A community of amateur astronomers sharing the wonder of the night sky with the central Willamette Valley. Monthly meetings, star parties, public outreach, and a passion for the cosmos.
What's Coming Up
Join us for meetings, star parties, and virtual observing sessions. See the full 2026 schedule →
Watch your HVAAstronomy groups.io email or Facebook for confirmations and weather updates.
Night Sky Guide
Step outside this month and catch these highlights — no telescope required for most!
| Date | Time | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| 3–4 | All night | Saturn reaches opposition — it gleams in western Cetus. |
| 4 | Dawn | High in the east-southeast, the waning crescent Moon is in Gemini with Pollux about 3½° upper left. Mars and Jupiter, in a line toward the eastern horizon, complete the scene. |
| 5 | Dawn | The crescent Moon visits the Beehive Cluster (M44) in Cancer, with Mars above and Jupiter below. Binoculars help tease out the cluster stars. |
| 6 | Morning | The lunar crescent and Jupiter rise together above the east-northeastern horizon. (The Moon occults Jupiter for viewers in the eastern U.S. and Canada.) |
| 14 | Dusk | Low in the southwest, the waxing crescent Moon hangs about 1½° lower left of Antares, the heart of the Scorpion. |
| 14 | 10:03 P.M. PDT | Algol shines at minimum brightness for roughly two hours. |
| 17 | 6:52 P.M. PDT | Algol shines at minimum brightness for roughly two hours. |
| 21–22 | All night | The Orionid meteor shower is expected to peak. The waxing gibbous Moon shouldn't interfere. |
| 27 | Evening | The Moon, two days past full, is in the Pleiades as they rise in the east-northeast, then pulls away toward the lower left. |
| 31 | Dawn | Face southeast before sunrise to see the waning gibbous Moon with Pollux about 5° to its right. Jupiter and Mars shine farther to the lower left. |
All times are PDT. Check the Clear Dark Sky chart and local weather before heading out.
This Month's Constellation
High overhead on September evenings, Cygnus soars along the Milky Way, marked by the brilliant star Deneb and the Northern Cross asterism.
Cygnus represents a swan flying along the Milky Way, its long neck and outstretched wings traced by the Northern Cross asterism. Its brightest star, Deneb, is one of the most luminous supergiants known and forms one corner of the Summer Triangle.
Along Cygnus's wingspan lies rich Milky Way star fields, along with deep-sky targets like the North America Nebula and the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant visible with a telescope and filter under dark skies.
Don't miss Albireo, the star marking the swan's head — a striking double star that splits into gold and blue components in a small telescope.
Learn more about Cygnus →About the Club
The Heart of the Valley Astronomers (HVAA) is a community of amateur astronomers in the central Willamette Valley of Oregon, dedicated to sharing our passion for the night sky with the local community.
We welcome everyone — beginners with binoculars, experienced deep-sky observers, astrophotographers, and those who simply love looking up. No telescope? No problem.
The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month, either via Zoom or in person at the Scott Zimbrick Memorial Fire Station 5: 4950 NW Fair Oaks Drive, Corvallis, OR 97330.
We also run telescope tune-up nights, educational outreach for schools, and regular star parties at dark-sky sites like Adair County Park.
Explore
Everything you need to get the most out of the night sky.