Join us for a night under the stars viewing Galaxies, Nebulae, Star Clusters and Planets.
The Community Observatory is hosting a Community Celebration Event just for Geocachers and their friends and families on the night of July 27th. We picked this night because there won't be any interference from the Moon and it will be at the beginning of the window for the Perseid Meteor Shower. Come join us as we enter the last week of July and we can take yet another trip to the stars… or perhaps the stars can come to us! The Perseid Meteor Shower is in swing and perhaps we will have a chance to see those beautiful streaks brighten the night sky.
- Location: Placerville Observatory - A short hike from the parking lot
- Date: Sunday, July 27th, 2025
- Time: 8:30pm - 11:00pm (come when you want, leave when you want, but read the description below so you know what/where we will be if you show up after 8:30ish)
- Bring: 😷 if desired, the path is lit, so just follow the path up to the observatory - You really do not need a white-light flashlight and white light inteferes with your night vision
You can expect:
- Views of Deep Sky Objects such as-
- Galaxies
- Nebulae
- Star Clusters
- To see the Milky Way
- Views of a few of the early Perseid Meteors
- A Sky Theater Presentation highlighting the stars of the season and events happening in the sky.
- Geocaching related activities
- Travel Bug Discovery and Trading
- SWAG
- Some local Geocaches
- Sharing with Geocaching Friends
THE PLAN:
- 8:19: Official start of sunset
- 8:30-9:00ish: Event start & logbook signing, meet and greet, grab bag of event swag (first 24 will get a little bag, after that loose items up for grabs)
- 9:00ish: go to the Observatory Sky Theater with randallh, check out space and stuff! (Sunset is a 8:18, so this is dependent on the light)
- 9:30-11ish: Observe the sky through some big telescopes.
- 11:00: departing for the evening, thanks to the Observatory for their time
- Bring your winning scratcher ticket (if you are the lucky one) to zumby65 before you leave to receive a prize.
We realize that this is pretty late for a Geocaching event but we need dark to fully appreciate the sky. You are welcome to leave at any point if you need to get some sleep to be ready for early First-To-Finds the next day.
There will be a scratcher game for a prize or two, and possibly some other little SWAG items for attendees. When you show up, sign the logbook, get your scratcher, and be prepared for an amazing adventure through the stars!
LOGBOOK:
All attendees who sign the logbook can claim the Co-FTF, let's discover the stars together!
PERSEID METEOR SHOWER:
The Perseid meteor shower is one of the best shooting star displays of the year. One of the most prolific meteor showers of the year. The shower is active from mid-July until late August and will peak on the night of Aug.12, before dawn on Aug. 13, 2025. Unfortunately, those nights will have a very bright Moon that will interfere with seeing.
According to NASA, you can expect to see an average of up to 100 meteors per hour during the Perseid's peak. Those are under a very dark sky with no moon. We only expect to see a few on July 27th.
A typical Perseid meteoroid (which is what they're called while in space) moves at 133,200 mph (214,365 kph) when it hits Earth's atmosphere (and then it is called a meteor). Most of the Perseids are tiny, about the size of a sand grain. Almost none of the fragments hit the ground, but if one does, it's called a meteorite.
The Perseids are hot stuff, reaching temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,650 Celsius) as each fragment travels through the atmosphere and both compresses and heats the air in front of it. Most of the fragments are visible when they are about 60 miles (97 kilometers) from the ground.
PLACERVILLE COMMUNITY OBSERVATORY:
The Community Observatory is your window to the night sky! See the stars through the 17-inch and 14-inch reflecting telescopes on a clear, dark night. Follow planets or the moon as they travel across the sky. Bring the whole family for an unforgettable experience in the foothills of El Dorado County.
Free Admission/No reservations required
Parking Payment = $2
Enjoy your visit and thank you for supporting your Community Observatory.
Etiquette: The Community Observatory is located on El Dorado County Office of Education property. This means NO drugs, NO tobacco/vaping, and NO alcohol is allowed on the premises!
Safety: For visitor safety, (a) NO Pets are allowed (Service animals trained to aid persons with disabilities are welcome). (b) NO Private/unauthorized telescopes or other stargazing equipment is allowed.
We thank you for your cooperation in our effort to maintain a safe environment.
NOTE: Please be aware, in the event of rain or bad weather a note/announcement will be posted as to what will happen with this event. Regardless, we will show up at the parking lot with a logbook, but if we cannot see the sky due to weather we will schedule another clear night for geocachers to visit. But please, log your Will Attends so you can receive announcements if the need arrives. We will adapt as needed.
Community Celebration Events - 2025
This Event is part of a limited release of Community Celebration Events to celebrate 25 years of geocaching. Geocachers hosted events between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Learn more about Community Celebration Events on the Geocaching Blog.