Sunriver Scene September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 13
September brings a variety of celestial events and the Milky Way takes center stage
By Alex Yeager, Observatory
Assistant Manager
With the Milky Way overhead and our favorite planet,
aside from Earth, rising in the
east, September can be an especially magnificent time to gaze
at the stars. Sunset continues
to get earlier, with the autumn
equinox occurring on Sept. 22.
Temperatures can begin to get
a bit chilly, so you’ll want to
bundle up for the night.
The highlight of the summer sky is the Milky Way.
In September, just an hour
or so after sunset, the Milky
Way begins to emerge from
the twilight directly overhead,
stretching from south to north.
Even without a telescope, it is
an amazing sight. Through a
telescope, we can see an assortment of nebulae, globular star
clusters and stellar nurseries.
The center of the Milky Way
is located in the direction of
the constellation Sagittarius.
Look for a teapot shape in the
southern sky just above the
horizon. Once you find it, the
Milky Way resembles steam
emerging from the spout.
We have a few objects we are
especially excited to see rising
in the east this September. The
Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest major galaxy to us at about
2.5 million light-years away,
is high in the sky and can be
seen even without a telescope.
It appears as a dim, fuzzy patch
in the constellation Andromeda, while larger telescopes
can reveal its bright core, dust
lanes, and companion galaxies. Below Andromeda is the
Double Cluster, two groups of
young stars that resemble loose
piles of glitter. Finally, peeking
just above the horizon at the
Fungi Fest returns to SHARC this fall
Oct. 17, 2026.
Event highlights:
Fungi Fest will offer Fungi
Foray Field Trips. Explore in
small, guided groups led by
experts. Learn where to find
mushrooms, how to identify
them in the field, and discover
the rich fungal diversity around
you. Your finds will help contribute to the species collection
on display at Saturday's event.
Space is limited so sign up
while there is still availability.
The mushroom species dis-
play is truly a site to behold.
A personal favorite of the
event, it is amazing to see the
rich biodiversity of fungi in
Central Oregon.
The Wild Woodsman Dinner will feature fresh foods,
locally foraged mushrooms and
thoughtful pairings. Owner &
Chef Jackson “Rooster” Higdon of Luckey’s Woodsman
will be curating this experience.
Look forward to familiar foraged favorites as well as unexpected additions to the menu.
We will be holding a special
event at the observatory, with
many telescopes focused on
different regions of the Moon.
Whether you’re a longtime
astronomy enthusiast or simply
curious about the night sky,
the Sunriver Nature Center &
Observatory offers opportunities to explore the cosmos all
year long. Join us for nightsky viewing, solar observing,
family programs, and special
astronomy events at our campus located at 57245 River
Road in Sunriver. Visit SNCO.
org to learn more about upcoming observatory programs
and events.
Sunriver
fungi fest
& MUSHROOM SHOW
am
il t o
n
By Shae Callewaert
This time of the year is usually a foragers favorite. Autumn
brings cooler weather and
more moisture than the summer months. This seasonal
shift sparks a massive amount
of fungal growth. Given this
abundance, it is truly the best
time of the year to host such
an event.
Fungi Fest celebrates its 10th
annual installment. Returning
to Benham Hall at SHARC
for the second year in a row on
start of our programs is Saturn.
From our observatory, you can
easily make out its rings stretching nearly one light-second
across, its moon Titan, which
is slightly larger than Mercury,
and on clear nights, the Cassini
Division within the rings are
even visible.
Sept. 19 is International
Observe the Moon Night.
The Moon will be just past its
first-quarter phase, an excellent
time for lunar viewing. The
line between light and dark is
called the terminator. This is
where shadows make craters,
mountains, and other surface
features especially noticeable.
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SEPTEMBER 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
Page 13
