All of our nights are amazing! That's why you can book any night of year with us. BUT THE BEST NIGHTS ARE the ones we call "BRYCE NIGHTS!"
Use the events list below to plan your telescope tour so that you don't just have just a nice night with the Dark Rangers®. Plan ahead so you can enjoy the best of the best -- a "Bryce Night!" Once you picked your "Bryce Night" book that telescope tour here, or follow this link if you would prefer to book a private tour.
PLAN HERE, BOOK THERE:
...because this page is NOT where you book... You'd be surprised how many people don't read this part.
If you found this page you are the kind of person that seeks out the best. You might also be a seeker of explanations -- if so keep reading. But if you are just the kind of person who accepts advice unquestioningly, than you can save yourself a few minutes and avoid learning anything interesting by JUST matching-up the color coded headings with colored text in the calendar below.
BEST SEASON OF THE YEAR:
Winters are cold in Southern Utah at 7777 ft (2370m) but if you can handle the cold, temperatures range between 25F (-4C) and -10F (-23C), you are going to be rewarded with amazing sky. Cold air holds less water and since water molecules disrupt starlight, winter sky is the most transparent revealing detail in deep space objects you simply can't see in the summer. What's more our winter sky offers the rare treat (on moonless nights) of being able to see the Orion Spur, the other branch of our Galaxy's Sagittarius Arm. This is the "Milky Way" most humans never have and never will see, with their own eyes. Unlike you, dear reader, they are just not EVER going to stargaze where it is cold and dark enough to see what is informally known as the "Winter Milky Way."
Unfortunately almost 60% of winter nights can be cloudy. However, if you can stay in the Bryce Canyon region 2-3 nights it will dramatically increase (Alternate Night booking) your chances of catching a clear night. November and January are our least cloudy winter months.
BEST NON-WINTER MONTHS:
If freezing temperatures are a deal-breaker for you, then plan for June, September, and October which are the 2nd Bryce-est Night months with only a 20% chance of having a cloudy night.
BEST NIGHTS OF ANY MONTH:
4 nights after the Full Moon through 4 nights after the New Moon are the darkest nights. You will be able to see a Milky Way extend from horizon to horizon (except during May). If Venus or Jupiter are in the sky they will be so bright they will cause you to cast a shadow. Many famous deep space objects are visible to the naked eye - and stunning when viewed through our BIG telescopes.
Q: Wait! Why is May a bad month for seeing the Milky Way?
A: During the month of May the plane of Earth's horizons matches that of our galaxy so neither branch of what astronomers call the Sagittarius Arm (i.e., what you call "The Milky Way") are above the horizon. The Orion Spur sets with the Sun. The Main Branch doesn't rise in the eastern sky until after 2:00 am.
Q: Wait! There's 2 Milky Ways?
A: Nope! Are you reading or skimming?! There's 1 Milky Way Galaxy with at least 6 arms, and you Earthling, only get to ever see a small portion of 2 branches of the Sagittarius Arm which are sloppily (and much to the annoyance of southern hemisphere residents) referred to as the Summer and Winter Milky Way.
FULL MOON NIGHTS:
Many deep space objects (galaxies, star-birth nebulae, star-death nebulae, etc.) are washed-out by moonlight, however our telescopes are large enough that we can still show you at least 1 example of each even during a full Moon. Any planets that happen to be in the sky are mostly unaffected by Moon light. The main thing you will miss out on is seeing the Milky Way. If that's important to you then realize the you are NOT catching us at our best when you book 5 days before a full Moon through 4 days after a full Moon. Realize that having a Full Moon in the sky is the equivalent of enduring the Light Pollution of 500,000 people.
Q: So the Dark Rangers are Moon haters?
A: To the contrary, some of us are even selenophiles. Unlike most observatories we remain open on full Moon nights. We LIKE working full moon nights, ESPECIALLY when our guests have read these trade-offs (below) and adjusted their expectations accordingly.
For example, exploring the lunar surface with 300-500x magnification, is exciting!. Our largest telescopes can show you the Apollo Mission landing locations. No, you won't be able to see "The Flag," but you will see the surrounding landforms, which include mountain ranges that rival most on Earth, craters so large they fill the eyepiece, and other uniquely lunar features.
COMETS, ASTEROIDS, AND METEOR SHOWERS:
We Dark Rangers get so excited about these nights that we set up our very best telescopes and astronomy equipment and uncork our most unbridled enthusiasm, because these nights are all about NATURAL space junk. These nights are usually the first ones to fill up in our schedule because to the serious stargazers it doesn't matter how cold it could get, what phase our Moon is going to be in, or even what the chance of encountering some clouds might be. If you go by mass, and astronomers do, these are the nights when the "little" stuff, comets, asteroids, and meteors puts on a show. What could be Brycer than that?
Though meteor showers are dated by their peak, some last for a few weeks. There are also plenty of random meteors not associated with any meteor shower. This means that because of our ultra dark sky, on any given night, we normally see 3-5 meteors per hour. Therefore we don't advertise the meteor showers that are predicted to be less productive than 5 per hour, because we see that many anyway. Famously productive meteor showers can produce over 100 meteors per hour, when their peak occurs on a moonless night. Also realize that meteor showers usually peak after midnight (after our observatory normally closes), though for the special ones like the Persied Meteor Shower, we'll stay open an extra hour or two. Also remember that best direction to look is northeast. Why? Because it's only after midnight that Earth has rotated far enough away from our Sun that we are looking in the same direction that Earth is moving in its orbit around our Sun. Imagine riding in a convertible in a snow storm. You will see a lot more snowflakes when you look forward thru the windshield than when you look behind you over the trunk.
