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Sun. Jan. 18 – This is New Moon night, the heart of the dark moon period. Wouldn’t it be great if we get some clear skies sometime this week!
January 18, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Sun. Jan. 18 – This is New Moon night, the heart of the dark moon period. Wouldn’t it be great if we get some clear skies sometime this week!
Sat. Jan. 10 – This is Last Quarter Moon morning with the half lit disk of our neighbour rising in the early morning hours, depending on how low your eastern horizon is, low in the southeast just above right from bright Spica in Virgo.
January 10, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Sat. Jan. 10 – This is Last Quarter Moon morning with the half lit disk of our neighbour rising in the early morning hours, depending on how low your eastern horizon is, low in the southeast just above right from bright Spica in Virgo.
Sat. Jan. 10 – Speaking of Jupiter, the brilliant gas giant will reach its opposition in the night sky at 1am this morning. If it’s clear, this would be an appropriate time to get it in the sights of your telescope to catch it and its planet retinue at their largest size on this special night.
January 10, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Sat. Jan. 10 – Speaking of Jupiter, the brilliant gas giant will reach its opposition in the night sky at 1am this morning. If it’s clear, this would be an appropriate time to get it in the sights of your telescope to catch it and its planet retinue at their largest size on this special night.
Fri Jan 9 Saturn and Jupiter are doing their best to keep our planetary family in mind, filling in for our two neighbours… Venus reached superior conjunction between Earth and the Sun last Tuesday, while Mars will reach conjunction on the far side of the Sun early this morning.
January 9, 2026 at 4:29 PM
Fri Jan 9 Saturn and Jupiter are doing their best to keep our planetary family in mind, filling in for our two neighbours… Venus reached superior conjunction between Earth and the Sun last Tuesday, while Mars will reach conjunction on the far side of the Sun early this morning.
Mon. Jan. 5 – Luna, now in waning gibbous phase, will be reminding us that spring is only months away by posing near Regulus and Leo’s reverse question mark asterism.
January 5, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Mon. Jan. 5 – Luna, now in waning gibbous phase, will be reminding us that spring is only months away by posing near Regulus and Leo’s reverse question mark asterism.
Mon. Jan. 5 – Tonight brilliant Luna will cozy up to M44 the Beehive Cluster in Cancer. The swarm of faint bees will be just to the upper right of our neighbour.
January 5, 2026 at 1:19 AM
Mon. Jan. 5 – Tonight brilliant Luna will cozy up to M44 the Beehive Cluster in Cancer. The swarm of faint bees will be just to the upper right of our neighbour.
Sat Jan 3 Temps may be on the cold side right, but we can take some consolation from knowing the Earth is at perihelion, the point in its orbit closest to the Sun. Not that it makes much difference… we’re only 3% closer to the Sun than we were last July. It's at 9am our time.
January 3, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Sat Jan 3 Temps may be on the cold side right, but we can take some consolation from knowing the Earth is at perihelion, the point in its orbit closest to the Sun. Not that it makes much difference… we’re only 3% closer to the Sun than we were last July. It's at 9am our time.
Sat. Jan. 3 – This is Full Moon night and Luna is checking out the start of a new calendar year from high in the sky among illustrious company. To her upper right will be Castor and Pollux while brilliant Jupiter to the lower right will make the asterism a capital ‘L’.
January 3, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Sat. Jan. 3 – This is Full Moon night and Luna is checking out the start of a new calendar year from high in the sky among illustrious company. To her upper right will be Castor and Pollux while brilliant Jupiter to the lower right will make the asterism a capital ‘L’.
Fri Jan 2 The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak early tomorrow morning. The almost Full Moon will not help things, but it will be dropping to the W horizon in the hours before dawn while the radiant point in the Ursa Major area will be located very high overhead. 1/2
January 2, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Fri Jan 2 The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak early tomorrow morning. The almost Full Moon will not help things, but it will be dropping to the W horizon in the hours before dawn while the radiant point in the Ursa Major area will be located very high overhead. 1/2
New Observers to Visual Astronomy (NOVA) Mini Sessions!
