Name: Rocky Mountain Star Stare
Start: 2026-06-11
End: 2026-06-14

Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.

March 30:

The waxing gibbous Pink Moon reaches Descending Node, when it moves from north of the ecliptic to south of it, crossing the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun: 4:34 AM

March 31:

Io's shadow transit across Jupiter — Io’s shadow transit across Jupiter

Check out the transit of Io’s shadow across the face of Jupiter, looking at Jupiter right as the sun is setting, Io is just finishing it’s transit in front of the gas giant high overhead in the constellation Gemini, but it shadow will remain on its face from sunset until about 9:00 PM

April 1 (April Fool’s Day):

NASA Artemis II scheduled rocket launch to send humans around the Moon from Kennedy Space Center in Florida: Free livestream via YouTube: 4:24 PM
DAS Astrophotography Special Interest Group (ASIG) – General & Beginner Meeting: Monthly online member-only meeting via Zoom (check Slack or membership email for details: 7:00 PM
Full Pink Moon: 8:11 PM – Qudba offers free chips and queso whenever there is a full moon in 2026.

April 2:

“E.T., Where Are You?” - Guest: Dr. Dolon Bhattacharrya — “E.T., Where Are You?” – Guest: Dr. Dolon Bhattacharrya

Standley Lake Stargazing: E.T., Where Are You with Dr. Dolon Bhattacharyya: Free Online program via Zoom: 6:00PM
From Boulder to the Beyond: NASA’S Search for Life Outside the Solar System with Dr. Kevin France: Ticketed in-person event at Fiske Planetarium (purchase tickets): 7:00 PM
Look for the waning gibbous Pink Moon right next to Spica, the variable alpha star in the constellation Virgo low in the eastern sky around 9:00 PM

April 3:

From Boulder to the Beyond: NASA’S Search for Life Outside the Solar System

From Boulder to the Beyond: NASA’S Search for Life Outside the Solar System with Dr. Kevin France: Ticketed in-person event at Fiske Planetarium (purchase tickets): 7:00 PM
NCAS: Fort Collins Star Party and Open House: Free in-person stargazing event at the Sunlight Observatory: 8:00 PM
Mercury reaches its Greatest Elongation, when it is at its maximum apparent distance from the Sun in the sky, as seen from Earth. This makes the tiny planet easiest to see in the morning sky from 5:45 AM when it rises until it is obscured by the Sun’s light.

April 4:

The waning gibbous Pink Moon reaches aphelion, when its monthly orbit around the Earth carries it to its furthest point from the Sun at a distance of 1.0025 AU from the Sun: 11:23 PM
Mercury reaches aphelion, when our solar system’s littlest planet’s 88-day elliptical orbit around the Sun carries it to its furthest point from the Sun at a distance of 0.47 AU: 4:33 AM

April 5 (Easter Sunday):

M94 - ESA/Hubble & NASA — M94 – ESA/Hubble & NASA

Messier 94 reaches its highest point in our night sky, the spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici will reach its highest point in the sky at 88° above the northern horizon: 1:00 AM

This Week’s Meteoric Activity:

You can keep track of the activity of meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal.