SAGE Planetarium

This Saturday March 26th we have a Prime Desert Moon Walk with Jeremy, Director of the SAGE Planetarium, at 7:30pm. Weather permitting, free and open to the public. Any donations can be given inside the Clifford Center, to go towards the Prime Desert Woodland Preserve.

The Antelope Valley Astronomy Club will have telescopes for viewing just before and after the walk.

Location: Prime Desert Woodland Preserve, 43201 35th St W, Lancaster, CA 93536

Look to the southwest at sunset tonight, December 21, 2020. If you look carefully, you might see that Saturn is right next to Jupiter. Jupiter is passing by and will overtake Saturn as Jupiter moves more eastward each night. I do not recommend traveling to a special location to view it unless it is cloudy, or you have obstructions to your southwestern sky, like mountains. There is a bright Moon and you will want to start viewing before it is dark. Jupiter is really bright which makes it visible as the Sun sets. I took a few pictures with my phone tonight. There was still heat over the houses, but you can see both, even with all of the lights. Do not wait too long, it will be very difficult to see after 7, and impossible shortly after that. Useful tools are binoculars (make sure the Sun is completely down so you don’t permanently blind yourself), telescope (again, make sure the Sun is completely down), phone and tablet apps like Star Walk 2 (free with ads) to make sure you are pointed in the right direction. If you miss it, go out the next few nights and view them. They will be further apart, but still closer than they will be the next time Jupiter passes by Saturn in 20 years. Enjoy and stay safe!

Look to the southwest at sunset tonight, December 21, 2020. If you look carefully, you might see that Saturn is right next to Jupiter. Jupiter is passing by and will overtake Saturn as Jupiter moves more eastward each night. I do not recommend traveling to a special location to view it unless it is cloudy, or you have obstructions to your southwestern sky, like mountains. There is a bright Moon and you will want to start viewing before it is dark. Jupiter is really bright which makes it visible as the Sun sets. I took a few pictures with my phone tonight. There was still heat over the houses, but you can see both, even with all of the lights. Do not wait too long, it will be very difficult to see after 7, and impossible shortly after that. Useful tools are binoculars (make sure the Sun is completely down so you don’t permanently blind yourself), telescope (again, make sure the Sun is completely down), phone and tablet apps like Star Walk 2 (free with ads) to make sure you are pointed in the right direction. If you miss it, go out the next few nights and view them. They will be further apart, but still closer than they will be the next time Jupiter passes by Saturn in 20 years. Enjoy and stay safe out there!

The International Space Station is visible this week. The Crew-1 mission is planning to dock with the ISS around 8 p.m. PST tonight, November 16, 2020.
These are the passes and times for Palmdale.

Comet Neowise looking NW at 9:30 pm on 7/17 over the Santa Clarita Valley.

Neowise in the evening. It will be very low to the horizon, but if it does not dim very much, it should be pretty visible without a telescope, or binoculars.

https://www.facebook.com/WilsonObs/photos/a.377794899010002/2936232769832856/?type=3

Photo by Transient Astronomer - Tom Masterson: Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE is the most spectacular comet to grace Northern Hemisphere skies in decades. This image, taken from Mount Wilson in California on July 10, shows a clearly defined ion tail (blue) to complement its brighter dust tail (yellow).