No matter where in the world you are, the wonders of the night sky remain a sight to behold. From total eclipses shadowing America to meteor showers taking over the skies of the Southern Hemisphere, a bunch of astronomical events in 2024 are set to hold your gaze. Here’s a calendar for you to save for some successful nights of stargazing:
Quadrantid meteor shower
4 January
New year celebrations will get carried over till 4 January, when the sky will light up with fireballs brighter than any visible planets. These Quadrantid fireballs are larger explosions of light than the average meteor streak, and can often last for a longer period of time. The Quadrantid meteor shower will take place from 28 December to 12 January, but will peak for a few hours on a specific date with as many as 120 meteors per hour. While the viewing is the best from the Northern Hemisphere, it can be spotted from anywhere; the best place to begin spotting the shower is north of the Big Dipper.
Penumbral lunar eclipse
25 March
The penumbra is formed when the sun, moon, and earth are partially aligned and the earth obstructs the sun's light to cover part of the moon in its shadow. The penumbral lunar eclipse is a rare occurrence, but astronomers can view it in March this year. The eclipse will be visible in Europe, Australia, Africa, East Asia, North America, South America, and the Pacific and Antarctica.
Total solar eclipse
8 April
The moon will completely cover the sun in a total solar eclipse that will be visible from North America and pass over Mexico and Canada. When the moon passes between the sun and the earth, the sky darkens as the face of the sun is blocked entirely. The atmosphere becomes dusky, however, for those planning to look up at the sky, proper equipment is essential lest you hurt your eyes.
WATCH
To Tadoba with love
Lyrid meteor shower
22-23 April
The bright Lyrid meteor shower is known to leave behind dusky trails that glow for several seconds after. With the shower peaking on a full moon night this year, viewing could get affected, so try finding a dark spot with clear skies for the best viewing. These meteors appear to originate from the constellation of Lyra, with its radiant point placed up north on the sky’s dome. This means that gazers in the Southern Hemisphere may see fewer Lyrid meteors.
Eta Aquarids meteor shower
6 May
Active between 19 April and 28 May, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower will peak around 6 May. Moving at a rate of up to 50 meteors per hour, the shower will be more visible in the Southern Hemisphere at a low position in the sky. As with most meteor showers, this one too derives its name from the constellation it radiates from, Aquarius. Associated with Halley's Comet, the Eta Aquarids shower has no specific peak time.
Perseid meteor shower
11-12 August
The Perseid meteor shower occurs due to the annual activity of the earth passing through debris shed by the comet Swift-Tuttle. The shower produces up to 60 shooting stars per hour, and this year, will coincide with a moonless sky promising the greatest visibility. The shower's radiant point in its source constellation Perseus will be above the horizon around 12 August, and will be best viewed from countries in the Northern Hemisphere.
Supermoon with partial lunar eclipse
18 September
A supermoon occurs when the moon is the closest to the earth, and appears bigger and brighter than usual. In September, the supermoon will be accompanied by a partial eclipse. While a supermoon is easy to spot from wherever you are, the eclipse will be visible from Europe, parts of Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Indian Ocean, Arctic and Antarctica.
Annular solar eclipse
2 October
The second solar eclipse of the year will largely pass over the Pacific Ocean. During such an annular eclipse, the new moon moves in front of the sun but does not cover its disk completely, creating what seems to be a ring of fire surrounding the moon. Such an eclipse occurs every one or two years. This year, it will be visible largely over Argentina and Chile.
Supermoon
17 October
The second and closest supermoon of 2024 will occur in October. During a supermoon, the moon can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than when it is the farthest. There's no need for specialised equipment to view the moon, but a clear night sky and an unobstructed view will help.
Geminid meteor shower
13-14 December
With an hourly rate of 150 meteors per hour, this one is considered as one of the best meteor shower displays to spot. This year, the Geminid meteor shower will be active between 4 and 20 December, peaking around 14 December. The meteors originate from near the Castor star in the constellation Gemini the Twins, and can easily be spotted between the Taurus and Cancer constellations.
Comments
Post a Comment