Astronomy Events 2024

Astronomical Events 2024 Times are Central Time Zone ...OK To Copy 4th Draft -see the website gpclements.com or the sites on the back side of this page for updates after January 10, 2024 !!!!!! Total Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024 Path of totality is about 120 miles wide ...from Texas through Ohio to Maine I will try to post more details at gpclements.com by the end of February, 2024 January 3 Today, the Earth is closest to the Sun for 2024. (Cold temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere are due to the tilt of Earth's axis. The Sun is lower in the sky today than in July.) January 3,4 Quadrantids Meteor Shower Meteors appear to come from Constellation Bootes. View after midnight. The Waning Gibbous Moon will hinder viewing of the meteors. January 11 New Moon January 12 Mercury is almost 23 degrees east (left) of Sun in the sky. View it low in the western sky shortly after sunset. January 13 Saturn is about 8 degrees above the Crescent Moon. View them low in SW sky after sunset January 18 The Moon is close to Jupiter on the sky. View shortly after sunset in western sky. January 25 Full Moon February 9 New Moon February 14 Jupiter is a few degrees above and east of the Crescent Moon in the western sky. View in the early evening.. February 16 The Moon is near the Pleiades. View around 10 p.m., but the time is not critical. Jupiter is below the Moon February 24 Full Moon March 10 Beginning of Daylight Savings Time. Move clocks ahead one hour Saturday night. March 10 New Moon March 13 Jupiter is a few degrees below and east of the Crescent Moon in western sky. View them in the early evening. March 14 The Moon is near the Pleiades. View them in the early evening. Jupiter is below the Moon in the western sky. March 19 March Equinox ... 12 hours of night, 12 hours of daylight for all points on Earth. This is the start of Spring for the Northern Hemisphere. The actual Equinox is March 19 at 10:01 p.m. CDT March 24 Mercury is almost 19 degrees east (left) of Sun in the sky. View it low in the western sky shortly after sunset. March 25 Full Moon March 31 Easter … Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after March 21st. The latest date for Easter is April 25th (1943, 2038). April 8 New Moon !!!APRIL 8 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE By the end of February, these links will be at gpclements.com . View map with full path of the track of the eclipse https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2024Apr08T.GIF eclipse2024.org – Interactive Eclipse Path using Google Maps https://eclipse2024.org/eclipse_cities/statemap.html April 10 Jupiter “near” Moon. View shortly after sunset, LOW western horizon. Jupiter about 4 degrees below Moon April 22,23 Lyrids Meteor Shower- about 30 meteors/hour if you view from a dark location. Meteors appear to come from the Lyra constellation. Observe after midnight. The Full Moon will limit the number of observed meteors. April 23 Full Moon May 4th Moon, Saturn, Mars, Mercury close to each other on the sky near East horizon. View Shortly BEFORE sunrise May 6,7 Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower - about 20 meteors/hour if you have a dark sky. Meteors appear to come from Aquarius. Observe after midnight. May 7 New Moon May 23 Full Moon June 6 New Moon June 20 June Solstice, Start of Summer for Northern Hemisphere. Start of Winter for S. Hemisphere. Greatest length of daylight hours for N. Hemisphere. June 21 Full Moon July 5 The Earth is at its farthest point from the Sun today. (Warm temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere are due to the tilt of Earth's axis. The Sun is higher in the sky in July than in January.) July 5 New Moon July 13 Spica is about 1 degree south of the Moon. Observe shortly after sunset. July 21 Full Moon "Supermoon" The Moon will appear slightly larger and brighter in the sky as it will be at a point in its orbit slightly closer to the Earth than its average distance. July 22 Mercury is at a large angle (almost 19 degrees) east (left) of Sun in the sky. View it low in the western sky shortly after sunset. August 4 New Moon August 12,13 Perseid Meteor Shower - Up to 50 meteors per hour if you have a dark sky. Meteors appear to come from the Perseus constellation. Observe after midnight. August 19 Full Moon September 2 New Moon September 8 Saturn Opposition … Saturn is closest to Earth, and brightest, for 2024. It is visible all night long. View it in the eastern sky at sunset and in the southern sky at midnight. September 17 Full Moon -"Supermoon." The Moon will appear slightly larger and brighter in the sky as it will be at a point in its orbit slightly closer to the Earth than its average distance. September 17 Partial Lunar Eclipse Start: 9:12 p.m. CDT End: 10:15 CDT Very little of the Moon is covered by the Earth’s shadow. Look for curve in Earth’s shadow on Moon September 22 September Equinox, 12 hours of night, 12 hours of daylight, Start of Fall for Northern Hemisphere October 2 New Moon October 9 Jupiter begins Retrograde Motion October 17 Full Moon -"Supermoon." The Moon will appear slightly larger and brighter in the sky as it will be at a point in its orbit slightly closer to the Earth than its average distance. October 21,22 Orionid Meteor Shower - perhaps 20 meteors per hour if you have a dark sky. View after midnight. Meteors will appear to come from the Orion constellation. Waning Gibbous Moon will limit the viewing. November 1 New Moon November 3 End of Daylight Savings Time, Set clocks back one hour Saturday night. November 4 Venus is about 3 degrees North of the Moon. View shortly after sunset. Low in SW sky November 15 The Full Moon is near the Pleiades. View in the East after sunset November 15 Full Moon -"Supermoon." The Moon will appear slightly larger and brighter in the sky as it will be at a point in its orbit slightly closer to the Earth than its average distance. November 16 Mercury is 22 degrees east (left) of Sun in the sky. View it low in the western sky shortly after sunset. Venus will also be visible in the western sky. It will be brighter than Mercury. November 17,18 Leonid Meteor Shower - Up to 15 meteors per hour if your sky is dark. Meteors appear to come from the constellation of Leo. View after midnight. The nearly Full Moon will limit the viewing of meteors. December 1 New Moon December 4 The Crescent Moon is near Venus. View them low in SW sky shortly after sunset, altitude 15 degrees December 7 Jupiter at Opposition (opposite side of Earth compared to Sun) … Jupiter is closest to Earth, and brightest, for 2024. It is visible all night long. View it in the eastern sky at sunset and in the southern sky at midnight. December 13,14 Geminids Meteor Shower - up to 50 meteors/hour if you have a dark sky. Meteors seem to come from the Gemini constellation. View after midnight. The Waning Gibbous Moon will limit the viewing of meteors. December 15 Full Moon December 21 December Solstice – This date has the shortest amount of daylight for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. Start of Winter for Northern Hemisphere December 30 New Moon This list was assembled by Greg Clements. Sources: solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/home/, seasky.org, timeanddate.com, nakedeyeplanets.com, in-the-sky.org, www.astropixels.com/almanac/almanac21/almanac2024cst.html, universetoday.com Astronomy videos on YouTube, indexed at astronomy.gpclements.com Free, no registration Physics videos on YouTube, indexed at physics.gpclements.com Free, no registration The physics videos (about 340) are for an introductory physics class. The astronomy videos (about 200) include videos for the general public and educational videos. This sky calendar can be freely accessed and printed at astronomy.gpclements.com .