Mars, Saturn and Neptune are the featured planets this evening. The crescent Moon will not be visible until after midnight. The other planets make morning appearances. Once the sky darkens, Saturn will be interesting with it's rings seen nearly edge-on. Other objects are M11 (Wild Duck Cluster, a wonderful open cluster), M13 (Hercules Cluster), M22 (Sagittarius Cluster), a very large globular cluster, Beta Scorpii (double star), the Garnet Star, one of the reddest known stars, and M52 (the Cassiopeia Salt-and-Pepper Cluster will be among the featured objects along with many other beautiful deep sky objects that should be visible weather permitting.

Mars will be nice for early evening viewing. Saturn and Neptune will be only 1 degree apart and provide nice views once they rise high enough (after midnight). The crescent Moon rises after 1:30. The asteroid Vesta will be 157 million miles from earth, but will be in a good position for viewing as well. Once it gets dark enough, we will target the Garnet Star, a very red, super giant star and Gamma Delphini (a double star) and M4 (the Crab Globular Cluster) in Scorpius. M16 (the Eagle Nebula), M17 (the Swan Nebula), M20 (the Trifid Nebula), and M22 (the Sagittarius Cluster) will be among the featured objects along with many other oobjects, weather permitting.

Mars will be nice for early evening viewing. Saturn and Neptune will be only 1 degree apart and provide nice views once they rise high enough (after midnight). The crescent Moon rises after 1:30. The asteroid Vesta will be 157 million miles from earth, but will be in a good position for viewing as well. Once it gets dark enough, we will target the Garnet Star, a very red, super giant star and Gamma Delphini (a double star) and M4 (the Crab Globular Cluster) in Scorpius. M16 (the Eagle Nebula), M17 (the Swan Nebula), M20 (the Trifid Nebula), and M22 (the Sagittarius Cluster) will be among the featured objects along with many other oobjects, weather permitting.

Rain day, if needed, 7-24-25.

Night Sky Observing at Illiniwek Campground.

Two rain dates are July 5th and July 12th.

The illusive planet Mercury will be visible for a short while after sunset in the SW. Mars will also be a good evening planet. Saturn, Neptune, and Venus will be visible in the morning sky before sunrise. The thin crescent moon will rise with Venus shortly before sunrise. Evening objects include the ghostly M57 (Ring Nebula), the remnants of a burned out, sunlike star,  beautiful blue & gold double star Albireo and many other double stars will be visible.  Fantastic globular clusters such as M13 (The Hercules Cluster) and M92 will grace the sky. Red Supergiant star La Superba and the amazing M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy will be visible. Nice open clusters NGC6819 (The Foxhead Cluster) and M71 (The Anglefish Cluster) will also grace the sky. 18 Scorpii, a near twin to the sun, will also be visible. This star is 45 lightyears away and shines at a barely visible magnitude 5.5, but is a nice object for the telescope. Realize the Sun would look this way to inhabitants of planets around this star in Scorpius.

The planets Jupiter and Mars are visible soon after sunset. The planets Saturn, Neptune, and Venus are morning objects rising just before sunrise. The asteroid Vesta will be in the evening sky. Vesta will be an 8th magnitude object presenting a good opportunity to see an asteroid this evening. Objects to view will start with the globular cluster M5 (a giant sphere of stars), La Superba (a red, super giant star), M13 (Hercules Cluster) and M92 also globular star clusters and among the ones most easily visible in the northern hemisphere. NGC4563 the Cat's Eye Nebula will be excellent as will The Ring Nebula after 10:00pm. Both of these are beautiful remnants of sunlike stars which have died and blown off glorious shells of gas. We might also target galaxies such as M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy and M104 The Sombrero Galaxy.

The planets Jupiter and Mars will be visible in the SouthWest shortly after sunset. Europa (one of Jupiter's moons) will approach and transit mighty Jupiter at around 9:30. At approx. 9:58, Io (another of Jupiter's moons) will begin to pass from Jupiter's shaddow and into the sunlight. It only takes a little more than 3 minutes for Io to move into the sunlight and becomee fully illuminated. The Orion Nebula will still be visible in the southwest. Double stars Cor Caroli and Gamma Leonis will be visible. An amazing red supergiant carbon star called La Superba will be visible. Wonderful globular cluster M3 will also be visible. The Beehive, an open cluster in Cancer, will be observable as well as the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus and amazing open clusters M46 and M47 in Puppis. Planetary nebulae, like the Ghost of Jupiter (NGC3242) and the Cats Eye Nebula (NGC6543) will be visible. These are exploded star remnants.

Mighty Jupiter and Mars will be the first planets visible soon after sunset. Uranus will be visible once it gets dark enough to draw a bead on this denizen of the outer solar system. The Moon will be nearly full and also an excellent target after 9:00PM. Jupiter's Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) put on a splendid show. Evening objects include the fabulous Orion Nebula, the Double Cluster in Perseus, the beautiful double star Gamma Andromedae, the Beehive star cluster in Cancer, and the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus. All make for interesting objects to observe. Of particular note is a Total Lunar Eclipse in the early morning of March 14. Deepest totality occurs at 2:00AM which totality lasting 65 minutes altogether and partial phase for 218 minutes.