Are you new to Astronomy? Do you find the night sky amazing and want to learn how to observe it? At the beginning of each Kelowna monthly meeting, 7:30-8:00 pm, we will be having mini beginner astronomy sessions. 1/2
Are you new to Astronomy? Do you find the night sky amazing and want to learn how to observe it? At the beginning of each Kelowna monthly meeting, 7:30-8:00 pm, we will be having mini beginner astronomy sessions. 1/2
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Okanagan Centre
ocrasc.ca
January 2, 2026 at 2:03 AM
New Observers to Visual Astronomy (NOVA) Mini Sessions!
Are you new to Astronomy? Do you find the night sky amazing and want to learn how to observe it? At the beginning of each Kelowna monthly meeting, 7:30-8:00 pm, we will be having mini beginner astronomy sessions. 1/2
Are you new to Astronomy? Do you find the night sky amazing and want to learn how to observe it? At the beginning of each Kelowna monthly meeting, 7:30-8:00 pm, we will be having mini beginner astronomy sessions. 1/2
Wed Dec 31 If the sky is clear tonight, New Year’s revelers will be treated to quite a sky full of beautiful sights. Luna, almost at full phase, will dominate the sky perched above Taurus. To her lower right will be the Pleiades, Aldebaran and the Hyades will be below, 1/2
December 31, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Wed Dec 31 If the sky is clear tonight, New Year’s revelers will be treated to quite a sky full of beautiful sights. Luna, almost at full phase, will dominate the sky perched above Taurus. To her lower right will be the Pleiades, Aldebaran and the Hyades will be below, 1/2
Wed. Dec. 31 – Well, here we are at the last day of 2025 which happens to be the morning with the latest sunrise of the year!
December 31, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Wed. Dec. 31 – Well, here we are at the last day of 2025 which happens to be the morning with the latest sunrise of the year!
Sat Dec 27 First Quarter Moon night, and as well as the dramatic half-lit lunar disk there will be other things to see as well. Saturn will anchor the lower W sky to luna’s lower right while Neptune will tempt telescope observers about a degree away from the ringed planet.
December 27, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Sat Dec 27 First Quarter Moon night, and as well as the dramatic half-lit lunar disk there will be other things to see as well. Saturn will anchor the lower W sky to luna’s lower right while Neptune will tempt telescope observers about a degree away from the ringed planet.
Wed Dec 24 It’s Christmas Eve and a parade of celestial treats will make the night sky special. The waxing crescent Moon will take the stage first in the south-west sky, followed by Saturn and later by the brilliant outline of Orion, 1/2
December 24, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Wed Dec 24 It’s Christmas Eve and a parade of celestial treats will make the night sky special. The waxing crescent Moon will take the stage first in the south-west sky, followed by Saturn and later by the brilliant outline of Orion, 1/2
Sun Dec 21 There's a minor meteor shower tonight and early tomorrow morning and Luna will not get in the way! The Ursids are not the brightest shower but a meteor shower is a meteor shower. The shower derives its name from its radiant in Ursa Minor not far from Polaris.
December 21, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Sun Dec 21 There's a minor meteor shower tonight and early tomorrow morning and Luna will not get in the way! The Ursids are not the brightest shower but a meteor shower is a meteor shower. The shower derives its name from its radiant in Ursa Minor not far from Polaris.
Sat. Dec. 20 – Time really moves along! The winter solstice will take place this morning at 7.03am on this shortest day (and longest night) of the year. It will be marked tonight by Orion and the other dramatic winter constellations striding across the southern sky in their full glory.
December 20, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Sat. Dec. 20 – Time really moves along! The winter solstice will take place this morning at 7.03am on this shortest day (and longest night) of the year. It will be marked tonight by Orion and the other dramatic winter constellations striding across the southern sky in their full glory.
Fri Dec 19 New Moon night, the heart of the dark moon period. Given clear skies the fainter central and western sky constellations will be available with binoculars and telescopes and later into the night the magnificent Taurus and Orion will invite naked eye observing as well.
