The new year brings with it a new series of exciting astronomical events in the night sky, and one that will take place in the middle of the day and will be a unique spectacle for many.
From planetary alignments to a ‘Super Harvest Moon Eclipse’, here are the top astronomical events to mark on your 2024 calendar:
Less than a week after the spring equinox, which takes place on March 19 at 11:06 PM EDT, stargazers will be able to see the first solar eclipse of the year.
There will be a penumbral lunar eclipse before dawn on Monday, March 25, visible in North America, South America, Western Europe, West Africa, Japan, New Zealand and part of Australia.
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The moon enters the Earth’s shadow during a lunar eclipse as seen in Gauhati, India, Wednesday, January 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) |
This type of solar eclipse can be disappointing and difficult to notice because the moon only passes through Earth’s outer shadow, known as the penumbra, which is not nearly as dark as the inner shadow, the umbra. However, it will be the precursor to a breathtaking spectacle that will unfold just two weeks later.
Millions of people will travel from all over the world to attend the most important astronomy event of 2024, and for North America it will perhaps be the best astronomy event of the decade.
On Monday, April 8, the moon will completely block the sun for a few moments, creating a stunning total solar eclipse, the first for North America since 2017. It will only be visible along a narrow path from Texas to Maine and parts thereof. Mexico and Atlantic Canada.
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People in the rest of North America will be able to see an impressive partial solar eclipse, although solar filters or eclipse glasses will be needed to view the event safely. Experts recommend purchasing eclipse glasses months in advance because vendors can sell out as the event approaches.
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In this August 21, 2017, file photo, the moon nearly obscures the sun during a near-total solar eclipse as seen from Salem, Oregon. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, file) |
After April, a total solar eclipse won’t be visible from the contiguous United States until 2044.
After nearly four months without a meteor shower, skywatchers will have the chance to view two in as many weeks.
The Lyrids will be the first to light up the night sky, peaking 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’s nearly full moon will outshine all but the brightest meteors.
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Two weeks later, on the night of Sunday, May 5, into the early morning of Monday, May 6, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower reaches its peak. This is the best meteor shower of the year for the Southern Hemisphere, when the rate will reach 50 meteors per hour, while people in the Northern Hemisphere can count 10 to 30 shooting stars per hour.
A striking astronomical alignment will take center stage in the early summer sky, although you’ll need to wake up before the crack of dawn to witness it.
The moon will align with Jupiter, Mars and Saturn in the eastern sky before dawn on Saturday, June 29.
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You don’t need a telescope to see the alignment, but having one reveals two more planets, both too faint to see with the naked eye. Uranus will glow faintly between Jupiter and Mars, while Neptune will appear between Saturn and the moon.
A dazzling display will unfold in the sky in mid-August as the best meteor shower of 2024 reaches its peak.
According to the American Meteor Society, more than 50 meteors per hour will streak across the sky when the Perseids peak on the night of Monday, August 12, into the early hours of Tuesday, August 13. The number of visible meteors could peak at nearly 100 per hour in dark areas without light pollution.
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In this 30-second camera shot, 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 during the second half of the night after the moon has set and when the shower’s radiant point, located near the constellation Perseus, rises high in the northeastern sky.
A week after the peak of the Perseids, an unusual lunar event will occur: the rise of a Blue Moon.
A Blue Moon is often the nickname given to the second full moon in a calendar month, but this year’s Blue Moon has a different definition. Most astronomical seasons have three full moons, but when four occur 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 Cherries Moon and the Mountain Shadows Moon.
As the balmy summer evenings begin to give way to crisper 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 appears in the exact opposite part of the sky as the Sun, and is closest to Earth around the same time. As a result, the planet will appear brighter than at any other time of the year.
You don’t need a telescope to spot Saturn, but if you have one you can reveal the famous rings that inspired the planet’s nickname: the Jewel of the Solar System.
A convergence 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 supermoon of the year, temporarily darkening part of the moon as it passes through Earth’s shadow. This event will be more impressive than the penumbral lunar eclipse in March, although it will be far from a blood-red total lunar eclipse.
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A lunar eclipse progresses 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’s Jupiter’s time to shine in the sky as the largest planet in the solar system reaches maximum brightness.
Jupiter will be visible all night in December, but the first weekend of the month will be the best time to view the planet as it moves into opposition.
As with the Saturn opposition, no telescope is needed to see Jupiter as it will outshine every star in the sky, but if you spy the planet with a telescope you will see the largest moons, colorful clouds and even the famous red reveal stain – a storm that has been raging on the planet for centuries.
December has the longest nights of the year, and around the middle of the month stargazers usually gather to enjoy the Geminids – one of the best annual meteor showers. However, the 2024 edition of the winter meteor shower will likely fizzle instead of fizzle.
The night of Friday, December 13 into the morning of Saturday, December 14 will bring the peak of the Geminids meteor shower. Under ideal conditions, spectators can count more than 100 shooting stars per hour, but this year the peak will occur on the same night as a nearly full moon. The bright moonlight will make it difficult to see many of the meteors associated with the Geminids.
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The Geminids meteor shower is seen at the summit 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 dark parts of the sky where the moon is not visible. A much better light show is expected in 2025, as moonlight will not bother the Geminids.
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