Solar Observing at the Putnam Museum Davenport, Iowa. Rain/Snow day is January 18th.

Sunset at 4:37 pm. Double stars, open clusters, NGC253 (Sculptor Galaxy), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M2 (globular cluster in Aquarius) will be among the featured objects along with many other beautiful deep sky objects that should be visible weather permitting.

Sunset at 6:11 pm. Objects include Eta Cassiopeiae (double star), NGC457 (ET Cluster), along with M15 (Pegasus Cluster) will be among the featured objects along with many other beautiful deep sky objects that should be visible weather permitting.

Sunset at 7:08 pm. M27 (the Dumbbell Nebula), M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M17 (Swan Nebula), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), Erakis (The Garnet Star) will be among the featured objects along with many other beautiful objects that should be visible weather permitting.

Sunset at 7:52 pm. Objects such M11 (Wild Duck Cluster, a wonderful open cluster), M22 (Sagittarius Cluster), a very large globular cluster, Beta Scorpii (double star) along with the Lagoon, Swan and Trifid nebulas which will be among the featured objects along with many other beautiful deep sky objects that should be visible weather permitting.

Solar Observing at the Putnam Museum Davenport, Iowa.

Sunset at 8:32 pm. Once it gets dark enough, we will target the Garnet Star, a very red, super giant star and Gamma Delphini (a double star) and M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy), a colliding pair of galaxies. These will be among the featured objects along with many other open clusters and globular clusters, weather permitting.

Night Sky Observing for the Silvis Library. Located at Gualey Field, 513 12th Street, Silvis, IL.

Centennial Celebrartion with Stargazing & Stories.

Night Sky Observing at Illiniwek Campground.

Night Sky observing at the Massiah Lutheran Church Port Byron, IL.

Rain day is June 26th.

Stars & S’mores event. Night Sky observing at the Scott County Library in Eldridge, Iowa.

Sunset at 8:35 pm. The ghostly M57 (Ring Nebula), the remnants of a burned out, sunlike star,  beautiful blue & gold double star Albireo and many other double stars will be visible.  Fantastic globular clusters such as M13 (The Hercules Cluster) and M92 will grace the sky. Red Supergiant star La Superba and the amazing M104 Sombrerro Galaxy will be visible. The Cat’s Eye Nebula, another exploded star, will be among the featured objects along with many other beautiful deep sky objects that should be visible weather permitting.

Sunset at 8:18 pm. Objects to view will start with are the globular cluster M5 (a giant sphere of stars), La Superba (a red, super giant star), M13 (Hercules Cluster) also another globular but among the ones most easily visible in the northern hemisphere. M104 (The Sombrero Galaxy) will be excellent as will The Ghost of Jupiter, remnants of a super nova explosion along with many other beautiful deep sky objects that should be visible weather permitting.

Sunset at 7:39 pm. The double star Cor Caroli and wonderful globular cluster M3 will also be visible. Galaxies M51 (the Whirlpool), M101 (The Pinwheel) will also be excellent. The Beehive, an open cluster in Cancer, will be observable as well as the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus. Planetary nebulae, like the Ghost of Jupiter and the Cats Eye Nebula will be visible. These are exploded star remnants.

Solar Eclipse viewing will be at the Moline library on 41st Street.

Eclipse viewing starts at 12:49am. The maximum is at 2:03pm and ends at 3:17pm.

Watch the eclipse through the safety of solar filter equipped telescopes and Solar Eclipse glasses will also be available while supplies last.

Public observing at the Rock Island Public Library, Watts Midtown Branch. Also a talk about the solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024, followed by night sky observing.

Project Next Generation at the Moline Public Library at 7:30pm about the solar eclipse observing on April 8th, 2024, followed by night sky observing.

Sunset at 7:15 pm. Evening objects include the fabulous Orion Nebula, the Double Cluster in Perseus, the beautiful double star Gamma Andromedae, the Beehive star cluster in Cancer, and the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus.

Sunset at 4:37 pm. The crescent Moon will make for an amazing sight at sunset, afterwhich the planets will again dominate the evening sky. As soon as it gets dark enough, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus all put on a great show. Jupiter's moons (Io, Europa Ganymede and Callisto) are all in a line and nicely visible. Double stars, open clusters, NGC253 (Sculptor Galaxy), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M2 (globular cluster in Aquarius) will be among the featured objects along with many other beautiful deep sky objects that should be visible weather permitting.

East Moline Library Astronomy Night.

In case of bad weather, the rain day is November 3rd.

Sunset at 6:11 pm. This will be a great evening to observe the planets Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus. Of particular interest will be a transit of Jupiter by Io which will begin at 7:30 and continue to 9:30, during which Io's eclipse shaddow should be visible in our telescopes. Saturn will also be an awesome sight with beautiful rings and 5 moons (Titan, Dione, Tethys, Enceladus and Rhea) strung out in a beautiful line. The first quarter Moon will also be an excellent object. Other objects include Eta Cassiopeiae (double star), NGC457 (ET Cluster), along with M15 (Pegasus Cluster) will be among the featured objects along with many other beautiful deep sky objects that should be visible weather permitting.