Public Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 9/19/2026
Clear Skies!
Impromptu Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 9/16/2026
Four HAL members attended an impromptu star party last night at Alpha Ridge Park. The northern half of the sky was cloudy between 10:00 and 11:00, but the skies were otherwise clear. Transparency was below average (19.14 mpas on the SQM-L meter at 11:30 PM) but seeing seemed to be about average. There was a […]
Impromptu Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 9/14/2026
It was a very nice night for both visual observing and imaging. I measured 19.36 on my SQM-L meter at midnight, which is well above my average reading at AR. I’ll have to track Rich down the next time we’re out on the same night to compare SQM-L measrements made from our devices at the […]
Monthly Meeting: September 10, 2026 – Europa Clipper & the Search for Life on Ocean Worlds
September 10, 2026 Public Monthly Meeting
Member’s Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 9/5/2026
It was an unexpectedly wonderful night for the September HAL Members Star Party last night! The discouraging weather forecasts were completely wrong and we enjoyed clear skies for the duration of the event. Transparency was about the best that it gets at Alpha Ridge Park (SQM-L reading of 19.38 @ 1:00 AM) and the seeing […]
Past Monthly Meeting: August 13, 2026 – Working the Mission: An Inside Look at NASA’s Artemis Science Team
Travels to Dark Skies. Tales and images.
The Sky At Night – October 2026
Upcoming Night Sky Maps & Events  Â
Impromptu Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 10/24/2025
The weather was very cooperative last night. The sky at western horizon turned clear just about 7:15 pm. However, the altitude of Lemmon comet (Comet C/2025 A6) was low. Phil and I scrambled to take some photos before it fell below the tree line around 8:15. It is amazing that almost none of my two […]
Impromptu Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 10/23/2025
Five HAL members attended an impromptu star party at Alpha Ridge Park on October 23, 2025. Skies were clear all night and the weather was fine, although seeing and transparency were both subpar. Welcome to Bruce and Neil, two new members who were attending their first impromptu event! Both of them were imaging comet Lemmon […]
Members-Only Star Party (Alpha Ridge) 10/18/2025
What a perfect night for stargazing! Temperatures were comfortable, and the skies started out beautifully clear. A few high clouds drifted through around 10 PM, but by 11 they had moved on, leaving us with crisp, transparent skies once again. We had a fantastic turnout with about 20 members joining in. The observing field was […]