Q: I know the so-called shooting stars are not really stars, but what are meteors anyway?
A: Sand-grain sized particles (usually rock, but sometimes ice) that burn-up when colliding with Earth's atmosphere. Some meteor are random, but the meteors that occur during meteor showers can be sourced back to individual comets or asteroids which are eroded by our Sun when they return to the inner Solar System, leaving debris fields along their orbital path.
SPACE STATION VISIBLE PASSES
Both the International Space Station (ISS), and the smaller Chinese Space Station (CSS), (aka Tiangong), pass over every 90 minutes. However like all satellites they are only visible when angled so they reflect sunlight to the exact location an observer happens to be standing. This means that since most satellites are like ISS, in low-Earth orbits, they are only viewable 90 minutes after sunset and 90 minutes before sunrise. Though we can see several satellites each night, nothing is as impressive as seeing The International Space Station (ISS) fly over. It can almost be as bright as Venus. Joining us for one of these nights is good planning! In the calendar below we are only advertising visible passes of the 2 space stations that occur during our business hours.
NOTE: occasionally space station orbits are adjusted, with thrusters being fired to avoid space junk or just to increase orbital elevation. This throws visible pass predictions out of wack, and it takes the experts, who we rely on, time to calculate new passes. And of course additional time for us to update this page. For the most update info on all satellites (including some of the ones certain governments don't admit exist) download the app Heavens Above.
Q: What about the 1000s of SpaceX's starlink satellites? Does that kind of light pollution annoy Dark Rangers?
A: No. Because it is a benign type of light pollution that's harmless to human health, poses zero ecological risks, does not produce excessive CO2, and often enhances people's stargazing experience, rather than detracting from the night sky. But if you are asking why other astronomers are making such a fuss we are happy to tell you how misguided and self-serving their hyperbolic concerns are... You just have to read more about that in our FAQs. This page is already too long.
SYZYGY CELEBRATIONS (TLDR? Planetary Alignments.. and stuff)
Finally, on special nights where the planets "align", we focus (that was fun) on the planets. A syzygy /SIZ-ə-jee / (spelled just like it sounds, but vexes Scrabble® players) is what astronomers, dating back to Ancient Greece, call a planetary "alignment" when they don't want to be mistaken for an astrologer. It's all just about being collinear - 3 or more bodies (including Earth) that end up on, or near , the same imaginary line. So when you ask an astronomer "What does this alignment mean?" the best answer will be a resounding "Absolutely NOTHING!" But they are fun to see. So we want you to now when they occur. NOTE: The more routine of these events that occur outside of our business hours are NOT listed below. But first, here's your vocabulary list of zyzygies.
Appulse /ap - pulse/ (think "what a heartbeat app measures" as you try and pronounce):
Is when two sky objects move to where they appear to be as close to each other (as viewed from Earth) as they are going to get in an orbital cycle. This is the term that should be used instead of the often used incorrectly (especially by astrologers) phrase, conjunction.
Conjunction:
In the most strict sense a conjunction is when 2 solar system bodies have the same Right Ascension (longitudinal degrees between east and west extended into the sky). Because our Moon is on it's own plane, it can pass high above or below another planet and still be "in conjunction." If you want to describe "appearing close" then just say "appulse." Most often an appulse between Moon and Venus is more interesting than a true conjunction of the same.
Q: So what is the precise term or terms for having 3 or more objects in the same section of sky?
A: There isn't one or more such terms. So we (even the pros) just say a conjunction. Okay, in this 1 regard, I guess we agree with astrologers.
BTW the most impressive conjunction (crescent Moon and all naked-eye visible planets will be grouped in 20 degrees of sky), that has ever occurred, in entire 6 billion year history of the Solar System AND will EVER occur, in the entire 8 billion year future (before our Sun explodes) will happen just after sunset on Sept 8, 2040. Tickets are not yet available because we haven't decided if they are going to be $10,000 or $1,000,000 each. Meh... What's a couple orders of magnitudes to astronomers anyway?
Occultation (which includes Solar Eclipses):
An occultation is a extra special kind of 2-body conjunction where Right Ascension (left & right) and Declination (up and down) are perfect enough that the closer object obscures the view of the distant one by passing in front of it. Another more common example than a Solar Eclipse, is when our Moon passes in front of other stars or ocassionally other planets.
Transit:
Transits are like occultations except that when the closer object, moves in front of the distant object, it is not visually large enough to obscure the background object. Examples include Jupiter's 4 largest moons as they appear to disappear when they move in front of Jupiter's much brighter and bigger body. When a transiting moon of Jupiter casts a shadow on the surface of Jupiter, we are seeing that location on Jupiter experiencing a Solar Eclipse. The most dramatic transits occur when Mercury, 13-14 times per century, (next one Nov. 13, 2032) and Venus, 8 years apart but then gapped by 121.5 years alternating with 105.5 years, (next one Dec. 10, 2117), pass in front of our Sun as viewed from Earth. Technically, both partial Solar Eclipses and Annular Solar Eclipse (where our Moon is too far away from Earth to entirely block the Sun) are transits.
