Astronomers Aim To Help New York Drinkers Spot A Rare Skywatching Event

A team of astronomers is heading out to brave the New York City bar scene in a hope of helping Gotham's inebriated night owls catch a rare skywatching event tonight. Astronomy on Tap is the organization behind the event that will take place at four different bars across Brooklyn and Manhattan.

At around 2am Thursday morning, the star Regulus will disappear for around 2 seconds as an asteroid passes in front of it. This rare 'star wink' is made even more unique by the fact that the streets that lie below the bright lights of New York City are actually one of the best places to watch the event.

As a current resident of The Big Apple, I can confirm that this city is starved of night sky action. The light pollution from Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs is some of the most intense in the world and if you live in one of the city's many high-rise neighborhoods, you're lucky if you can see any sky at all. But tonight, the tri-state area is actually the prime spot to watch this rare event cosmic event.

Unfortunately though, it looks like tonight's event may be hampered by a thick sheet of cloud that has maneuvered its way over the city in recent hours, but that's not going to stop the "snarky yet knowledgeable professional Astronomers and Astronomy Educators" from heading out to spread the word.

Tonight's New York City event is one of the first events in what Astronomy on Tap hope will be a nationwide expansion. The group currently have a number of events planned in New York city, but 2 more events are planned at Brothers Drake in Columbus, Ohio. So here's to hoping the astronomers are coming to a city near you.

Here's to hoping that these guys succeed in their mission of bringing the stars to the starry-eyed. I'm all for expanding the reach of skywatching and quite frankly, what goes better with a night under the stars than a few cold ones.

Tonights event, clouds or no clouds will be held at the following locations in New York City.

- Ding Dong Lounge - Upper West Side

- Art Bar - West Village

- Pacific Standard - Park Slope

- Way Station - Prospect Heights