Special Events

In addition to our regular Friday Night Open Houses we also try to schedule other events that vary according to availability. Past special events have included the Total Solar Eclipse of 2017, the transit of Venus in 2012, bright comets like Neowise in 2020, and meteor showers. All of our observing events are dependent on weather. For 2021 we have identified the following events which we intend to support at Broemmelsiek Park.


Total Lunar Eclipse - Sunday May 15 - Monday May 16


Not yet an "official" St Charles County Parks event. Join us at Broemmelsiek Park. *ALL EVENTS ARE DEPENDENT ON THE WEATHER*


St Louis time (CDT):

9:27 pm Sun, May 15 Partial Eclipse begins Partial moon eclipse starts - moon is getting red.

10:29 pm Sun, May 15 Total Eclipse begins Total moon eclipse starts - completely red moon.

11:11 pm Sun, May 15 Maximum Eclipse Moon is closest to the center of the shadow.

11:53 pm Sun, May 15 Total Eclipse ends Total moon eclipse ends.

12:55 am Mon, May 16 Partial Eclipse ends Partial moon eclipse ends.




PERSEID METEOR SHOWER - Aug 12-13

ASEM does not plan for an event this year, due to the nearly full Moon (11th). That said, people will show up on their own anyway. Only the very brightest meteors will be visible.


Per the American Meteor Society:

The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere. The Perseids are active from July 13 to August 26. They reach a strong maximum on August 12 or 13, depending on the year. Normal rates seen from rural locations range from 50-75 shower members per hour at maximum.The Perseids are particles released from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle during its numerous returns to the inner solar system. They are called Perseids since the radiant (the area of the sky where the meteors seem to originate) is located near the prominent constellation of Perseus the hero when at maximum activity.


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TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE - Tuesday November 8 (early A.M.)

3:09 am Tue, Nov 8 Partial Eclipse begins Partial moon eclipse starts - moon is getting red.

4:16 am Tue, Nov 8 Total Eclipse begins Total moon eclipse starts - completely red moon.

4:59 am Tue, Nov 8 Maximum Eclipse Moon is closest to the center of the shadow.

5:41 am Tue, Nov 8 Total Eclipse ends Total moon eclipse ends.

6:44 am Tue, Nov 8 Setting Moonset Setting



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GEMINID METEOR SHOWER - Tuesday DECEMBER 13 (PM) - Weds DEC 14 (AM)


Not yet an "official" St Charles County event.


In 2022, the peak of the Geminids coincides with a nearly Last Quarter Moon (16th), so conditions are better than in 2021, but not by much. It is one of the most active showers of the year, and in some years is the strongest, with a peak rate of around 100 meteors per hour. It is the one major shower that shows good activity before midnight (the constellation of Gemini is well placed from 10:00PM onward).

Hunting for meteors, like the rest of astronomy, is a waiting game, so it's best to bring a comfy chair to sit on and to wrap up warm as you could be outside for a while. They can be seen with the naked eye so there's no need for binoculars or a telescope, though you will need to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark.

It is best not to look directly at the radiant as this can limit the number of meteors you see. Try instead to look just to the side in the darkest area of your sky and you will be more likely to catch sight of some meteors with long trails!

Moonrise is 9:40 PM. Viewing after that will be limited.


Geminid facts

  • Together with the Quadrantids, the Geminids are the only major meteor showers not originating from a comet.

  • The beautiful streaks we see in the night sky can actually be caused by particles as small as a grain of sand!

  • Geminids were first observed in 1862, much more recently than other showers such as the Perseids and Leonids.

  • The Geminids are thought to be intensifying every year.