Oracle Night Sky Charm

Oracle State Park, an International Dark Sky Park since 2014.

Welcome to the 12th and final monthly edition of “Oracle Night Sky Charm”. These articles published throughout 2025 help you enjoy Oracle’s Night Sky. You will also learn the importance of protecting our Night Sky Heritage.

The Planets Saturn and Jupiter

During December 2025, and continuing into early 2026, the planets Saturn and Jupiter are nicely positioned for viewing in the night sky before midnight. Jupiter, the largest known planet in our Solar System, is the brighter of the two planets. Saturn is dimmer than Jupiter but still appears as one of the brighter objects in the night sky. Using a good pair of binoculars (7x50 is recommended for night sky use) the disk of both planets can be seen. One or more of Jupiter’s four Galilean Moons (discovered by Galileo Galilei over 400 years ago) may be visible some nights, even using binoculars, as they revolve around Jupiter. Try to check on the moons every clear night, or even every hour during a single night, as their positions change. Saturn is famous for its beautiful Ring System. In late 2025 and continuing into early 2026, the ring is edge-on to us and so is difficult to see with binoculars or even a small telescope. Jupiter’s Galilean Moons and up to four of Saturn’s moons can be easily seen in a telescope of moderate size (3-12 inches). With a telescope of 8 inches aperture or larger the Galilean Moons will show detectable disks.

Help Protect our Night Sky Charm!

In our hectic lives it is important to take the time to go outside an hour or two after the Sun sets to appreciate Oracle’s night sky. It will bring a calmness to you as you look up and realize that your place in the Universe is much more than just your home or where you work. You can help protect Oracle’s Night Sky Charm so that everyone can have this experience. Use proper outdoor lighting that illuminates only the ground where you live and work and not the sky or your neighbor’s property. Ensure your lights are turned off when no one is outside who needs the lighting. Of course, everyone worries about safety and security at night, so some proper lighting is needed at times. However, keep two points in mind. Humans can see well by just star light. Bright lights that make it look like daytime are not needed, and in fact cause glare and harsh shadows that make seeing well at night more difficult or impossible. Remember, if light was an antiseptic to prevent crime, there would be no crime in the daytime. Light at night, especially bright white, blue-white, or blue lights, are known to be a factor in many human ailments (e.g, cancers, obesity, high blood pressure, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer diseases, and perhaps even autism and mental health issues). Using light responsibly will make you and your neighbors safer and healthier, enhance everyone’s security, and reduce energy costs and impacts on the Earth’s climate. Protecting the night sky for our enjoyment and benefit also helps our non-human neighbors who hunt and pollinate at night. Yes, you can and should help preserve the natural nocturnal environment to protect life on the planet. To learn more about responsible lighting, see the DarkSky International website.

Past Star Parties

Since being designated as an International Dark Sky Park in 2014, Oracle State Park has held many star parties and other events that showcase Oracle’s night sky and educate visitors about protecting the night sky for the benefit of all life on this planet. You can read past reports of these events at this link. You definitely should plan to attend our star parties at the Park in 2026!

Thank you for reading the Friends of Oracle State Park “Oracle Night Sky Charm” articles. Here is a list of all the articles previously published in 2025:

January 2025
February 2025
March 2025
April 2025
May 2025
June 2025
July 2025
August 2025
September 2025
October 2025
November 2025

If you have any questions about star parties at the Park or how you can help protect the night sky, email Mike Weasner at mweasner@mac.com. Mike has been a Dark Sky Advocate and astronomer volunteer at Oracle State Park since 2014 and is a past Vice President and past President of Friends of Oracle State Park.