Name: Dark Sky Weekend
Start: 2026-07-11
End: 2026-07-12

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

July 13:

Look for Mars next to Aldebaran, the red planet meets up with the red giant alpha star of Taurus in the eastern skies around 3:30AM.
Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun at 1h UT. The innermost and most elusive planet passes into the morning sky.
The waning crescent Strawberry Moon reaches perigee, it’s closest distance to Earth at 359,112km at 1:57AM

July 14:

The new Buck Moon reaches perihelion: The Moon’s monthly orbit around the Earth will carry it to its closest point to the Sun – its perihelion – at a distance of 1.0141 AU from the Sun at 2:45PM
New Buck Moon: 3:43AM

July 15:

DAS Astrophotography Special Interest Group (ASIG) – Advanced Image Processing: Free, virtual, members’ only meeting via Zoom (check membership email and Slack for details): 7:00PM
Green Bank Star Quest XXI: Star Party and Conference begins in 📍Green Bank, West Virginia through July 18

July 16:

Look for the waxing crescent Buck Moon near Regulus and Venus. Catch the small sliver of a moon next to the evening star and the bright alpha star in Leo in the western skies around 9:30PM
🖥️ Standley Lake Stargazing: Weekly Livestream: Free Online program via Zoom: 6:00PM

July 17:

An artist's illustration of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, the farthest human-built object from Earth, which launched in 1977 and is headed for interstellar space. (Image credit: NASA) — An artist’s illustration of NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, the farthest human-built object from Earth, which launched in 1977 and is headed for interstellar space. (Image credit: NASA)

DAS Members In-Reach: Voyager!: Free, in-person, member’s only event at 📍the historic Chamberlin Observatory (registration is required): 7:30PM
Standley Lake Stargazing Star Party: Free, in-person event at 📍Majestic View Nature Center: 9:00PM
Berthoud Public Star Night: Free, in-person event at 📍Little Thompson Observatory: 7:00PM
🔭 Rocky Mountain National Park Star Party: Free, in-person event at 📍RMNP Park & Ride parking area: 8:30 PM

July 18:

DAS Open House Star Party: Free, in-person event at 📍the historic Chamberlin Observatory: 8:30 PM
🔭 Sommers-Bausch Observatory Open House: Free, in-person event at 📍Sommers-Bausch Observatory: 9:00PM
Colorado Springs Star Party: Free, in-person event at 📍Garden of the Gods: 9:00PM
Chimney Rock Night Sky Program: Ticketed, in-person event at Chimney Rock National Monument ($20/adults and $10/kids at the park entrance): 7:30PM

July 19:

Check out the predawn convergence of meteor activity. The Southern Delta Aquariids, Alpha Capricornids, Piscis Austrinids, and the Antihelion Source are all active, while the first Perseids of the season may also appear. Although no single shower is near peak strength, patient observers under dark Colorado skies could see meteors from several distinct streams during a single observing session.

This Week’s Solar System Summary:

The Sun rises about 5:52 AM at the start of the week and about 5:57 AM by Sunday, while sunset shifts from 8:21 PM to 8:17 PM. Daylight continues to decrease gradually, though Denver still receives more than 14 hours of sunshine each day.
The Moon rises in the late evening at the start of the week and shifts into the overnight and early morning hours by the weekend, while moonset moves from the afternoon into the evening.
Venus remains the dominant evening planet, shining brilliantly in the western sky after sunset and setting around midnight, though it begins to sink lower in the twilight as the weeks progress.
Mercury approaches inferior conjunction and is lost in the Sun’s glare, making it effectively unobservable this week.
Jupiter remains hidden in the Sun’s glare and is not observable.
Saturn rises before midnight and is becoming a prominent object in the predawn sky. Observers will find it well placed in the southeast during the hours before sunrise. Mars remains low in the eastern morning twilight and is difficult to observe.
Uranus rises during the early morning hours and continues to improve as a telescopic target for observers willing to get up before dawn.
Neptune rises before midnight and is well positioned for telescopic observation during the late-night and predawn hours.

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 Libra: About 2 per hour.
Southern Delta Aquariids (SDA): After midnight in Aquarius: About 1–2 per hour as activity steadily builds toward its late July peak. These are medium-fast meteors and one of the summer’s more reliable showers.
Alpha Capricornids (CAP): After midnight in Capricornus: Less than 1 per hour, but well worth watching as they are known for producing bright, slow-moving fireballs.
Piscis Austrinids (PAU): After midnight in Piscis Austrinus: Less than 1 per hour. Best seen from southern latitudes, though some activity is visible from Denver.
Perseids (PER): Before dawn in Perseus: Less than 1 per hour. Early members of the year’s most popular meteor shower begin appearing this week as the shower slowly builds toward its August peak.
ρ-Cygnids (RCY): Before dawn in Cygnus near Sadr: Less than 1 per hour. This minor shower occasionally produces bright meteors.
July Pegasids (JPE): Before dawn in Pegasus: Less than 1 per hour.
July ε-Pegasids (JEP): Before dawn in Pegasus: Less than 1 per hour.