Oracle Night Sky Charm
Star Party at Oracle State Park, November 2025, by Mike Weasner.
Welcome to the 11th edition of “Oracle Night Sky Charm”. These monthly articles will help you enjoy Oracle’s Night Sky. You will also learn the importance of protecting our Night Sky Heritage.
Star Parties
The final 2025 star party at Oracle State Park was held on Saturday, 1 November 2025. You can read a report of the event at this link. You definitely should plan to attend our star parties at the Park in 2026!
Comet Lemmon
In late October and early November Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) was visible (barely) low in the western sky about an hour after sunset. The comet was discovered earlier this year at Mount Lemmon Observatory, about 10 miles south of Oracle. The comet is now fading as it moves further away from the Sun and the Earth. Hope you got to see it!
Comet Lemmon, 31 October 2025. Photo by Mike Weasner.
Aurora Borealis from Oracle!
Did you see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) that was visible (faintly) from Oracle on a partly cloudy 11 November 2025? This iPhone photo (Night Mode, 10 seconds, 1X lens, handheld) shows more of the red glow than was seen with the just the eye.
Aurora from Oracle, 11 November 2025. Photo by Mike Weasner.
While this Auroral display was not as nice as the ones in May and October 2024 (click link to see some photos), it demonstrates another Oracle Night Sky Charm.
Help Protect our Night Sky Charm!
In the late Fall and Winter months we get the opportunity to view the dark night sky earlier in the evening. This gives everyone more time to appreciate looking up at Oracle’s night sky. You can help protect Oracle’s Night Sky Charm by using proper outdoor lighting that illuminates only the ground where you live and work and not the sky or your neighbor’s property. Ensure that your lights are turned off when no one is outside who needs the lighting. Proper lighting will make you safer and healthier, and enhance everyone’s security. In addition, using light responsibly reduces energy costs and impacts on climate. Protecting the night sky for our enjoyment and health also helps our non-human neighbors. Yes, you can help preserve the natural nocturnal environment to protect life on the planet. To learn more about responsible lighting, see the DarkSky International website.
If there is something you would like discussed in “Oracle Night Sky Charm”, email Mike Weasner at mweasner@mac.com. Mike has been a volunteer at Oracle State Park since 2014 and is a past Vice President and past President of Friends of Oracle State Park.