Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.
January 12:
- DAS General Meeting: Nominations of Officers (Free in-person meeting): 📍Secular Hub: 7:00 PM
January 13:
- The waning crescent Wolf Moon reaches apogee, its farthest from Earth at 405,438km: 2:00 PM
January 14:
- Catch the waning crescent Wolf Moon near Antares, the bright red alpha star in the constellation Scorpius low in the eastern sky around 5:30 AM
January 15:
- Standley Lake Stargazing (Free virtual program): Online via Zoom: 6:00PM
January 16 (Dark Sky Weekend):
- Check out the Great Red Spot of Jupiter, with the king of our solar system having reached opposition this past week, it is extremely bright and large in the night sky. And with this being a dark sky weekend, it’s a perfect time to observe this gas giant and its Great Red Spot. If you’re going for your AL Solar System Observing Program, this is one of the projects for the outer solar system. The GRS will be visible across the face of Jupiter from about 6:00 PM until 10:00 PM.
January 17 (Dark Sky Weekend):
- DAS Members Head out to the DAS Dark Sky Site: 📍Kline-Dodge Dark Sky Site: New Member Orientation will be held at 4:00PM (weather permitting)
January 18 (Dark Sky Weekend):
- New Snow Moon: 12:51 PM
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.
- Anthelion (ANT): 1:00 AM in western Cancer: About 2 per hour
- Comae Berenicids (COM): 5:00 AM in western Coma Berenices: About 1 per hour
- α Hydrids (AHY): 2:00 AM in western Hydra: Less than 1 per hour
- January ξ Ursae Majorids (XUM): 3:00 AM in southern Ursa Major: Less than 1 per hour
- γ Ursae Minorids (GUM): Last few hours before dawn in southern Ursa Minor: Less than 1 per hour
- December σ Virginids (DSV): Last hour before dawn in eastern Virgo: Less than 1 per hour
- Quadrantids (QUA): Last hour before dawn in northern Boötes: Less than 1 per hour
- ξ Coronae Borealids (XCB): Last hour before dawn in western Hercules: Less than 1 per hour
Check Out These Helpful Guides from DAS:
- Where to Explore the 2026 Denver Night Skies
- When to Explore the 2026 Denver Night Skies
- What to Explore in the 2026 Denver Night Skies
Sky Map
- A pdf map of the night sky can be found at https://www.skymaps.com/skymaps
