Stargazing In San Ramon: This Month In Bay Area Astronomy

SAN RAMON, 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:

• Orionids Meteor Shower, Oct. 21, 22: The meteor shower will peak on these nights, with up to 20 meteors per hour predicted. Go to a dark location after midnight.
• New Moon, Oct. 25: The best time of the moth 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.

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

• In Town Star Party. Friday, Oct. 14 from 4:30-9:30 p.m. Join fellow stargazers from the San Jose Astronomical Association for stargazing at Houge Park in San Jose.
• Investigating Space: Understanding Our Oceans: Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chabot Space & Science Center. Learn about oceanography through hands-on workshops.
• James Webb Space Telescope Webinar on Brown Dwarfs: Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. Learn about brown dwarfs, stars that are not visible to the naked eye.
• Starlight Gala: Luminous: Saturday, Oct. 22 from 6-10 p.m. at the Chabot. Guests will be able to explore the visitor center at NASA’s Ames Research Center, and preview the new exhibition of the Chabot’s new exhibition on light.
• Public Star Party with Trivalley Stargazers. Saturday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m., Del Valle Staging Area, Livermore.
• Halloween Hike and Sip: Friday, Oct. 29 from 6-9 p.m. A sunset hike through the redwood forest to gaze at the planets. Dinner upon return.
• International Conference on Cosmology and Astronomy: Nov. 1-2, San Francisco. Hear the latest in astronomical research.
• Trivalley Stargazers Party, Thursday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. at Livermore Library.
• 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.
• 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.

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