What Can You Expect To See At The Community Observatory This Week

 What Can You See At The Community Observatory This Weekend

Placerville, California
9:00–11:00 PM — Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28, 2026

Text Box: Figure 1 M-13 (or Messier 13) is a large globular cluster in Hercules

If skies cooperate, the last weekend of June should offer a very nice mix of bright summer showpieces and a Moon that grows noticeably fuller from one night to the next. Both nights should be comfortable for public observing, with mostly clear to sunny conditions during the day leading into clear evening skies.

The Moon will become a bigger factor as the weekend goes on. On Friday, June 27, it will already be quite bright and may begin to wash out some of the fainter Milky Way detail later in the session. By Saturday, June 28, it will be very near full and will dominate more of the evening sky, making that night especially good for lunar observing rather than hunting faint nebulae and galaxies. That said, the Moon itself should be a beautiful telescopic target, with dramatic contrast along the terminator. Current forecasts suggest Saturday night will be the cooler of the two sessions, dropping into the upper 50s.

By 9 PM, twilight will be fading and the Summer Triangle—Vega, Deneb, and Altair—will be taking command of the eastern and overhead sky. This is always a good time to point out the rich Milky Way star fields beginning to rise, especially toward Cygnus and Aquila. As the sky darkens further, observers should also be able to enjoy classic summer deep-sky objects such as the Ring Nebula (M57) in Lyra and the Double Star Albireo in Cygnus.

To the south, the great globular cluster M13 in Hercules (pictured above) should be well placed and is always a crowd-pleaser in the telescope. M92 nearby is another fine globular worth a look. Farther south, the rich star clouds and clusters of Scorpius and Sagittarius will be climbing, giving us a chance to visit some of the best summer objects of all: the Lagoon Nebula (M8), Trifid Nebula (M20), and the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) if transparency is good.

So, for this weekend’s 9–11 PM sessions at the Community Observatory, expect pleasant weather, bright moonlight, and a sky full of summer favorites. Friday may offer the slightly better balance between dark sky and moonlight, while Saturday should be especially good for visitors who enjoy the Moon and the brighter star clusters of the summer sky.

Be sure to check our website, communityobservatory.com, for any closure information, and remember to pay the $2 parking fee for the college parking lot.

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