Starry Night Florida

10/29/2024

Greetings Florida!
The weather is slowly cooling and with it we are noticing clearer skies! Here in Southwest Florida, we continue to rebuild and recover from a dual hurricane punch this season. There are many beaches, venues, and activities still closed. But, we are now open!
The Autumn sky is a fantastic time of year to view celestial objects including stars, planets, moon, clusters, nebulae, and more! Relax with us under the stars and enrich your knowledge of the cosmos!

This Fall season we are extending a special discount available for tour guests who have been affected by the recent hurricanes. The discount is non-transferable and is available for a limited time only!
If you and your family have been affected by Hurricane Milton or Helene, please call us today for a special discount code when booking your tour!

Explore the wonders of the night sky with us in Punta Gorda Florida! Book your stargazing tour now to see galaxies, planets, nebulae, and more! Small group tours are available now for advance booking.

10/19/2024

Greetings Southwest Florida!
This has certainly been a fall season for the history books with a one-two punch from dual hurricanes Helene and Milton. While Charlotte County was not in the direct path of the eye of Milton, we took a wallop from the storm surge with many areas left submerged and damaged. We are a resilient community. For those whose homes and businesses have been ruined, you are in our thoughts and prayers. The end of the rainy season is upon us and we are looking forward to the predicted La Nina and the return of dry, clear days and nights! Our tour calendar is open for the season with many nights available in the coming weeks. Along with our typical Fri-Sat-Sun schedule, we have several Tuesdays and Wednesdays available for booking as well.
Looking toward the end of October and November, Venus has returned to view in the western sky, joining Saturn and on dark nights, Neptune our furthest gas giant. The Summer Triangle is still high overhead along with Cignus and the beautiful Albireo double star! This is the last opportunity to see Sagittarius before it dips down in the west for the rest of the year.

10/09/2024

Greetings all! We are currently in the midst of a glancing blow from Hurricane Milton which looks to strike near Bradenton soon. We are safe from the storm. I pray all of our fellow Floridians have evacuated from low-lying or surge prone areas. We will look to weather this storm as we have all other recent storms in Southwest Florida. It has been a tough season so far with Helene and now Milton. We will look forward to the typical clear skies that follow large storms and most importantly to the beautiful October night sky. As we progress into the evening the danger increases, be safe everyone!

09/22/2024

Greetings Stargazers!
Wishing you a Happy Autumn Equinox today! At precisely 8:43am EDT our star crossed the equator signaling an equal division of light between the north and south hemispheres. From here on, our nights will continue to grow longer, which is great news for stargazing. We here at Starry Night Florida are excited to kick off our Fall program with many excellent stargazing opportunities. Our tours are scheduled most weekends and we have expanded to include select Tues and Wed evenings. Of course, hurricane season in Florida is far from over and we are monitoring a tropical system currently predicted to affect our area within the coming days. As the storm season winds down, our long term prediction is for a La Nina oscillation pattern to come into effect this winter which will result in many clear evenings for stargazing!

This Fall we have many exciting objects to look forward to viewing. Planets have returned into the evening sky repertoire and can include Venus and Saturn. Hercules is still high in the western sky with the favorite M13 Hercules Globular Cluster. The heart of the scorpion, Antares the red supergiant gleams with red-orange brilliance in Scorpius the Scorpion. Sagittarius where the center of our Milky Way Galaxy resides contains many interesting objects including M22 the Great Sagittarius Cluster. Cygnus is high overhead along with the Summer Triangle and Vega.

We are now booking for tours from now into 2025 and remember, certain weekends can fill up quickly as we progress later in the year, so don’t hesitate! Book today!
Please call us for more information 941-800-2161.
Happy viewing everyone!

06/21/2024

Greetings All!
The Summer Solstice was June 20th this year! The Solstice heralds the longest day of the year and of course, the shortest night. For stargazers and astrobuffs, this means we have to pack more in the limited time we have available. But make no mistake, the summer time has some truly inspiring things to look at in the night sky.
We welcome Virgo high overhead where the Virgo super cluster of galaxies resides. Cancer is low in the west will be gone soon taking with it the fascinating Bee Hive Cluster. Rising in the East, we are very exited about Lyra and its superbright star Vega. Soon we will be able to see the Summer Triangle, Sagittarius, and on dark nights, our Milky Way Galaxy!
We will be open (weather permitting) all summer long this year. For our summer tours, please note that summer storms and tropical systems in Florida can disrupt our view of the sky at any moment. We always keep our guests well informed about any cloud or storm developments prior to our tours. Should your night be cancelled, you will always have the option of rescheduling or refunding, no questions asked! Come celebrate these hot summer nights in Florida under the stars with us here at Starry Night Florida!

