2025 Year End Report

2025 Year End Report

Posted: 31 December 2025

Sunday evening, 21 December 2025, the crescent Moon with a hint of Earthshine was visible in the western sky after sunset. Cassiopeia Observatory with its big brother, Kitt Peak National Observatory, are in the iPhone photograph (2X lens). The Mayall 4 meter telescope dome is visible on the right of the Kitt Peak mountain.

Click or tap on image for larger version

Moon and Earthshine through clouds, Monday, 22 December, iPhone (5X lens).

With several days of rain forecasted, Tuesday morning, 23 December, I put the Dome Cover ON. That night I took this iPhone photo (Night Mode, 3 seconds, 2X lens) of the crescent Moon and clouds.

Wednesday, 24 December, had periods of light rain (0.09"). More rain (0.09") occurred early Thursday morning, 25 December. Friday night, 26 December, there was more light rain (0.05"). Early Saturday morning, 27 December, there was another light rain (0.01"). Cloudy skies prevailed through the end of 2025.

Highlights for 2025:

Amazing Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) that was visible from Oracle in southern Arizona in November. The display was not as nice as the ones in 2024.

Several comets appeared and were imaged from the observatory during the year, including the interstellar visitor Comet 3I/ATLAS.

Seven California rocket launches were observed and photographed from Oracle.

I started my Milky Way Globular Clusters Project in April 2025. Unfortunately, a health issue in 2025 limited my time in the observatory so I was not able to make much progress on the project through the rest of 2025. Now that the issue is resolved I plan to complete the Project in 2026.

As I have said before, I worked on the Indiana University Astronomy Department Asteroid Program as an undergraduate student in Astrophysics 1966-70. During that experience I developed a love for asteroids. I photographed four asteroids in 2025. You can see the images on the Asteroids & Dwarf Planets Astrophotography Album.

Reviews Posted

NEEWER Lens Removal Tool Kit
Final Cut Camera app

Dark Sky Public Outreach

During 2025, I and several other Dark Sky Advocates worked closely with the Pinal County government in Arizona to promote International Dark Sky Week 2025 and on updates to the Pinal County Outdoor Lighting Code. I appeared in several online articles:

    Dark Skies & Arizona National Scenic Trail in Pinal County
    IU Foundation: Reach for The Stars
    Citizen Hiker: Star Treks
    Pinal County Celebrates Dark Skies: Crucial For Celestial Tourism And Arizona’s Astronomy Industry

I also wrote monthly Oracle Night Sky Charm articles for the Friends of Oracle State Park.

Excellent short video on why Every Day Needs a Night.