December 19, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Fri Dec 19 New Moon night, the heart of the dark moon period. Given clear skies the fainter central and western sky constellations will be available with binoculars and telescopes and later into the night the magnificent Taurus and Orion will invite naked eye observing as well.
Sat. Dec. 13 – The Geminids are among the most looked forward to meteor showers of the year, and they’ll reach their peak late tonight and in the early morning hours. The good news is that the waning crescent Moon will not be too much of an interference. 1/2
December 13, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Sat. Dec. 13 – The Geminids are among the most looked forward to meteor showers of the year, and they’ll reach their peak late tonight and in the early morning hours. The good news is that the waning crescent Moon will not be too much of an interference. 1/2
Tues. Dec. 9 – There will be another minimum of Algol tonight, with the two hour fainter period centered at 5.01pm. In this case, an early look before 6pm will reveal the fainter eclipsed Algol, while a return visit after 6 will show the full illumination with both binary stars.
December 9, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Tues. Dec. 9 – There will be another minimum of Algol tonight, with the two hour fainter period centered at 5.01pm. In this case, an early look before 6pm will reveal the fainter eclipsed Algol, while a return visit after 6 will show the full illumination with both binary stars.
Sun. Dec. 7 – Luna, now in waning gibbous phase, will be just to the left of Jupiter this evening adding luster to the night sky.
December 7, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Sun. Dec. 7 – Luna, now in waning gibbous phase, will be just to the left of Jupiter this evening adding luster to the night sky.
Sat Dec 6 Tonight you can catch the 'Demon Star' blinking. Algol in Perseus, climbing into the NE sky, will reach its minimum brightness in a 2-hr period centered at 8.12pm this evening. Compare its brightness with nearby stars before 7.00pm and then its faintest centered around 8.00pm.
December 6, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Sat Dec 6 Tonight you can catch the 'Demon Star' blinking. Algol in Perseus, climbing into the NE sky, will reach its minimum brightness in a 2-hr period centered at 8.12pm this evening. Compare its brightness with nearby stars before 7.00pm and then its faintest centered around 8.00pm.
Thurs. Dec. 4 – This is Full Moon night and Luna will be very high on the ecliptic plane to look over early Christmas preparations in the Okanagan. She is also at perigee and closest to Earth to have a better look. We, in turn, will see the lunar disk a bit larger than average.
December 4, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Thurs. Dec. 4 – This is Full Moon night and Luna will be very high on the ecliptic plane to look over early Christmas preparations in the Okanagan. She is also at perigee and closest to Earth to have a better look. We, in turn, will see the lunar disk a bit larger than average.
Thurs. Dec. 4 – This is Full Moon night and Luna will be very high on the ecliptic plane to look over early Christmas preparations in the Okanagan. She is also at perigee and closest to Earth to have a better look. We, in turn, will see the lunar disk a bit larger than average.
December 4, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Thurs. Dec. 4 – This is Full Moon night and Luna will be very high on the ecliptic plane to look over early Christmas preparations in the Okanagan. She is also at perigee and closest to Earth to have a better look. We, in turn, will see the lunar disk a bit larger than average.
Wed. Dec. 3 – Preparing for her one day away Full Moon appearance, tonight Luna warms up by providing a fingerpost to the inner ice giant Uranus. You may be distracted by the Pleiades appearing right next to the Moon, but if you are so minded, scan about three finger widths 1/2
December 3, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Wed. Dec. 3 – Preparing for her one day away Full Moon appearance, tonight Luna warms up by providing a fingerpost to the inner ice giant Uranus. You may be distracted by the Pleiades appearing right next to the Moon, but if you are so minded, scan about three finger widths 1/2
Fri. Nov. 28 – This is First Quarter Moon night as our neighbour is well into her next journey across our night sky. To mark the occasion Luna will complement ringed Saturn to brighten the faint star pattern of Aquarius.
November 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Fri. Nov. 28 – This is First Quarter Moon night as our neighbour is well into her next journey across our night sky. To mark the occasion Luna will complement ringed Saturn to brighten the faint star pattern of Aquarius.