05/21/2024

Greetings Stargazers!
It has been a toasty Spring so far here in SW Florida! As we work our way through May, we bid a fond farewell to all of our favorite winter sky objects including Orion, Ta**us, and the Pleiades cluster.
This Spring, Leo, Virgo, and Ursa Major are high in the sky and always fun to see in their entirety. A favorite target is the Beehive Cluster, M44 in Cancer. It is interesting to note, that we currently have a gap period in the evening sky with no planets visible. We won't have any to see on our tour until late Aug when Venus returns as the Evening Star. During this time we will explore the wealth of other objects available including double stars, globular clusters, and on dark nights, a chance to see a distant galaxy or group!
Looking forward, Summer is right around the corner and with it we anticipate the arrival of the Summer Triangle, Vega, Cygnus, and Sagittarius where the center of our galaxy resides! There are always amazing things to look out for if you take the time to look up and explore.
Join us, book your tour today!

Explore the wonders of the night sky with us in Punta Gorda Florida! Book your stargazing tour now to see galaxies, planets, nebulae, and more! Small group tours are available now for advance booking.

04/08/2024

The Solar Eclipse of 2024 has begun in many parts of the US! Please remember to follow all safety measures to protect your eyesight from permanent damage. Here is a handy guide!

04/07/2024

03/19/2024

Spring Equinox

Greetings Stargazers!
It is that time of year again for the Spring or Vernal Equinox which will be precisely at 11:06pm on March 19th. The official start of Astronomical Spring begins!
The Equinox is that time of year in our yearly orbit around the Sun when our axial tilt is aligned so that both north and south hemispheres of the Earth will receive equal levels of daylight.
Please remember if you book our tour that our start time will begin later at 8:00 or 8:30pm.
Looking forward into Spring, we are hopeful that the El Nino conditions this winter will continue to subside, allowing some of the cloudiness to dissipate. We still have an excellent view of our largest planet Jupiter and it’s four prominent moons. Orion is still very prominent in the sky and always a showstopper. On darker nights without the Moon, we have a chance of seeing some deeper sky targets such as star clusters and nebulae. Looking to the East Leo is very prominent and quickly followed by Virgo.
Please check with us if you have any questions about your upcoming tour!
Looking forward to touring the Night Sky with you here at Starry Night Florida!

02/25/2024

We hope everyone is having a great weekend here in Southwest Florida! It has been a challenging winter so far to say the least. While we have had a couple of excellent tour nights, the El Nino oscillation continues to send us a high number of cloudy or rainy days. We are lucky today as we do have a very clear evening predicted. If you are scheduled for a tour with us, please remember, if we must cancel or postpone due to the weather, you will always have the option to reschedule or receive a full refund. Our long term outlook calls for the El Nino to subside by the end of spring, which should allow us many viewing opportunities before the summer rains begin.

As we approach the end if winter in the northern hemisphere, we have a last chance to see Jupiter and possibly Uranus before they set. This is our last few weeks to see Andromeda as well. Orion the Hunter is still very prominent in the sky. To the East, Leo the Lion is rising. Eclipse hype is steadily building for the total solar eclipse on April 8th in the continental USA and parts of Mexico and Canada. Here in Florida we will see a partial eclipse of about 50-60% coverage. Remember, this will be the last total eclipse seen in the continental US until 2044!

Stay safe everyone and happy viewing!

01/08/2024

Greetings Stargazers!
Well, it has been an altogether cloudy and rainy beginning of the new year here in SW Florida. We are under the effects of an El Nino oscillation in the Pacific which has affected our weather here in North America. There may be several cloudy nights instore for us in the next couple of months. However, we are hopeful here to try to take advantage of some clear evenings when we can!
Please remember, if your reservation night is cancelled due to clouds/rain, you can always reschedule for another night or receive a full refund!
The winter is an exciting season for astronomy with many interesting targets to note. This early January is the last chance to see Saturn in the evening sky before it dips down too low. We will have to look to see it again in the evening in the fall. We still have Jupiter high in the sky and bright as always. The most prominent constellation in the winter is Orion and the superb Orion Nebula M42. We look forward to touring the stars with you!
Stay safe!

