by The new year brings a fresh set of exciting astronomical events in the night sky, with one taking place in the middle of the day that will, for many, be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
From planetary alignments to a “Super Harvest Moon Eclipse,” here are the best astrological events to mark on your 2024 calendar:
Less than a week after the spring equinox, which takes place on March 19 at 11:06 EDT, stargazers will be able to see the first eclipse of the year.
A penumbral lunar eclipse will pass before dawn on Monday, March 25, and will be visible across North America, South America, western Europe, western Africa, Japan, New Zealand and parts of Australia.
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The moon enters the earth’s shadow during a lunar eclipse as seen in Gauhati, India, on Wednesday, January 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) |
This type of eclipse can be terrifying and difficult to observe because the moon only passes through the Earth’s outer shadow, called the penumbra, which is not nearly as dark as the inner shadow, the umbra. However, it will be a precursor to hostage shows that will come to light two weeks later.
Millions of people will travel from all over the world to see the best astronomical event in 2024, and for North America, arguably the best astronomical event of the decade.
For a few minutes on Monday, April 8, the moon will completely block out the sun to create a spectacular total solar eclipse, the first for North America since 2017. It will be visible only along a narrow path from Texas to Maine and parts of Mexico and Atlantic Canada.
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People across the rest of North America will be able to see a significant partial solar eclipse, although solar filters or eclipse glasses will be needed to safely view the event. Experts recommend buying eclipse glasses months in advance as vendors may sell out as the event approaches.
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In this Aug. 21, 2017 file photo, the moon nearly eclipses the sun during a near total solar eclipse as seen from Salem, Ore. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, file) |
After April, a total solar eclipse will not be visible from the contiguous United States until 2044.
After a period of almost four months without any meteor showers, sky watchers will have the chance to see two in as many weeks.
The Lyrids will light up the night sky first, peaking on the night of Tuesday, April 22, into the early morning of Wednesday, April 23. Normally, the shower produces about 15 shooting stars per hour, but this year, an almost full moon. All but the brightest meteors will outshine.
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Two weeks later on Sunday night, May 5 early in the morning of Monday, May 6, the Eta Aquarid Meteor shower will peak. This is the best meteor shower of the year for the Southern Hemisphere when rates will reach 50 meteors per hour, while people in the Northern Hemisphere could count between 10 and 30 shooting stars per hour.
A spectacular astronomical alignment will take center stage in the early summer sky, although you’ll need to wake up before sunrise to see it.
The moon will be falling in line with Jupiter, Mars and Saturn before dawn on Saturday, June 29 in the eastern sky.
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No telescope is needed to see the alignment, but having one will reveal two more planets, both of which are too small to see with the naked eye. Uranus will be burning weakly between Jupiter and Mars, and Neptune will be seen between Saturn and the moon.
A spectacular display will unfold in the skies near mid-August as the best Meteor shower of 2024 reaches its peak.
More than 50 meteors per hour will streak across the sky when the Perseids peak on Monday night, August 12 into the early hours of Tuesday, August 13, according to the American Meteor Society. The number of visible meteors could peak near 100 per hour from dark places without light pollution.
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In this 30-second camera exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower, Wednesday, August 11, 2021, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP) |
The best viewing conditions are expected in the second half of the night after the moon has set, and when the radiant point of the shower, located near the constellation Perseus, rises high in the northeastern sky.
One week after the peak of the Perseids, a rare lunar event will take place with the increase of a Blue Moon.
The second full moon in a calendar month is often nicknamed a Blue Moon, but this year’s Blue Moon goes by a different definition. Most astronomical seasons have three full moons, but when four fall in a season, as will happen this summer, the third of the quartet is called a Blue Moon.
Despite what the nickname suggests, the moon will not appear blue in the sky. The August full moon is also known as the Sturgeon Moon, the Black Cherry Moon and the Mountain Shadow Moon.
As muggy summer nights begin to give way to crisp autumn evenings, one of the largest planets in the solar system will be the main attraction in the sky.
Saturn will reach opposition on Sunday, September 8, the point in its orbit when it will appear in the directly opposite part of the sky as the sun, and around the same time it will be closest to Earth. As a result, the planet will appear brighter than at any other time of the year.
You don’t need a telescope to find Saturn, but revealing its famous rings are the inspiration behind the planet’s nickname: The Jewel of the Solar System.
A combination of three popular lunar events will make for an exciting night of stargazing on the night of Tuesday, September 17, into the early hours of Wednesday, September 18.
A partial lunar eclipse will coincide with the first full moon of the year, causing part of the moon to temporarily go dark as it passes through Earth’s shadow. This event will be more significant than the partial lunar eclipse in March, although it will be far from a blood red total lunar eclipse.
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A lunar eclipse is seen in progress in Los Angeles, Sunday, January 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Ringo HW Chiu) |
September’s full moon will also be the famous Harvest Moon, leading to the long-winded nickname of the “Super Harvest Moon Eclipse.”
Three months after Saturn’s opposition, it will be time for Jupiter to shine in the sky as the largest planet in the solar system reaches peak brightness.
Jupiter will be visible throughout the night throughout December, but the first weekend of the month is the best time to see the planet as it approaches opposition.
Like its opposition Saturn, no telescope is needed to see Jupiter as it will reveal every star in the sky, but spying on the planet with a telescope will reveal the largest moons, the colorful clouds and even its location famous red — a storm that has been raging on the planet for hundreds of years.
The longest nights of the year are in December, and around the middle of the month, the stargazers are usually planning to enjoy the Geminids – one of the best annual meteor showers. However, the 2024 edition of the winter meteor shower is likely to be a flurry instead of a sizzle.
The night of Friday, December 13th into the morning of Saturday, December 14th will bring the peak of the Geminid Meteor shower. Under ideal conditions, viewers can count over 100 shooting stars per hour, but this year, it will peak on the same night as a nearly full moon. The moon’s bright light will make it difficult to see many of the meteors associated with the Geminids.
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The Geminid Meteor shower is seen at the top of Niubei Mountain in Ya’an, Sichuan Province, China, on December 14, 2023. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images) |
Some shooting stars may still be visible in darker areas of the sky where the moon is out of sight. A much better light show is expected in 2025 as the moonlight will not block the Geminids.
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