Blue Horsehead Nebula and Milky Way
We're getting some good stargazing weather in Pearly.
First Full Moon of the year:
The first Full Moon of 2018 is on the 2nd January at 04:24. It also happens to be the largest one of the year with an angular diameter of 33.7' (arcseconds), that's over half a degree. The smallest Full Moon occurs on the 26th August with an angular diameter of 29.4' across.
Full Moon rise for Pearly Beach on New Years day is at 19:18 and on the 2nd at 20:21, the illuminated fraction is 0.998% & 0.993% respectively, times are SAST. Moonrise on both evening will be close to being 100% sunlit and special to view. The one image below shows some of the naked eye features that can be seen, while the second one shows a comparison between a large and small Full Moon.
Southern Cape Astronomy Club meets at least once a month for stargazing or observation evenings close to new Moon or during astronomical related events. The well-established club is based in Pearly Beach just outside Gansbaai.
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Read MoreWe're getting some good stargazing weather in Pearly.
Some images from this morning's (28/08/26, at 04:30) partial Lunar Eclipse from Kagga Kamma in the Cederberg.
A partial Lunar Eclipse occurs this Friday morning (28th August 2026).
Having much fun with the S30 Pro, but these early mornings are killing me, especially when there's a morning trail.
Comet 10P Tempel 2 last night (16/08/2026). Total exposure is 80 minutes with an S30 Pro.
A 3 am wake-up with some clear skies and not much wind.