Astronomers of Humboldt

Upcoming Events

The Astronomers of Humboldt are now scheduling observation meetings for Club members and guests on the weekend nearest the new moon. And, in addition, we are holding Zoom meetings for members on most weekends nearest the full moon.

Next events:

Saturday June l3. Observing at Kneeland. Weather permitting, we will hold our regular June observing session at Kneeland Airport. Before you go, check the weather forecast, the Kneeland Clear Sky Chart, the GOES West satellite imagery (single frame or timelapse), the air quality index, and the Barry Ridge Webcam, and check back here for any last-minute updates. Dress warmly and arrive in time to set up before dark. Sunset will be at 8:48 pm.
Monday June 15. Greatest Eastern Elongation of Mercury. Half an hour after sunset Mercury (altitude 10 degrees) joins Venus (20 degrees), Jupiter (15 degrees), and the one-day-old Moon (5 degrees) in the western sky. Keep watching during the week as the crescent Moon glides past the planets.
Sunday June 21. Summer Solstice. At 1:24 am the North Pole of the Earth attains its greatest tilt toward the Sun. On this day Humboldt County gets its maximum of 15 hours and 9 minutes of sunshine.
Saturday June 27. AOH Zoom Meeting. Login information will be sent to all dues-paying members.
Saturday July l1. Observing at Kneeland. Weather permitting, we will hold our regular July observing session at Kneeland Airport. Dress warmly and arrive in time to set up before dark. Sunset will be at 8:48 pm.
Saturday July l8. Albee Creek Star Party. AOH and the Humboldt Redwoods Interpretive Association will host the first Albee Creek Star Party of 2026 at Albee Creek Campground in Humboldt Redwoods State Park from 8:30 to 10:30 pm. Overcast skies cancels. Refreshments. Bring a chair for comfort. For more info: 707-946-2263.
Tuesday July 28. NSN Webinar. Planning for this year's Interbational Observe the Moon Night.
AOH members can get more information on the members-only webinar page.
Thursday-Friday July 30-31. Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids Meteor Showers. According to the American Meteor Society "The Delta Aquariids are another strong shower best seen from the southern tropics. North of the equator the radiant is located lower in the southern sky and therefore rates are less than seen from further south. These meteors produce good rates for a week centered on the night of maximum. These are usually faint meteors that lack both persistent trains and fireballs. ... The Alpha Capricornids are active from July 12 through August 12 with a "plateau-like" maximum centered on July 31st. This shower is not very strong and rarely produces in excess of 5 shower members per hour. What is notable about this shower is the number of bright fireballs produced during its activity period. This shower is seen equally well on either side of the equator. In 2026, the full moon occurs only two days prior to the peak therefore activity will be severely compromised by the bright moonlight."
Saturday August 1. AOH Zoom Meeting. Login information will be sent to all dues-paying members.
Sunday August 2. Greatest Western Elongation of Mercury. At 5:30 am Mercury climbs into the Morning sky in the ENE direction, joining Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini.
Saturday August 8. Observing at Kneeland. Weather permitting, we will hold our regular August observing session at Kneeland Airport. Dress warmly and arrive in time to set up before dark. Sunset will be at 8:23 pm.
Wednesday August 12. Total Solar Eclipse. The eclipse will be visible in eastern Greenland, across the north Atlantic, and in northern Spain. A partial eclipse will be visible in Alaska, Canada, the northern and northeastern US, much of Europe, and western Africa. See the NASA map for timing and details.
Wednesday-Thursday August 12-13. Perseid Meteor Shower. According to the American Meteor Society "The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere. The Perseids are active from July 17 to August 24.. They reach a strong maximum on August 12 or 13, depending on the year. Normal hourly rates seen from rural locations range from 30-50 shower members per hour at maximum. The Perseids are particles released from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle during its numerous returns to the inner solar system. They are called Perseids since the radiant (the area of the sky where the meteors seem to originate) is located near the prominent constellation of Perseus the hero. ... In 2026, the moon is new on August 12 so conditions are optimum for viewing this shower."
Friday August 14. Greatest Eastern Elongation of Venus. At sunset, Venus, which has been dazzling in the evening western sky for several months, reaches its greatest angular distance from the Sun at 46 degrees. Over the next two months it will exhibit its crescent phase (as seen in a small scope) as it speeds toward inferior conjunction.
Saturday August l5. Albee Creek Star Party. AOH and the Humboldt Redwoods Interpretive Association will host the second Albee Creek Star Party of 2026 at Albee Creek Campground in Humboldt Redwoods State Park from 8:30 to 10:30 pm. Overcast skies cancels. Refreshments. Bring a chair for comfort. For more info: 707-946-2263.
Thursday August 27. Partial Lunar Eclipse. In Humboldt County, the Moon will rise at 7:48 pm, already partially eclipsed. The maximum eclipse occurs at 9:13 pm. The partial phase ends at 10:52 pm, and the penumbral phase ends at 12:02 am (August 28).

Dues-paying members can get a downloadable and printable calendar of current astronomical events, historical events, and AOH activities here [at https://www.astrohum.org/members_only/calendar.php].

Here are links to some west coast star parties: California Dark Sky Festival [at https://www.easternsierraobservatory.com/california-dark-sky-festival], Golden State Star Party [at https://www.goldenstatestarparty.org/], Joshua Tree Night Sky Festival [at https://www.skysthelimit29.org/night-sky-festival.html], Nightfall Star Party [at https://nightfallstarparty.com/], Oregon Star Party [at https://www.oregonstarparty.org/], Yosemite Glacier Point Starry Night Skies [at https://www.travelyosemite.com/things-to-do/naturalist-walks-programs/#collapse-26967.