12/06/2023

Greetings All!
We were recently featured on ABC-7, Wild About SWFL with Meteorologist Jesslyn Ferentz!
See the video below if you missed it!
It is now December, a time for holidays, merriment, wassailing, family, and much more. Here at Starry Night Florida, our excitement is building as we approach the winter season, and the night sky is full of amazing things to view. We have about a month left to see Saturn before it will dip down at sunset and we will have to wait until late next year to see it again in the evening sky on tour. Our largest planet in the solar system Jupiter is in prime viewing location. On clear dark nights we have a chance of seeing Uranus. This is our very last opportunity to see the summer triangle and Vega for the year also. The Pleiades open cluster is a can’t miss. This month Orion finally rises high enough to view in the later evening. If you haven’t booked your Stargazing Tour with us yet, this month is one of the best of the year so don’t hesitate! Looking for a unique gift idea? Our Stargazing Tours can make excellent Christmas gifts!
Please call us for further information.
Stay safe all!

Explore the wonders of the night sky with us in Punta Gorda Florida! Book your stargazing tour now to see galaxies, planets, nebulae, and more! Small group tours are available now for advance booking.

11/06/2023

See us featured on ABC7 Fort Myers: Wild About SWFL! We were privileged to welcome Meteorologist Jesslyn Ferentz on our Stargazing Tour this past week!

But you can't forget about the view, look up! Starry Night Florida gives you a personalized tour of the cosmos in Punta Gorda.

11/06/2023

See us featured on ABC7 Fort Myers: Wild About SWFL! We were privileged to welcome Meteorologist Jesslyn Ferentz on our Stargazing Tour this past week!

10/19/2023

Join us for a Special Halloween Stargazing Tour on Oct 26-29th!
It is that spooky time of year when myths and tall tales are center stage. The Moon this October will be near full and we will have special viewings in our telescope! Listen to moon myths and creepy constellation stories while enjoying close up views of the night sky!
Enjoy a spooky night with us at our dark sky sight. Refreshments will be provided. We have discounted the price for this special weekend and have a limit of 12 guests per night so seats can fill up quickly! Book today on our website!
https://fb.me/e/2PgPEsah7

Explore the wonders of the night sky with us in Punta Gorda Florida! Book your stargazing tour now to see galaxies, planets, nebulae, and more! Small group tours are available now for advance booking.

10/09/2023

Greetings Southwest Florida! Our Fall program is now in full swing! The evenings are cooling and the storms are starting to recede. We are looking forward to a busy upcoming winter season with a plethora of exciting things to see in the evening sky! Saturn is now high in the sky and is truly a showstopper with the beautiful rings clearly visible through telescopes. Sagittarius is till up in the southwestern sky where the center of our galaxy is located. There is a wealth of interesting star systems and deep sky object to observe.

Our stargazing tour is currently accepting reservations through the end of the year and beyond, so lock in your tour date now!

Explore the wonders of the night sky with us in Punta Gorda Florida! Book your stargazing tour now to see galaxies, planets, nebulae, and more! Small group tours are available now for advance booking.

09/17/2023

Greetings All! We are just a few weeks away from our return opening date of Friday Oct 6th and tickets are already selling in anticipation. We are looking forward to the end of Summer and hurricane season here in Florida. The Fall lineup in the night sky has a wealth of exciting things to see including Vega and the double-double, Saturn, Neptune, The Andromeda Galaxy M31, and much more! Plan ahead and lock in your Stargazing Tour today.
Also, we will be hosting our October Halloween special event where we will have tours available from Oct 24-29. This is our Myths of the Full Moon experience with legends of the Moon and Werewolves! Exciting things to come so stay tuned for further information!
Happy viewing everyone!

Explore the wonders of the night sky with us in Punta Gorda Florida! Book your stargazing tour now to see galaxies, planets, nebulae, and more! Small group tours are available now for advance booking. - Tours

08/23/2023

Greetings All!
It has been a hot and stormy summer thus far, as we hope you have all stayed safe and dry. Hurricane season in Florida will soon reach its peak. We will be taking a short break in bookings for the month of September, as we prepare our busy fall and winter schedule. We have many exciting things in store for the coming months.

In October. We are excited to announce our Halloween Special Event Week! From Oct 26-29th join us for a special stargazing evening focusing on the Myths and Lore of the Full Moon, including legends of werewolves! Our expert astronomical program will include closeup views of the waxing near full moon in our large telescope along with related discussions and stories. As always, snacks and drinks will be provided on the tour. Space is limited to 10 seats per night so book your tickets now!
Reminder: For the special event nights, please book directly through our website as the event is not available through our booking partners, including Tripadvisor, Expedia, etc.

Autumn is right around the corner and with it, the arrival of cooler nights and more comfortable stargazing. We will soon be able to view Saturn on our tour along with many terrific objects in the Sagittarius constellation. We are also excited for the return of Cassiopeia and her husband in the sky Cepheus. Later in the fall we will look toward Andromeda and our sister galaxy!
Safe and happy viewing everyone!