet C/2025 R3 PANSTARRS is now just over 1.5 Astronomical Units from us, that's equivalent to 230 515 632.5 kilometers. The light that we see from the comet takes 12 minutes and 48 seconds to reach us. R3 is currently in the constellation Monoceros (Unicorn), and can be found around 6 deg. below the bright star Sirius in Canis Major (third image). At close to 9th magnitude, it requires binoculars or a telescope to be seen.

Because of its gravitational interactions with the inner planets (including a gravity assist from Jupiter), the comet's outbound trajectory eccentricity has shifted. This means Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS) is now on a hyperbolic ejection path. It is actively leaving our Solar System and will eventually drift permanently into interstellar space, making this our only era to ever observe it. The orbital period is estimated to be in the region of 170 000 years.

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Portion 1, Farm 321 Kleinhagelkraal
Pearly Beach
7221

Telephone

+27791484934

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