Opposition:
Earth crosses the line in between our Sun and another body farther away from our Sun. By definition inner planets (Mercury and Venus) can never be at opposition. When this alignment occurs with the outer planets, they are also said to be at their closest approach to Earth. For bodies that are not on the same plane as Earth and our Sun (Earth's Moon, comets, Pluto and other asteroids), the true closest approach to Earth can often be even closer than when that body is at opposition.
Q: Whew! I didn't come here to learning anything. I was just trying to pick a great night. But since I made it this far... what the hell is a Lunar Eclipse then?!
A: Because our Moon is the only world in the Solar System that can be both closer and farther away from our Sun than Earth, a Lunar Eclipse (i.e., caused by our Moon moving through Earth's shadow), doesn't entirely fit into any of these kinds of syzygy. But, the closest match would be to call it an infrequent opposition. Infrequent, because the plane of our Moon's orbit is different enough, that on average, and as viewed from the same place on Earth, only 1 of every 42 full moons happens to cross the exact opposition line of Sun and Earth.
PLAN HERE, BOOK THERE:
...because this page is NOT where you book... You'd be surprised how many people don't read this part.
If you found this page you are the kind of person that seeks out the best. You might also be a seeker of explanations -- if so keep reading. But if you are just the kind of person who accepts advice unquestioningly, than you can save yourself a few minutes and avoid learning anything interesting by JUST matching-up the color coded headings with colored text in the calendar below.
BEST SEASON OF THE YEAR:
Winters are cold in Southern Utah at 7777 ft (2370m) but if you can handle the cold, temperatures range between 25F (-4C) and -10F (-23C), you are going to be rewarded with amazing sky. Cold air holds less water and since water molecules disrupt starlight, winter sky is the most transparent revealing detail in deep space objects you simply can't see in the summer. What's more our winter sky offers the rare treat (on moonless nights) of being able to see the Orion Spur, the other branch of our Galaxy's Sagittarius Arm. This is the "Milky Way" most humans never have and never will see, with their own eyes. Unlike you, dear reader, they are just not EVER going to stargaze where it is cold and dark enough to see what is informally known as the "Winter Milky Way."
Unfortunately almost 60% of winter nights can be cloudy. However, if you can stay in the Bryce Canyon region 2-3 nights it will dramatically increase (Alternate Night booking) your chances of catching a clear night. November and January are our least cloudy winter months.
BEST NON-WINTER MONTHS:
If freezing temperatures are a deal-breaker for you, then plan for June, September, and October which are the 2nd Bryce-est Night months with only a 20% chance of having a cloudy night.
BEST NIGHTS OF ANY MONTH:
4 nights after the Full Moon through 4 nights after the New Moon are the darkest nights. You will be able to see a Milky Way extend from horizon to horizon (except during May). If Venus or Jupiter are in the sky they will be so bright they will cause you to cast a shadow. Many famous deep space objects are visible to the naked eye - and stunning when viewed through our BIG telescopes.
Q: Wait! Why is May a bad month for seeing the Milky Way?
A: During the month of May the plane of Earth's horizons matches that of our galaxy so neither branch of what astronomers call the Sagittarius Arm (i.e., what you call "The Milky Way") are above the horizon. The Orion Spur sets with the Sun. The Main Branch doesn't rise in the eastern sky until after 2:00 am.
Q: Wait! There's 2 Milky Ways?
A: Nope! Are you reading or skimming?! There's 1 Milky Way Galaxy with at least 6 arms, and you Earthling, only get to ever see a small portion of 2 branches of the Sagittarius Arm which are sloppily (and much to the annoyance of southern hemisphere residents) referred to as the Summer and Winter Milky Way.
FULL MOON NIGHTS:
Many deep space objects (galaxies, star-birth nebulae, star-death nebulae, etc.) are washed-out by moonlight, however our telescopes are large enough that we can still show you at least 1 example of each even during a full Moon. Any planets that happen to be in the sky are mostly unaffected by Moon light. The main thing you will miss out on is seeing the Milky Way. If that's important to you then realize the you are NOT catching us at our best when you book 5 days before a full Moon through 4 days after a full Moon. Realize that having a Full Moon in the sky is the equivalent of enduring the Light Pollution of 500,000 people.
Q: So the Dark Rangers are Moon haters?
A: To the contrary, some of us are even selenophiles. Unlike most observatories we remain open on full Moon nights. We LIKE working full moon nights, ESPECIALLY when our guests have read these trade-offs (below) and adjusted their expectations accordingly.
For example, exploring the lunar surface with 300-500x magnification, is exciting!. Our largest telescopes can show you the Apollo Mission landing locations. No, you won't be able to see "The Flag," but you will see the surrounding landforms, which include mountain ranges that rival most on Earth, craters so large they fill the eyepiece, and other uniquely lunar features.
COMETS, ASTEROIDS, AND METEOR SHOWERS:
We Dark Rangers get so excited about these nights that we set up our very best telescopes and astronomy equipment and uncork our most unbridled enthusiasm, because these nights are all about NATURAL space junk. These nights are usually the first ones to fill up in our schedule because to the serious stargazers it doesn't matter how cold it could get, what phase our Moon is going to be in, or even what the chance of encountering some clouds might be. If you go by mass, and astronomers do, these are the nights when the "little" stuff, comets, asteroids, and meteors puts on a show. What could be Brycer than that?
