NorCal Meteor Showers, Eclipse Coming: Stargazing In The Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — If life ever gets you down, sometimes it helps to look up. The night skies are full of endless wonder, especially as scientists learn more and more about them. The Bay Area is home to some of the best planetariums and observatories around the world, and there are so many places and events to learn more about the majesty of the infinite universe.

Below are some upcoming events stargazers can enjoy, both on land and millions of light years away.

But first, where can you get the best view? Probably not anywhere near the San Francisco Bay, where light pollution has blocked out many of the best views. Unless you have an extra powerful telescope, head to rugged places like Point Reyes National Seashore or Big Sur to get the clearest views. Check out this map from cleardarksky.org, which shows the best places to stargaze around California through a color-coded map.

Here are some celestial events to look forward to in the next month, including a lunar eclipse:

• New Moon, Oct. 25: The best time of the month to observe galaxies and star clusters due to lack of moonlight.

• Taurids Meteor Shower, Nov. 4, 5: A shower that consists of two separate streams of about 5-10 meteors per hour.It will peak around Nov. 4. Best viewing is after midnight from a dark location.
• Total lunar eclipse, Nov. 8: The moon will pass through the Earth’s dark shadow, and turn a blood red color
• Uranus at Opposition, Nov. 9: The blue-green planet will be at its closest point to Earth, and visible all night long.
• Leonids Meteor Shower, Nov. 17-18: About 15 meteors per hour at its peak. Find a dark location after midnight.

And finally, below are a few of several events to learn more about the universe and get to know other stargazers.

• Public Star Party with Trivalley Stargazers. Saturday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m., Del Valle Staging Area, Livermore.
• Halloween Hike and Sip: Saturday, Oct. 29 from 6-9 p.m. A sunset hike through the redwood forest to gaze at the planets. Dinner upon return.
• Laser Spooktacular Halloweenaz. Saturday, Oct. 29 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Halloween at the planetarium with a laser light show. De Anza College Fujitsu Planetarium.
• International Conference on Cosmology and Astronomy: Nov. 1-2, San Francisco. Hear the latest in astronomical research.
• Astronomy Night at Livermore Library, Thursday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. at Livermore Library. Learn about astronomy with Tri-Valley Stargazers, telescope use outside.
• Planetarium show: Native Americans, On Earth and Under the Sky. Thursday, Nov. 3 at 2 and 6. Learn about Indigenous beliefs about astronomy from Professor Jon Celesia. Contra Costa College, San Pablo
• First Friday: Nocturnal. Friday, Nov. 4 from 6-10. Meet nocturnal animals like bats and fireflies, and spend time with animals from the Oakland Zoo.
• James Webb Space Telescope lecture: Monday, Nov 7. At 7:30 p.m., Morrison Planetarium, San Francisco. Learn about the most complex telescope ever built, which can see some of the first galaxies that ever formed in the universe.
• Total Lunar Eclipse. Monday, Nov. 7 from 11:30 a.m. to Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 4 a.m. Astronomer Gerald McKeegan will guide you through watching the eclipse.
• Stargazing at Mt. Burdell: Saturday, Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m. Ranger Gabe and the Marin Stargazers at Mt. Burdell Open Space Preserve will observe Jupiter, the Great Cluster in Hercules, and the Andromeda Galaxy. A star tour followed by viewing through telescopes.
• Investigating Space: Supersonic Flight. Saturday, Nov. 19, 1-2 p.m. Learn from NASA Ames aerospace engineer don Durston about advances in supersonic air travel.
• Family Starlight Workshop. Friday, Nov. 25, 5-7 p.m. Festive family workshop about the star, star viewing, with complimentary hot cider, hot chocolate, and cookies.

Did we *space out* and forget something? Let us know in the comments.