Two Public Star Gazes in July
Image credit: club member Jerry Sherman – taken at Grassland Mtn. Observatory
Continue to check this home page as weather could change the venue or postpone and possibly cancel a star gaze. Check again after 5:00 p.m. on the afternoon of the observing session for the latest info and update.
July 5, 2025 update: Due to water damage caused by a roof leak, Lookout Obs. is temporarily closed.
18 July 2025 — Friday night — This public star gaze will be held at Grassland Mountain Observatory in Madison County, with a weather backup night of Saturday, 19 July. This event is free and open to everyone — registration is not necessary to attend. A temporary gate code, required for entry, will be provided here on the day of the star gaze by 5:00 p.m. Directions to Grassland Mountain Observatory can be found here. These star gazes normally conclude about 3 to 4 hours after sunset, and visitors are not permitted to stay past the conclusion time. Sunset occurs at 8:44 p.m.
25 July 2025 — Friday night — This public star gaze will be held at Grassland Mountain Observatory in Madison County, with a weather backup night of Saturday, 26 July. This event is free and open to everyone — registration is not necessary to attend. A temporary gate code, required for entry, will be provided here on the day of the star gaze by 5:00 p.m. Directions to Grassland Mountain Observatory can be found here. These star gazes normally conclude about 3 to 4 hours after sunset, and visitors are not permitted to stay past the conclusion time. Sunset occurs at 8:39 p.m.
20 July 2025
– A Lunar Occultation of the Pleiades at Dawn
21-23 July 2025
– Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon Gather at Dawn
Illustration courtesy of
SKY & TELESCOPE
27-30 July 2025
– A Waxing Crescent Moon Overtakes Mars
Illustration courtesy of
SKY & TELESCOPE
29/30 July 2025
– Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower Peaks
Illustration courtesy of
SKY & TELESCOPE
7 Aug. 2025 – Club Meeting Presentation
— Thursday night, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
This free speaker presentation will be offered in-person at the
UNC-Asheville Reuter Center and virtually online. Registration is not required; use this Zoom link to watch the presentation remotely.
Although parking for this meeting at the Reuter Center is free, you must register your vehicle with a visitor “daily” permit at this link. Once registration is complete, visitors will not need to print or display a permit; the new system utilizes camera-based License Plate Recognition technology. All vehicles must park front-end in, so that the license plate is visible.
Using JWST Near Infrared Spectrograph Instrument to Study the Volatile Composition of Centaurs
– presented by
Adam McKay, Ph.D.
Appalachian State University
Comets are ice-rich solar system objects that consist of primitive material that is left over from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Comets have astrobiological significance as potential sources of Earth’s water and organic material. A key piece to understanding comets is a related class of objects called “centaurs”. Centaurs are icy bodies that orbit in between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune and are thought to be migrating inward to become short period comets. Read more…