Though meteor showers are dated by their peak, some last for a few weeks. There are also plenty of random meteors not associated with any meteor shower. This means that because of our ultra dark sky, on any given night, we normally see 3-5 meteors per hour. Therefore we don't advertise the meteor showers that are predicted to be less productive than 5 per hour, because we see that many anyway. Famously productive meteor showers can produce over 100 meteors per hour, when their peak occurs on a moonless night. Also realize that meteor showers usually peak after midnight (after our observatory normally closes), though for the special ones like the Persied Meteor Shower, we'll stay open an extra hour or two. Also remember that best direction to look is northeast. Why? Because it's only after midnight that Earth has rotated far enough away from our Sun that we are looking in the same direction that Earth is moving in its orbit around our Sun. Imagine riding in a convertible in a snow storm. You will see a lot more snowflakes when you look forward thru the windshield than when you look behind you over the trunk.
Q: I know the so-called shooting stars are not really stars, but what are meteors anyway?
A: Sand-grain sized particles (usually rock, but sometimes ice) that burn-up when colliding with Earth's atmosphere. Some meteor are random, but the meteors that occur during meteor showers can be sourced back to individual comets or asteroids which are eroded by our Sun when they return to the inner Solar System, leaving debris fields along their orbital path.
SPACE STATION VISIBLE PASSES
Both the International Space Station (ISS), and the smaller Chinese Space Station (CSS), (aka Tiangong), pass over every 90 minutes. However like all satellites they are only visible when angled so they reflect sunlight to the exact location an observer happens to be standing. This means that since most satellites are like ISS, in low-Earth orbits, they are only viewable 90 minutes after sunset and 90 minutes before sunrise. Though we can see several satellites each night, nothing is as impressive as seeing The International Space Station (ISS) fly over. It can almost be as bright as Venus. Joining us for one of these nights is good planning! In the calendar below we are only advertising visible passes of the 2 space stations that occur during our business hours.
NOTE: occasionally space station orbits are adjusted, with thrusters being fired to avoid space junk or just to increase orbital elevation. This throws visible pass predictions out of wack, and it takes the experts, who we rely on, time to calculate new passes. And of course additional time for us to update this page. For the most update info on all satellites (including some of the ones certain governments don't admit exist) download the app Heavens Above.
Q: What about the 1000s of SpaceX's starlink satellites? Does that kind of light pollution annoy Dark Rangers?
A: No. Because it is a benign type of light pollution that's harmless to human health, poses zero ecological risks, does not produce excessive CO2, and often enhances people's stargazing experience, rather than detracting from the night sky. But if you are asking why other astronomers are making such a fuss we are happy to tell you how misguided and self-serving their hyperbolic concerns are... You just have to read more about that in our FAQs. This page is already too long.
SYZYGY CELEBRATIONS (TLDR? Planetary Alignments.. and stuff)
Finally, on special nights where the planets "align", we focus (that was fun) on the planets. A syzygy /SIZ-ə-jee / (spelled just like it sounds, but vexes Scrabble® players) is what astronomers, dating back to Ancient Greece, call a planetary "alignment" when they don't want to be mistaken for an astrologer. It's all just about being collinear - 3 or more bodies (including Earth) that end up on, or near , the same imaginary line. So when you ask an astronomer "What does this alignment mean?" the best answer will be a resounding "Absolutely NOTHING!" But they are fun to see. So we want you to now when they occur. NOTE: The more routine of these events that occur outside of our business hours are NOT listed below. But first, here's your vocabulary list of zyzygies.
Appulse /ap - pulse/ (think "what a heartbeat app measures" as you try and pronounce):
Is when two sky objects move to where they appear to be as close to each other (as viewed from Earth) as they are going to get in an orbital cycle. This is the term that should be used instead of the often used incorrectly (especially by astrologers) phrase, conjunction.
Conjunction:
In the most strict sense a conjunction is when 2 solar system bodies have the same Right Ascension (longitudinal degrees between east and west extended into the sky). Because our Moon is on it's own plane, it can pass high above or below another planet and still be "in conjunction." If you want to describe "appearing close" then just say "appulse." Most often an appulse between Moon and Venus is more interesting than a true conjunction of the same.
Q: So what is the precise term or terms for having 3 or more objects in the same section of sky?
A: There isn't one or more such terms. So we (even the pros) just say a conjunction. Okay, in this 1 regard, I guess we agree with astrologers.
BTW the most impressive conjunction (crescent Moon and all naked-eye visible planets will be grouped in 20 degrees of sky), that has ever occurred, in entire 6 billion year history of the Solar System AND will EVER occur, in the entire 8 billion year future (before our Sun explodes) will happen just after sunset on Sept 8, 2040. Tickets are not yet available because we haven't decided if they are going to be $10,000 or $1,000,000 each. Meh... What's a couple orders of magnitudes to astronomers anyway?
Occultation (which includes Solar Eclipses):
An occultation is a extra special kind of 2-body conjunction where Right Ascension (left & right) and Declination (up and down) are perfect enough that the closer object obscures the view of the distant one by passing in front of it. Another more common example than a Solar Eclipse, is when our Moon passes in front of other stars or ocassionally other planets.
