Monsoon Season cloudy nights have continued since my last time in the observatory on 2 July.

Late Saturday night, 1 August 2026, had a brief thundershower (0.01"). Friday night, 7 August, a strong thunderstorm passed near Cassiopeia Observatory but only dropped 0.02" rain here. Sunday night, 9 August, a strong but brief thunderstorm dropped 0.23" rain in about 10 minutes. Overnight Monday, 10 August, and Tuesday, 11 August, there were several strong thunderstorms near Oracle, but only 0.09" rain here. Late Wednesday night, 12 August, and continuing into early Thursday morning, 13 August, had two very strong and loud thunderstorms Rain total was 1.41".

On Thursday, 13 August, I was member of the "Astrotourism: Building a Dark Sky Destination" panel at the Arizona Governor's Conference on Tourism held in Tucson. Panel description:

As the birthplace of the Dark Skies movement, Arizona has become a global leader in astrotourism. From world-renowned observatories and planetariums to dozens of Dark Sky Certified parks and communities, the state is turning its night skies into unforgettable visitor experiences. Join Dark Sky experts and tourism leaders for a conversation on Dark Sky certification, destination development and how communities across Arizona are leveraging the power of the night sky to drive tourism, stewardship and economic impact. Facilitator: Sinda Sutton, Park Manager at Oracle State Park. Panelists: Kevin Schindler, Historian and Public Information Officer, Lowell Observatory; Mike Weasner, Dark Skies Expert; Cindy Aguilar, Vice President of Communications, Visit Tucson; Richard Rummler, Park Ranger at Kartchner Caverns State Park.

Before I introduced myself I stood up so people could see my shirt. I played a 10-second audio clip of Simon & Garfunkel singing "Hello darkness my old friend. I've come to talk with you again." The audience loved it!

Sunset that evening had some nice cloud shadows.

Saturday, 15 August, Venus and the Moon were nice at sunset, as seen in these iPhone 15 Pro Max photos.

Monday, 17 August, just before sunset, a strong but brief thunderstorm came through. It dropped 0.26" rain in 10 minutes with a storm total of 0.41".

Twenty years ago on 18 August 2006, I was at what I then called "Oracle Observatory" for a visit. I brought four telescopes with me that time.

18 August 2026 is the 17th anniversary of "First Light" at Cassiopeia Observatory.

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