Sharing the Night Sky with the Public Since 1949

For over seventy-five years, the Denver Astronomical Society has brought together stargazers across the Denver metropolitan area and beyond. The society hosts dozens of events and activities yearly to promote amateur astronomy across our unique region, one mile nearer the stars.

July

8:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Open House

Looking for a FREE fun family activity? Join the Denver Astronomical Society for our monthly Open House Saturday night at dusk. This event will occur on the south lawn of DU’s historic Chamberlin Observatory, 2930 E. Warren Avenue, Denver. Weather … Read More ...

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In Memoriam – Ivan Geisler

The news of the recent passing of Denver Astronomical Society member Ivan Geisler saddens us. He was 79. Ivan was born in Indiana in 1944. He served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany and at Field Station Sinop during the Cold War, the latter a U.S. Army facility and listening post on the Black Sea coast about two miles west of Sinop, Turkey. Ivan used to share stories about his experiences and adventures while stationed there. Coincidentally, the late John Anderson was also based at Sinop around the same time, although the two didn’t know each other…
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Upcoming Events Through July 21

July 17: Astrophotography Special Interest Group https://www.denverastro.org/events/astrophotography-special-interest-group-asig-meeting-2-of-2-6/?occurrence=2024-07-17 July 20 DAS Annual Picnic https://www.denverastro.org/events/das-picnic-2/?occurrence=2024-07-20 July 20 DAS General Meeting https://www.denverastro.org/events/general-meeting-7/ July 20: Comet 13P/Olbers Closest Approach https://earthsky.org/space/comet-13p-olbers-finder-maps/ JOIN DAS TODAY! https://www.denverastro.org/membership/ SKY MAPS FOR JULY https://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn2407.pdf SKY NOTES THIS WEEK Sky & Telescope “Sky at a Glance Through July 21 https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-july-12-21/ AMS Meteor Activity Outlook for July 13 – July 19, 2024 https://amsmeteors.org/2024/07/meteor-activity-outlook-for-july-13-19-2024/ WEATHER AND VISIBILITY FORECASTS ChamberlinObservatory Weather/Visibility Chart https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/ChmrlObCOkey.html Kline-Dodge Dark Site Weather/Visibility Chart https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/DeerTrailCOkey.html OTHER VIEWING RESOURCES Night Sky Networks July Night Sky Notes: A Hero, a Crown, and Possibly a Nova! https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/docs/Jul24HeroAndCrown.pdf Earth and…
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Skyward for July, 2024

By David H. Levy The wonderful visit of Olbers’s Comet. On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, David Rossetter and I headed out for our monthly observing session at the Chirichuaha astronomy complex, the dark site of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association. In addition to the normal 2 hours of comet searching I did that evening, David located Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS, a bright 10th magnitude comet with a pretty dust tail. I wish I had paid more attention that evening to the other comets that would be visible that night. If I had been more careful, I would have noticed that Comet Olbers…
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July’s Night Sky Notes: A Hero, a Crown, and Possibly a Nova!

This article is distributed by NASA’s Night Sky Network (NSN). The NSN program supports astronomy clubs across the USA dedicated to astronomy outreach. Visit nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov to find local clubs, events, and more! By Vivian White High in the summer sky, the constellation Hercules acts as a centerpiece for late-night stargazers. At the center of Hercules is the “Keystone,” a near-perfect square shape between the bright stars Vega and Arcturus that is easy to recognize and can serve as a guidepost for some amazing sights. While not the brightest stars, the shape of the hero’s torso, like a smaller Orion, is…
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Chamberlin Observatory Tours

The Denver Astronomical Society hosts weekly and monthly events* at the University of Denver’s historic Chamberlin Observatory, which features its prized 1894 Alvan Clark-Saegmuller 20-inch refracting telescope. The Observatory serves as the DAS home base for numerous Astronomy Nights, Open Houses, and special events throughout the year.

Due to overwhelming demand, we are changing how we reserve our Astronomy Nights and adding more to the calendar. For details, see our Reservations page.

If you have any questions about EXISTING reservations or want to change your existing reservation, email us at reservations@denverastro.org.

M•45 – Pleiades, Seven Sisters, Subaru image by Darrell Dodge

Astrophotography Special Interest Group

The Denver Astronomical Society (DAS) has established a Special Interest Group amongst its members devoted to Astrophotography. Do you want to learn or improve your skills in astrophotography? Do you enjoy viewing pictures of the Sun, Moon, Planets, or Deep Sky Objects? Can you take similar images? You may have skills that you could pass on to novice members. Consider joining DAS and being part of this Special Interest Group. Please email us for more information. astrophotogroup@denverastro.org

The Van Nattan-Hansen-Anderson Scholarship

Established in 1973, the DAS Van Nattan-Hansen-Anderson Scholarship supports graduating high school and undergraduate college students majoring in astronomy and the physical sciences. Interested and eligible students are invited to apply for funding on the Scholarship Page.