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****RESCHEDULED to Sat, July 5, 9:45pm***---->Public Star Party: Sagittarius, Capricornus, and Aquila.

  • Smokey Jack Observatory 100 S. Adams Westcliffe, CO 81252 United States (map)

Join us in celebrating the arrival of the Summer constellations, bright and overhead. The Milky Way will also be visible, stretching across the sky from the southern to northern horizon, passing through Sagittarius and neighboring constellations in the southern part of the sky.

The constellations best seen for this Star Party are:

  • Sagittarius: Home to the center of the Milky Way galaxy, this constellation boasts several bright stars and the famous Sagittarius "Teapot" asterism. It's best observed in the southern sky during the summer months.

  • Capricornus: Represented as a sea-goat, this constellation neighbors Sagittarius and is home to some moderately bright stars.

  • Aquila: Known for its association with the eagle in mythology, Aquila features the bright star Altair and is visible in the summer sky.

Attendees will be able to observe our pristine night sky thru the lens of the Smokey Jack Observatory’s 14”, state of the art telescope. Additional telescopes will be setup around the Observatory for viewing and one of our trained Star Guides will be pointing out the brightest stars and constellations.

Free and open to the public. No reservations needed.

Depending on weather conditions, public events can be cancelled the day of the event. All cancellations will be made at least 2 hours before the event start time the day of the event and our voicemail greeting will be changed to announce the cancellation. In order to obtain cancellation details you can call our phone number, 719-398-1284. We will also try to update this event page and the Dark Skies of the Wet Mountain Valley Facebook page with cancellation details as well. However, the voicemail greeting is the primary source of up to date information.

As always, these events are free. However, as a non-profit, we rely exclusively on the generous contributions of our supporters. We do greatly appreciate your tax deductible donations!