Transit:
Transits are like occultations except that when the closer object, moves in front of the distant object, it is not visually large enough to obscure the background object. Examples include Jupiter's 4 largest moons as they appear to disappear when they move in front of Jupiter's much brighter and bigger body. When a transiting moon of Jupiter casts a shadow on the surface of Jupiter, we are seeing that location on Jupiter experiencing a Solar Eclipse. The most dramatic transits occur when Mercury, 13-14 times per century, (next one Nov. 13, 2032) and Venus, 8 years apart but then gapped by 121.5 years alternating with 105.5 years, (next one Dec. 10, 2117), pass in front of our Sun as viewed from Earth. Technically, both partial Solar Eclipses and Annular Solar Eclipse (where our Moon is too far away from Earth to entirely block the Sun) are transits.
Opposition:
Earth crosses the line in between our Sun and another body farther away from our Sun. By definition inner planets (Mercury and Venus) can never be at opposition. When this alignment occurs with the outer planets, they are also said to be at their closest approach to Earth. For bodies that are not on the same plane as Earth and our Sun (Earth's Moon, comets, Pluto and other asteroids), the true closest approach to Earth can often be even closer than when that body is at opposition.
Q: Whew! I didn't come here to learning anything. I was just trying to pick a great night. But since I made it this far... what the hell is a Lunar Eclipse then?!
A: Because our Moon is the only world in the Solar System that can be both closer and farther away from our Sun than Earth, a Lunar Eclipse (i.e., caused by our Moon moving through Earth's shadow), doesn't entirely fit into any of these kinds of syzygy. But, the closest match would be to call it an infrequent opposition. Infrequent, because the plane of our Moon's orbit is different enough, that on average, and as viewed from the same place on Earth, only 1 of every 42 full moons happens to cross the exact opposition line of Sun and Earth.
2024 Bryce Nights
OCTOBER (Summer, but STILL cold) 8:00pm start time
Tues. 1: New Moon
Weds. 2: New Moon
Thurs. 3: New Moon
Tues. 8: Draconid Meteor Shower (5/hr) peaks just after dark
Thurs. 10: Taurid Meteor Shower (5/hr) peaks at 10pm
Mon. 14: Appulse with Moon and Saturn (both will fit in the same eyepiece!)
Wed. 16: Full Moon
Thurs. 17: Full Moon
Fri. 18: Full Moon and Epsilon Geminid Meteor Shower (3/hr) diminished by full Moon
Mon. 21: Appulse with Moon and Jupiter with Orionids Meteor Shower (13/hr) diminished by full Moon
Thurs. 31: New Moon
NOVEMBER (Winter) 7:30pm start time
Fri. 1: New Moon
Sat. 2: New Moon
Sun. 10: Quarter Moon appulse with Saturn
Mon. 11: Moon occults Neptune starting at 6:22pm and re-emerging at 7:22pm!
Tues. 12: Northern Taurid Meteor Shower (5/hr)
Thurs. 14: Full Moon
Fri. 15: Full Moon
Sat. 16: Full Moon with Uranus at closest approach to Earth
Sun. 17: Leonid Meteor Shower (5-10/hr) diminished by full Moon
Wed. 20: Mercury at highest elevation in western sky after sunset
Thurs. 28: Orionid Meteor Shower (3-6/hr) after midnight
Fri. 29: New Moon
Sat. 30: New Moon
Fri. 1: New Moon
Sat. 2: New Moon
Sun. 10: Quarter Moon appulse with Saturn
Mon. 11: Moon occults Neptune starting at 6:22pm and re-emerging at 7:22pm!
Tues. 12: Northern Taurid Meteor Shower (5/hr)
Thurs. 14: Full Moon
Fri. 15: Full Moon
Sat. 16: Full Moon with Uranus at closest approach to Earth
Sun. 17: Leonid Meteor Shower (5-10/hr) diminished by full Moon
Wed. 20: Mercury at highest elevation in western sky after sunset
Thurs. 28: Orionid Meteor Shower (3-6/hr) after midnight
Fri. 29: New Moon
Sat. 30: New Moon
DECEMBER (Winter) 7:30pm start time
Sun. 1: New Moon
Wed. 4: Appulse with Moon, Venus, and Pluto (the latter might not be visible as this trio will be close to the western horizon
Thurs. 5: Cassiopeid Meteor Shower (5/hr) peaking at sunset
Sat. 7: Jupiter at closest approach to Earth with close appulse of Venus and Pluto
Sun. 8: Appulse of Venus and Ceres and appulse of Moon and Saturn
Fri. 13: Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Sat. 14: Full Moon and Geminid Meteor Shower (80-100/hr) diminished by full Moon
Sun. 15: Full Moon
Mon. 16: Full Moon
Wed. 18: Appulse with full Moon and Mars
Sat. 21: Ursid Meteor Shower (10/hr) peaking before dawn.
