The evening stars of summer are slowly drifting westward as a new season approaches. Soon we’ll be enjoying familiar star patterns and the return of the Milky Way overhead.

So where did the name Asterisk Observatory come from? First, the word asterisk etymologically comes from Greek and means ‘small star’. We are, indeed, the ‘Small Star Observatory’! Second, a prominent feature in the Smith Rock State Park skyline (which can be seen by taking a short walk across the street from Asterisk Observatory) is the Asterisk Pass.

As the sun climbs higher into the sky with each passing day of spring, it’s starting to get warm enough to really enjoy stargazing without having to bundle up against the cold. And this month’s narrative highlights a prime region of the celestial sphere that hopefully will instill a desire to at least give it an upward glance.

The world around us is full of wonders, and sometimes, all it takes is a quiet stroll to discover them. The cosmos around us is also full of wonders, and I’d love to share both the things we see looking up as well as the things we see looking down with you during your visit to the Asterisk Observatory!

Timed perfectly to coincide with Earth Day and the Lyrid meteor shower, Travel Oregon and Visit Central Oregon hosted the Dark Sky Learning Lab at the Brasada Ranch earlier this week

There is a small constellation of late winter/early spring that is often overlooked by sky watchers. Procyon is this constellation’s brightest star (seventh brightest in the entire sky), which marks the eastern-most vertex of the Winter Triangle. Yes, we’re referring to none other than Canis Minor, the smaller of Orion’s two hunting dogs.