Sun. 29: New Moon
Mon. 30: New Moon
Tues. 31: New Moon
Sun. 1: New Moon
Wed. 4: Appulse with Moon, Venus, and Pluto (the latter might not be visible as this trio will be close to the western horizon
Thurs. 5: Cassiopeid Meteor Shower (5/hr) peaking at sunset
Sat. 7: Jupiter at closest approach to Earth with close appulse of Venus and Pluto
Sun. 8: Appulse of Venus and Ceres and appulse of Moon and Saturn
Fri. 13: Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Sat. 14: Full Moon and Geminid Meteor Shower (80-100/hr) diminished by full Moon
Sun. 15: Full Moon
Mon. 16: Full Moon
Wed. 18: Appulse with full Moon and Mars
Sat. 21: Ursid Meteor Shower (10/hr) peaking before dawn.
Sun. 29: New Moon
Mon. 30: New Moon
Tues. 31: New Moon
2025 Bryce Nights
JANUARY (Winter) 7:30pm start time
Fri. 3: Crescent Moon appulse with Venus AND Peak of Quadrantid Meteor Shower (50/hr before midnight)
Sat. 4: Crescent Moon appulse with Saturn with Earth at pherihelion (closest approach to our Sun) Q: Then why is so cold Bruh? A: Tilt Bruh!
Thurs. 9: Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Fri. 10: Moon appulse with Jupiter
Sun. 12: Full Moon and Mars at closest approach to Earth
Mon. 13: Full Moon and Moon occults Mars from 6:54pm to 7:48pm!
Tues. 14: Full Moon
Sat. 18: Appulse of Venus and Saturn
Wed. 29: New Moon
Thurs. 30: New Moon
Fri. 31: New Moon and appulse of Moon and Saturn
Fri. 3: Crescent Moon appulse with Venus AND Peak of Quadrantid Meteor Shower (50/hr before midnight)
Sat. 4: Crescent Moon appulse with Saturn with Earth at pherihelion (closest approach to our Sun) Q: Then why is so cold Bruh? A: Tilt Bruh!
Thurs. 9: Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Fri. 10: Moon appulse with Jupiter
Sun. 12: Full Moon and Mars at closest approach to Earth
Mon. 13: Full Moon and Moon occults Mars from 6:54pm to 7:48pm!
Tues. 14: Full Moon
Sat. 18: Appulse of Venus and Saturn
Wed. 29: New Moon
Thurs. 30: New Moon
Fri. 31: New Moon and appulse of Moon and Saturn
FEBRUARY (Winter) 7:30pm start time
Sat. 1: Appulse of Moon and Venus
Sun. 2: Venus at highest elevation in western sky
Mon. 3: Appulse of Venus and Neptune
Wed. 5: Moon passes through Pleiades star cluster
Thurs. 6: Moon appulse with Jupiter
Sun. 9: Moon appulse with Mars
Tues. 11: Full Moon
Wed. 12: Full Moon
Thurs. 13: Full Moon
Sun. 16: Venus reaches maximum brightness
Thurs. 26: New Moon
Fri. 27: New Moon
Sat. 28: New Moon and crescent Moon appulses with Mercury, and Saturn
Sat. 1: Appulse of Moon and Venus
Sun. 2: Venus at highest elevation in western sky
Mon. 3: Appulse of Venus and Neptune
Wed. 5: Moon passes through Pleiades star cluster
Thurs. 6: Moon appulse with Jupiter
Sun. 9: Moon appulse with Mars
Tues. 11: Full Moon
Wed. 12: Full Moon
Thurs. 13: Full Moon
Sun. 16: Venus reaches maximum brightness
Thurs. 26: New Moon
Fri. 27: New Moon
Sat. 28: New Moon and crescent Moon appulses with Mercury, and Saturn
MARCH 1-8 (Winter) 7:30pm start time
Sat. 1: Moon appulses with Venus
Sun. 2: Mercury appulse with Neptune
Sat. 8: Venus appulse with Mercury
MARCH 9-31 (Winter) 8:30pm start time
Sun. 9: Venus appulse with Mercury
Mon. 10: Venus appulse with Mercury
Tues. 11: Venus appulse with Mercury
Wed. 12: Venus appulse with Mercury
Thurs. 13: Full Moon Venus appulse with Mercury
Fri. 14: Full Moon Venus appulse with Mercury
Sat. 15: Full Moon Venus appulse with Mercury
Sat. 28: New Moon
Sun. 29: New Moon
Mon. 30: New Moon
Sat. 1: Moon appulses with Venus
Sun. 2: Mercury appulse with Neptune
Sat. 8: Venus appulse with Mercury
MARCH 9-31 (Winter) 8:30pm start time
Sun. 9: Venus appulse with Mercury
Mon. 10: Venus appulse with Mercury
Tues. 11: Venus appulse with Mercury
Wed. 12: Venus appulse with Mercury
Thurs. 13: Full Moon Venus appulse with Mercury
Fri. 14: Full Moon Venus appulse with Mercury
Sat. 15: Full Moon Venus appulse with Mercury
Sat. 28: New Moon
Sun. 29: New Moon
Mon. 30: New Moon
APRIL 1-12 (Winter) 8:30pm start time
Tues. 1: Crescent Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Wed. 2: Crescent Moon appulse with Jupiter
Wed. 10: Moon appulse with Jupiter
Sat. 11: Full Moon passes near Pleiades star cluster
Sat. 12: Full Moon
APRIL 13-30 (Winter) 9:00pm start time
Sat. 13: Full Moon
Tues. 22: Peak of Lyrid Meteor Shower (18/hr)
Sat. 26: New Moon and The 42 nights of Great Galaxies (best galaxies visible from Northern Hemisphere) begin, thanks to having our Milky Way out of the way (i.e., below the horizon)!
Sun. 27: New Moon
Mon. 28: New Moon
Tues. 29: Crescent Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Tues. 30: Crescent Moon appulse with Jupiter
Tues. 1: Crescent Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Wed. 2: Crescent Moon appulse with Jupiter
Wed. 10: Moon appulse with Jupiter
Sat. 11: Full Moon passes near Pleiades star cluster
Sat. 12: Full Moon
APRIL 13-30 (Winter) 9:00pm start time
Sat. 13: Full Moon
Tues. 22: Peak of Lyrid Meteor Shower (18/hr)
Sat. 26: New Moon and The 42 nights of Great Galaxies (best galaxies visible from Northern Hemisphere) begin, thanks to having our Milky Way out of the way (i.e., below the horizon)!
Sun. 27: New Moon
Mon. 28: New Moon
Tues. 29: Crescent Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Tues. 30: Crescent Moon appulse with Jupiter
MAY (Summer) 9:15pm start time
Sat. 3: Crescent Moon appulse with Mars and Beehive star cluster
Sun. 4: Mars appulse with Beehive star cluster
Thurs. 8: Peak of Northern Lyrid Meteor Shower (3/hr) diminished by bright Moon.
Sun. 11: Full Moon
Mon. 12: Full Moon
Tues. 13: Full Moon
Sun. 25: New Moon
Mon. 26: New Moon
Tues. 27: New Moon appulse with Mars
Sat. 3: Crescent Moon appulse with Mars and Beehive star cluster
Sun. 4: Mars appulse with Beehive star cluster
Thurs. 8: Peak of Northern Lyrid Meteor Shower (3/hr) diminished by bright Moon.
Sun. 11: Full Moon
Mon. 12: Full Moon
Tues. 13: Full Moon
Sun. 25: New Moon
Mon. 26: New Moon
Tues. 27: New Moon appulse with Mars
JUNE (Summer) 9:30pm start time:
Sun. 1: Crescent Moon and Mars
Fri. 6: The 42 nights of Great Galaxies (best galaxies visible from Northern Hemisphere) concludes, as the Milky Way rise above the horizon again, blocking the view to some of our favorite other galaxies.
Tues. 10: Full Moon
Wed. 11: Full Moon
Thurs. 12: Full Moon
Wed. 18: Moon appulse with Saturn and Neptune
Sun. 24: New Moon
Mon. 25: New Moon
Tues. 26: New Moon appulse with Mercury
Fri. 27: crescent Moon appulse Beehive Cluster and June Bootid Meteor Shower (3-10/hr before midnight) a conveniently timed but famously inconsistent meteor shower
Sun. 29: crescent Moon VERY CLOSE appulse (aka "grazing occultation") with Mars
Sun. 1: Crescent Moon and Mars
Fri. 6: The 42 nights of Great Galaxies (best galaxies visible from Northern Hemisphere) concludes, as the Milky Way rise above the horizon again, blocking the view to some of our favorite other galaxies.
Tues. 10: Full Moon
Wed. 11: Full Moon
Thurs. 12: Full Moon
Wed. 18: Moon appulse with Saturn and Neptune
Sun. 24: New Moon
Mon. 25: New Moon
Tues. 26: New Moon appulse with Mercury
Fri. 27: crescent Moon appulse Beehive Cluster and June Bootid Meteor Shower (3-10/hr before midnight) a conveniently timed but famously inconsistent meteor shower
Sun. 29: crescent Moon VERY CLOSE appulse (aka "grazing occultation") with Mars
JULY (Summer) 9:30pm start time Saturn and Neptune in appulse entire month of July after midnight.
Thurs. 3: Mercury appulse with Beehive star cluster and Earth at aphelion (max distance from our Sun) Q: Then why is so hot Bruh? A: Tilt Bruh!
Wed. 9: Full Moon
Thurs. 10: Full Moon
Fri. 11: Full Moon
Wed. 23: New Moon
Thurs. 24: New Moon
Fri. 25: New Moon and Pluto at closest approach to Earth
Tues. 28: Moon appulse and Mars
Tues. 30: Peak of Southern Aquariid & Capricornid Meteor Showers both peak (10-25/hr)
Thurs. 3: Mercury appulse with Beehive star cluster and Earth at aphelion (max distance from our Sun) Q: Then why is so hot Bruh? A: Tilt Bruh!
Wed. 9: Full Moon
Thurs. 10: Full Moon
Fri. 11: Full Moon
Wed. 23: New Moon
Thurs. 24: New Moon
Fri. 25: New Moon and Pluto at closest approach to Earth
Tues. 28: Moon appulse and Mars
Tues. 30: Peak of Southern Aquariid & Capricornid Meteor Showers both peak (10-25/hr)
AUGUST (Summer) 9:00pm start time Saturn and Neptune in appulse entire month of July after 10pm.
Wed. 6: Saturn appulse with Neptune continues
Fri. 8: Full Moon
Sat. 9: Full Moon
Sun. 10: Full Moon
Tues. 12: Moon appulse with Saturn and Neptune and Peak of Perseid meteor shower (120/hr) diminished by full Moon.
Fri. 22: New Moon
Sat. 23: New Moon
Sun. 24: New Moon
Tues: 26: Crescent Moon appulse with Mars
Sat. 31: Peak of Aurigid meteor shower (6/hr) just before midnight
Wed. 6: Saturn appulse with Neptune continues
Fri. 8: Full Moon
Sat. 9: Full Moon
Sun. 10: Full Moon
Tues. 12: Moon appulse with Saturn and Neptune and Peak of Perseid meteor shower (120/hr) diminished by full Moon.
Fri. 22: New Moon
Sat. 23: New Moon
Sun. 24: New Moon
Tues: 26: Crescent Moon appulse with Mars
Sat. 31: Peak of Aurigid meteor shower (6/hr) just before midnight
SEPTEMBER (Summer) 8:30pm start time
Sat. 6: Full Moon
Sun. 7: Full Moon
Mon. 8: Full Moon appulse Neptune and Saturn
Tues. 9: Peak of epsilon Perseid meteor shower (9/hr) diminished by full Moon.
Sat. 20: New Moon and Saturn on closest approach to Earth
Sun. 21: New Moon
Mon. 22: New Moon
Tues. 23: Neptune on closest approach to Earth
Sat. 6: Full Moon
Sun. 7: Full Moon
Mon. 8: Full Moon appulse Neptune and Saturn
Tues. 9: Peak of epsilon Perseid meteor shower (9/hr) diminished by full Moon.
Sat. 20: New Moon and Saturn on closest approach to Earth
Sun. 21: New Moon
Mon. 22: New Moon
Tues. 23: Neptune on closest approach to Earth
OCTOBER (Summer, but STILL cold) 8:00pm start time
Thurs. 2: Ceres on closest approach to Earth
Sun. 5: Full Moon Appulse with Saturn
Mon. 6: Full Moon October Camelopardalid meteor shower (5/hr) diminshed by full Moon
Tues. 7: Full Moon
Wed. 8: Draconid Meteor Shower (5/hr) diminished by full Moon
Thurs. 9: Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Fri. 10: Taurid Meteor Shower (5/hr) peaks at 10pm diminished by full Moon
Mon. 20: New Moon
Tues. 21: New Moon and Mars appulse with Mercury with Orionids Meteor Shower (13/hr)
Weds. 22: New Moon
Thurs. 23: Crescent Moon, Mars, and Mercury
NOVEMBER (Winter) 7:30pm start time
Sun. 2: Moon appulse with Saturn and Neptune
Tues. 4: Full Moon
Wed. 5: Full Moon
Thurs. 6: Full Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Mon. 10: Moon appulse with Saturn
Tues. 12: Northern Taurid Meteor Shower (5/hr)
Sun. 17: Leonid Meteor Shower (5-10/hr) with peak just after dark
Tues. 18: New Moon
Wed. 19: New Moon
Thurs. 20: New Moon
Fri. 21 Uranus on closest approach to Earth
Fri. 28: Orionid Meteor Shower (3-6/hr) after midnight
Sat. 29: Moon appluse with Saturn
Sun. 2: Moon appulse with Saturn and Neptune
Tues. 4: Full Moon
Wed. 5: Full Moon
Thurs. 6: Full Moon appulse with Pleiades star cluster
Mon. 10: Moon appulse with Saturn
Tues. 12: Northern Taurid Meteor Shower (5/hr)
Sun. 17: Leonid Meteor Shower (5-10/hr) with peak just after dark
Tues. 18: New Moon
Wed. 19: New Moon
Thurs. 20: New Moon
Fri. 21 Uranus on closest approach to Earth
Fri. 28: Orionid Meteor Shower (3-6/hr) after midnight
Sat. 29: Moon appluse with Saturn
DECEMBER (Winter) 7:30pm start time
Sun. 1: New Moon
Wed. 3: Full Moon passes through Plieades star cluster
Thurs 4: Full Moon
Fri. 5: Full Moon
Sat. 6: Cassiopeid Meteor Shower (5/hr) peaking before midnight
Sun. 7: Moon appulse with Jupiter
Sun. 14: Geminid Meteor Shower (80-100/hr) peaking after midnight
Thurs. 18: New Moon
Fri. 19: New Moon
Sat. 20: New Moon and Leonis Minorid Meteor Shower (5/hr) peaking after midnight
Wed. 18: Appulse with full Moon and Mars
Sun. 21: Ursid Meteor Shower (10/hr) peaking after midnight.
Fri. 26: Moon appulse with Saturn
Wed. 31: Moon appulse with Plieades star cluster
Sun. 1: New Moon
Wed. 3: Full Moon passes through Plieades star cluster
Thurs 4: Full Moon
Fri. 5: Full Moon
Sat. 6: Cassiopeid Meteor Shower (5/hr) peaking before midnight
Sun. 7: Moon appulse with Jupiter
Sun. 14: Geminid Meteor Shower (80-100/hr) peaking after midnight
Thurs. 18: New Moon
Fri. 19: New Moon
Sat. 20: New Moon and Leonis Minorid Meteor Shower (5/hr) peaking after midnight
Wed. 18: Appulse with full Moon and Mars
Sun. 21: Ursid Meteor Shower (10/hr) peaking after midnight.
Fri. 26: Moon appulse with Saturn
Wed. 31: Moon appulse with Plieades star cluster
Once you picked your "Bryce Night" book that telescope tour here (if available), or follow this link if you would prefer to book a private tour.
